Queer 101By Kenny & Maureen
What We’re Talking About
• Origin of queer• Historical uses of the word• The queer identity• A little queer history lesson• A little sociology lesson• Queer as a verb• Discussion
Etymology of Queer• Scottish: “strange,
peculiar, eccentric”• Low German:
“oblique, off-center”
• German” quer “oblique, perverse, odd”
• Old High German: from PIE root twerk “to turn, twist, wind”
The Use of The Q Word• Historically used to
describe someone different, who exhibits behavior deemed socially inappropriate
• Early 20th century: gay men in NYC began using it as a code word
• Became synonym for immoral, perverted, subversive
The Use of The Q Word• Throughout the
20th century, it transformed into a derogatory term
• Only directed to men in receptive/passive roles in sex– Men who had the
active/penetrative roles were still perceived as straight
Reappropriation• 1969: anarchist, pacifist
author Paul Goodman published The Politics of Being Queer– Influential in mainstream
gay movement as well as the queer movement
• 1990: survivors of queer bashing formed Queer Nation– Anti-assimilation, direct
action activist organization– “We’re here, we’re queer,
get used to it!”• 1990s: introduction of
queer theory in academia
Uses of Queer Today
• All-encompassing term for the LGBTQIA community
• An identity• Radical queer
separatist movement• General term for a
non-normative, nonconforming individual
The Queer Identity• Used by people who don’t
identify with any of the ‘traditional’ LGBTQIA identities or dominant norms
• “Queer” as the gray area in between the black & white boxes of LGBTQIA
• Queer as a statement of fluidity• Used by people attracted to
many genders, within and outside of the gender binary
• Used by radicals as an anti-assimilationist identity
Why Identify As Queer?• Queer Identity Emb
raced By LGBT Community
• Kenny’s Story• Maureen’s Story
Queer Identity as a Political Statement
• After the Stonewall Riots, the radical, anarchist Gay Liberation movement followed until the mid-70s
• Mid-70s to present: gay Rights movement– Reformist– Assimilationist
Queer Identity as a Political Statement
• Gay rights movement focuses on normalizing the gay & lesbian identities, assimilating into heteronormative society– Criticized for bi, trans*,
genderqueer exclusion– Criticized for lack of
intersectionality– Current focus: marriage rights
• Radical queers challenge mainstream gay politics, use the queer identity as anti-assimilationist political statement
• “Queer” as a form of resistance against normalization
Queer Is Postmodern• Essentialist
– Born with sexual desire for same sex or opposite
– Gender & sex always match• Constructionist
– Born with undirected sex drive, shaped by experiences
– Fit into either man or woman gender box, regardless of sex
• Postmodern– “Boxes” of essentialism and
constructioinism are confining, oppressive
– Sexuality & gender are fluid identities that exist on spectra
Queer Is A Verb• “To queer something, whether it’s a text, a story, or
an identity, is to take a look at its foundations and question them. We can explore its limits, its biases, and its boundaries. We can look for places where there’s elasticity or discover ways we can transform it into something new. To queer is to examine our assumptions and decide which of them we want to keep, change, discard, or play with. This becomes a practice in transcending the habit of settling for pre-defined categories and creating new ones. And even when we leave something unchanged, we have changed our relationship to it.” –Charlie Glickman
Queering Questions• Can a straight person be considered
queer?• How can we make LGBTQIA-
designated spaces queer-inclusive?• What are some things we can queer?• What are some ways you queer your
lives or ways of thinking?