Queer

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For the novel by William S. Burroughs, see Queer (novel). For the song by Garbage, see Queer (Garbage song)

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The word queer has traditionally meant "strange" or "unusual." "Queer" is currently often used in reference to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex communities. Its usage is controversial and underwent substantial changes over the course of the 20th century. The term is still considered by some to be offensive and derisive, and by others simply as a re-appropriated term used to describe a sexual orientation and/or gender identity or gender expression that does not conform to heteronormative society.

Queer is still used to mean 'strange' or 'unusual' in many contexts, and in some areas its modern usage must clearly be indicated by the context for it to be understood with its newer meaning.

1 Traditional usage
2 Contemporary usage
3 Queer events and groups
4 See also
5 References

[edit] Traditional usage

Since its emergence in the English language in the 16th century (related to the German quer, meaning 'across, at right angle, diagonally or transverse'), queer has generally meant 'strange', 'unusual', or 'out of alignment'. It might refer to something suspicious or 'not quite right', or to a person with mild insanity or who exhibits socially inappropriate behavior. The expression 'in Queer Street' was used in the UK as of the 1811 edition of Francis Grose's A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue for someone in financial trouble. It gained its implication of sexual deviance (especially that of homosexual and/or effeminate males) in the late 19th century; an early recorded usage of the word in this sense was in a letter by John Sholto Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry to his son Lord Alfred Douglas.

Subsequently, for most of the 20th century, 'queer' was used primarily as a derogatory term for effeminate and/or gay males, and others exhibiting non-traditional gender behavior, with the more general meaning gradually falling into disuse. During this transition, someone might use the term literally in the older sense, but implying the newer sense. For example, 'He's a queer fellow,' would ostensibly be a statement that the man is a bit odd, but the subtext was that the speaker believed him to be gay (however this is not to say that, in transitional or even in contemporary usage, there always exists such a subtext whenever the word is used).

The term was also used disparagingly by people within the lesbian and gay communities during much of the 20th century. It might be self-applied as a form of self-deprecation, or it might be aimed at another—perhaps more stereotypically 'gay' or less conventional—gay man or lesbian woman, as an epithet, suggesting that the target is even 'lower' than the speaker. It might also be used to denigrate a peer by reminding him of his status in society: just a 'queer'.

[edit] Contemporary usage

In contemporary usage, some use queer as an inclusive, unifying sociopolitical umbrella term for people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and also for those who are transgender, transsexual, intersexual and/or genderqueer. It can also include asexual and autosexual people, as well as heterosexuals whose sexual preferences or activities place them outside the mainstream (e.g. BDSM practitioners, or polyamorists). Queer in this sense (depending on how broadly it is defined) is commonly used as a synonym for such terms as LGBT or lesbigay.

The word can take different meaning when used by someone in the group it refers to, as opposed to outside the group, as explained here:

1. Heterosexuals, believing that homosexuality is something inherently perverse and bizarre, refer to them as "queer," meaning "like, totally weird, I mean, yucko." 2. Homosexual persons take offense at this, knowing that they are not inherently any weirder than heterosexual persons, and dislike having this term applied to them because it is belittling, alienating, and inaccurate. 3. Over time, however, homosexuals begin to realize that if your standard of normalcy is the average heterosexual American, well, being weird is actually a good thing. They begin to think of themselves as, indeed, queer, and proud of it. Thus, when they use the word "queer" to describe themselves, they do not mean "perverted and sick," they mean "interesting and cool." ^[1]

Many members of these communities have resisted this usage, and reject its application to them because the term — even as defined by modern activists — retains its connotation of 'strangeness'. Many gay and lesbian people do not consider themselves 'strange' and so consider the term Queer inappropriate or even offensive. Some object to being 'lumped in' with people whose sexuality they do not themselves condone (e.g. monogamous couples disapproving of what they perceive as sexually promiscuous radicals). Others simply object to embracing a term that persists as a homophobic slur, often bordering on profanity, which many—especially (but not exclusively) older individuals—still find personally hurtful. Many transgender, transsexual, and intersexual people instead identify themselves as heterosexual or straight, rejecting 'queer' status. Some gay and lesbian people feel that embracing the word 'queer' means embracing a political agenda with which they do not agree. For example, while the fight for same-sex marriage rights is an important issue for many gay people, some perceive that 'queer activists' tend to treat it as a low priority, or even to reject the validity of the issue.

Because of the context in which it was reclaimed, queer has sociopolitical connotations, and is often preferred by those who are activists, by those who strongly reject traditional gender identities, by those who reject distinct sexual identities such as gay, lesbian, bisexual and straight, and by those who see themselves as oppressed by the heteronormativity of the larger culture. In this usage it retains the historical connotation of "outside the bounds of normal society" and can be construed as "breaking the rules for sex and gender." It can be preferred because of its ambiguity, which allows "queer" identifying people to avoid the sometimes strict boundaries that surround other labels. In this context "queer" is not a synonym for LGBT and many activist groups accept the acronym LGBTQ as preferable to the less inclusive LGBT. On the other hand, some people who identify comfortably with the terms Gay and Lesbian reject the word "queer" as narrow, political, and divisive.

Several television shows, including Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, the cartoon Queer Duck and the British and American versions of Queer as Folk, have also used the term, in its positive self-identification sense, in their titles.

The term is sometimes capitalized when referring to an identity or community, rather than merely a sexual fact (cf. the capitalized use of Deaf).

[edit] Queer events and groups

Queeruption is a queer festival which takes place in a different city each year. In the summers of 2002 and 2006, a festival was held in Olympia, Washington called Homo-a-go-go, which featured queer films, zines, performance and musical groups during the week-long event; another one is planned for 2006. In the UK The "Queer Youth Alliance" hosts the annual National "Queer Youth Conference", a national gathering of several hundred LGBT young people from all over the country. A group of queercore bands toured throughout the U.S.; the tour was called Queercore Blitz and was yet another way to connect the like-minded. Queer Up North - The UKs largest Queer arts festival held in Manchester every year since 1992 with three weeks of outstanding UK and International queer theatre, performance, comedy, music, dance, film, cabaret, clubbing and exhibitions.

Other smaller Queer Groups flourishing now in the UK are;

Queers Without Borders, a network of queer activists against border regimes and also try to support those oppressed by them.

Queer Mutiny North, a D-I-Y non-hierarchical collective that aims to create politically motivated queer alternatives to the commercial and non-representative gay scene in the north of England.

Cardiff Queer Mutiny, A not-for-profit collective inspired by queer activism/philosophy, DIY punk ethics, creativity, Riot grrrl and political activist movements. (These groups put on much more regular activity but are smaller in size.)