No one has posted in this community yet? I suppose I’ll have the honor of being the first, naturally.
Queer. It is still a somewhat controversial term, being as many have felt the sting of it as a slur. Nonetheless many including myself have chosen to expropriate this world as an identity and umbrella term. Anyone who isn’t heterosexual, allosexual (as opposed to asexual) and cisgender is queer. I often just use the label queer as it doesn’t box me in and I don’t have to explain that I am a pansexual, graysexual, graygender person or explain what those mean to people.
Yet, LGBT and its variations are still far more popular. Perhaps CisHet people are afraid of offending, but if you are a member of the Queer Community you will know there is next to no controversy surrounding the term. It certainly isn’t like New Afrikan people using the N word, you do not need to be part of the community to say “queer”. I certainly won’t get mad at you anyway. “Fa**ot” and “Dyke” are being reclaimed, but don’t toss those words around unless you are one. I think it is empowering to take what was a pejorative and own it, taking a word used to be used to hurt people and disarming it. Besides, my generation hardly ever knew queer as an insult, but we sure heard gay be used a synonym for bad constantly, so if we are gonna avoid words because of their former derogative usage that’s bad news for all my gay friends.
I know it is not the intention, but I see LGBT as a somewhat exclusionary term, and adding more letters can only help so much. LGBTTQQIAAP (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, ally, pansexual) Is the longest version I’ve seen, certainly not in an organic context, that mouthful will never see popular use. Some add a plus sign as a quick fix to represent any identities not covered by the acronym, but I still think queer is less exclusionary. Someone won’t feel like why aren’t I good enough to have a letter in the acronym, I don’t want a crumby plus sign.
Plus queer just rolls off the tongue better.
Obviously I can’t strongarm the world into adopting Queer over LGBT, but I think they should. Especially us radicals, since it has had even stronger usage in queer radical communities.
Any thoughts, comrades?
Interesting, have you shared your thoughts with other queers (is it ok as a noun)? What was their reaction? I’m happy using any term at all, but I wouldn’t want to risk a first impression by using queer if it may be misunderstood.
A little funky calling people just “queers”, that’s a good question. It’s a bit like calling autistic people “autists” or black people “blacks”, it can sound a bit dehumanizing. “Queer people” is better, that would have been a good point to make.
In my experience, most of the queer/LGBT community is fine with either term. In my experience with other queer people, the only people I’ve ever encountered that didn’t like the term queer were older queer folk. I would imagine due to the fact that they lived before the term was reclaimed. This isn’t my idea or anything, in our community queer has very widely been adopted, especially by queer comrades. Obviously I really want people to get used to “queer” and not see it as offensive at all, but I suppose when in doubt us LGBT. But, no, I don’t think if you mention “Queer people” anyone in the queer community would be offended.