So, as my title says, what is queer? I get the general idea of it being a label for the "un-labelable", but I would like direct insight from actual queer people. Also, why do so many older members of the LGBT community not accept the term queer? Is it negative? I guess another part of this question or maybe something entirely separate, I am completely ignorant to the situation, but what is genderqueer? Does it relate to queer? Is it similar transgender or other branches of LGBT? This thread is not meant to offend anyone nor do I wish to receive derogatory remarks; this is purely for my personal knowledge. Anyways, thanks for the responses ahead of time. :icon_bigg
guess people would use it in different contents meaning different things Queer meaning - odd or strange guess it was was first used 60-70 years ago and still used by older generations doubt it is used to offend ... Queer used in term`s of being Gay - IMO being called Queer in that content always has & always will be offensive it should never be used if it was directed at me personally Id be ready to rip their heads off. its Vile and nasty used in that way .
I dismiss the term queer too. If somebody asked me if I was queer, I'd tell them to fuck off. I the UK that term in particular is very derogatory and used as something to direct at and offend gay people e.g. 'You fucking queer!', 'I hate queers' etc. The original meaning is negative therefore I don't like it. Sometimes I wish there was a new word created that isn't associated with anything bad. Nowadays gay means stupid rather than happy, so I'm starting to hate that too!
i always assumed queer as a blanket term for anyone who doesn't particularly conform to any letter in LGBT. then, in essence, i consider myself to be queer, as i am not lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. also genderqueer is similar, it's a term for someone who isn't confined to one gender type (male, female, intersex, ftm, mtf). i don't find myself accurately described by any of the above. i am biologically female, but i don't feel like a girl, however, i don't feel like a boy. i feel in between. sometimes i feel like something completely different, outside the big 5. i suppose genderqueer and queer could be used as labels while you are trying to figure yourself out, or, perhaps you simply don't conform nicely. then genderqueer and queer is for you. also it's interesting how Lewissss finds queer offensive, makes one wary of using any term because it's completely different in meaning to someone else. i don't find it derogatory, despite it's literal definition. unless used derogatory. people where i live usually use gay and fag as stupid, etc.
The word queer allows me to say I'm not straight without having to commit to anything else. Anytime I start to settle on a different label, I quickly have enough experiences I perceive to be inconsistent with it that it makes me start questioning all over again. By identifying as queer, it's easier for me to give myself permission to simply feel what I feel rather than worrying about what exactly it makes me. Genderqueer has a similar function for me, except it refers specifically to gender. Most days I'm perfectly happy being female, but it helps me put a name to the discomfort I feel at being identified by others as a woman or a girl. The only time I like it is when I'm representing women in an otherwise male-dominated space; the rest of the time it just doesn't feel right at all.
it, like the 40 different terms and counting for bisexuality, is a term people give their own meaning.
