Queer

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

Contemporary usage

In contemporary usage, queer is most commonly used as an inclusive, unifying sociopolitical umbrella term for people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and also for those who are transgender, transsexual, and/or intersexual. It can also include asexual 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 term is not usually used to include same-sex pedophiles or pederasts, who are disavowed by most members of the queer community, however some members of those groups may apply it to themselves. Likewise, the term is not usually extended to include zoophiles.

Related Topics:
Gay - Lesbian - Bisexual - Transgender - Transsexual - Intersex - Asexual - Heterosexuals - BDSM - Polyamorists - LGBT - Pedophiles - Pederasts - Zoophiles

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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 connotations of 'strangeness', and they do not consider themselves 'strange', they consider the term 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 sexually promiscuous radicals). Furthermore, the term 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.

Related Topics:
Homophobic - Profanity

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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 context "queer" is not a synonym for LGBT and many activist groups accept the acronym LGBTQ as preferable to the less inclusive LGBT.

Related Topics:
Sexual identities - Heteronormativity - LGBT

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

Related Topics:
Queer Eye for the Straight Guy - British - American - Queer as Folk

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

Related Topics:
Identity - Deaf

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