Kaitlyn ODonnell

Draft 1 Project 2
ENGW 1111
10/16/16
MLA, 1133 words

Queer: An Extended Definition

Using the word queer in todays world may be seen as insulting to older members of the
LGBT+ community because they experienced the word as an abusive one. But since the AIDs
epidemic, reclaiming this once derogatory term is seen by younger LGBT+ people as embracing
being different from what society wants them to be. It is also seen as a term that breaks the
binary sexuality and gender system. Thus, queer can be defined as both a person who prefers
queer to describe them more than other labels, and as an umbrella term for the complexities and
diversities of the LGBT+ community.
Most are familiar with the origin of queer being, weird, odd or different; whimsical,
(Wikionary). Brontsema does a great job illustrating the history of queer in regards to
homosexuals. The use of queer in reference to homosexual men began before World War II
where, queer co-existed with fairy in the 1910s and 1920s to refer to homosexuals (2). Once
World War II rolled around, gay eventually did replace queer, the latter viewed (especially by
younger homosexuals) as derogatory, a pejorative label forced upon them that defined their
homosexual interest as deviant, abnormal, and perverse (3). This is interesting because this is
the exact argument used by todays older LGBT+ people. Of course, these are probably the
same people.
The adverse opinion towards queer meaning gay continued until the AIDS epidemic in
the 1980s and 1990s. This is when the LGBT+ community began reclaiming the word. The first

public document arguing for the use of queer as an empowering word was in June of 1990. This
was a flier distributed by an organization called Queer Nation, and, among other strong
arguments involving the AIDS epidemic, it discussed why queer is a great word to represent
LGBT+ people; Using queer is a way of reminding us how we are perceived by the rest of the
world. It's a way of telling ourselves we don't have to be witty and charming people who keep
our lives discreet and marginalized in the straight world (Queers Read This). In addition to this,
it points out that, Queer, unlike GAY, doesnt mean MALE (Queers Read This). LGBT+
activism often has a strong affiliation with feminism, or wanting equality for all genders. This
makes sense considering the fight for transgender rights and recognition of non-binary genders.
Lastly, Queers Read This addressed uncomfortable feelings surrounding the word, Yeah,
QUEER can be a rough word but it is also a sly and ironic weapon we can steal from the
homophobe's hands and use against him.
Today, many use queer as an umbrella term for the LGBT+ community. Its a little less
of a mouthful than the acronym (which is shortened in this essay precisely because it is really
long). In addition, others use queer to identify their non-normative genders and/or sexualities
because they feel that their genders and/or sexualities aren't adequately described by commonly
used terms such as gay or lesbian (LibGuides). Madwin is one who felt that by choosing the
queer label, she found, a purpose in life a cause to fight for. Blog author Mskelizabeth
chose queer because, it does not prioritize one identity over others and taking it back and
wearing it proudly gives us [the lgbt+ community] power.
Whats interesting about both Madwin and Mskelizabeth is that they both refer to their
label as something powerful. This is interesting for a myriad of reasons. But the most important
is because they are both referencing the converting of queer from a negative word to a positive

one. This label is inherently political because of its history. In Queer VS. Gay: What exactly is
the difference between the two terms? Fisher conducted a Facebook poll to determine what his
friends thought of the terms. The politics are described well with these comments:
But for many, the terms are vastly different, depending on their political or nonpolitical
nature. Gay is a lifestyle, Queer is a political idea, one commenter posted. Another
stated, Gay is specifically homosexualQueer implies something more countercultural
and politically radical.
Clearly those who might use the word queer as an identifier, are well aware of the political
nature, even if they dont know the specific flier that started the reclamation in June of 1990.
Therefore, using the term is almost always a political statement as well as an identity/umbrella
term. As Madwin puts it in one of her reasons to label oneself, [its] to protest against our
homophobic society's attempts to dictate who we can or cannot love.
In addition to political statements, labels are important to acknowledge because they
establish community. Mskelizabeth argues that gay is not a good umbrella term because, gay
and homosexual are pretty synonymous. And while homosexual people are part of the
community with no doubt, theyre not all of it [this] excludes people from their own
community through omission. This is similar to Queer Nations argument that gay means
male. Both say the word is excluding a large part of the community, and both wish to have a
word to unite it. Moreover, Fincke suggest that:
Naming the gender types, the sexual orientation types, the sexual interest types even, in
all their beautiful diversity helps us think better. It helps us acknowledge more realities
and account for them with better social practices so that the people who dont fit into one
or two current everyday categories are now taken into account.

Finckes article talks extensively about how labels and qualifiers are constructed to communicate
about who we are more effectively. If someone feels queer describes them, then they should be
able to use that word to describe themselves. We should not limit our ever expanding language,
especially in the field of gender and sexuality, where we are just starting to accept that nothing
works in binary except computers.
By accepting a word used in a derogatory fashion as a positive, the power of the word is
taken away. As Brontsema says, At the heart of linguistic reclamation is the right of selfdefinition, of forging and naming ones own existence. This is why queer should be accepted to
mean what the LGBT+ community redefines it as. A huge pillar of LGBT+ activism includes
educating people about respect regarding pronouns and names. So it makes perfect sense that this
community would take a negatively connoted word and flip it to their advantage. We should
continue to expand our vocabulary in regards to LGBT+ issues. As Fincke puts nicely, Just as
our everyday language only skims the surface of the deep and complicated world that science
investigates, well so does it only skim the surface of a multifarious realm of possibilities in
sexuality and gender.

Works Cited
Brontsema, Robin. A Queer Revolution: Reconceptualizing the Debate Over Linguistic
Reclamation. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.
Fincke, Daniel. Why Do We Need Labels Like Gay, Bi, Trans, and Cis? Camels With
Hammers. N.p., 16 July 2014. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.
Fisher, Will. Queer Vs. Gay: What Exactly Is the Difference between the Two Terms? | Next
Magazine. Next Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.
Madwin, Gayle. Reasons to Choose or Not Choose a Label. Queer by Choice. N.p., n.d. Web. 17
Oct. 2016.
Mskelizabeth. Thoughts on Gay as an Umbrella Term. This Feminist Is Queer. N.p., 26 Mar.
2015. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.
LibGuides: Gender and Sexual Identity: Queer and Questioning. University of Illinois Library. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.
Queers Read This. June 1990. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.
Wiktionary -Queer. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.

Special Thanks
Special thanks to my dear friend Katya Leidig for helping me decide where this essay was going.
And thanks to Dr. Cecelia Musselman for being patient with me regarding the first draft.