Blog Post Three: Etymology of "Queer"

The history of the word "queer"  is slightly uncertain, though it has been traced to German descent in the 16^th century (Harper). At the time, it referred to things that were “oblique, off-center” or “odd” (Harper). “Queer” is used today sometimes in this descriptive sense, but also as gender, sexual, and/or political labels.

While the history of the word “queer” is slightly uncertain, its literal adjective meanings are consistent in referring to something negative. The word is often meant to describe something “strange,” “eccentric,” “suspicious,” “shady,” or “queasy” (“Queer”).  Many texts previous to the 19^th century use the word with these negative connotations to indicate something different than the norm.

It wasn’t until 1922 that “queer” was recorded in reference to homosexuality (Harper). From then until the 1980s, the word “was used solely as a derogatory name for gays and lesbians” (“Queer”). The underlying connotations of calling gays “queer” was to signify them as differing from the norms; it reinforced social connotations that gay people were “shady” and “eccentric,” like the meanings of the word itself (“Queer”).  

It was during the gay rights movement of the 1980s that the term was taken by “gay and lesbian activists as a term of self-identification” (“Queer”). The word eventually took on its current umbrella term to cover gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people (“Queer”). Some people within this community still consider it offensive. There’s at least one Facebook page dedicated to getting people to stop using the word in the gay community. It has over 500 "likes." A post by James Kirchick on the blog Independent Gay Forum insists that because “queer” implies that someone is odd, it is impractical to describe oneself as “queer” when there is a need to fight for gay rights (Kirchick). He believes that the connotations of “queer” as an adjective are too negative and only segregate the gay community from mainstream society more (Kirchick).

Other people in the gay community are okay with the word “queer.” Some even prefer the word “queer” instead of “gay.” The website Critpath, for example, works in conjunction with Parents and Friends Lesbians for Gays (“PLFLAG”) on AIDS projects. The site features an interview between a mother and son in which the son explains why he prefers the term “queer” as his identification (Siegel). He claims that “queer” in a modern sense is tied to the politics of gay community. He goes on to say that “[q]ueers are more politically conscious” than people who identify only as gay; they are the activists of the gay community (Siegel).

http://www.hercampus.com/love/what-does-queer-mean-queer-101-labels-explanations-identifications

Some people use this label instead of conforming to the binary gender labels; they do not label themselves as male or female, but instead gender-queer (Friedman). Anne Fausto-Sterling’s article “The Five Sexes” explains the biological basis of “intersexuality,” which can mean a person has conflicting genitalia or chromosomes that differ from the typical male (XY) female (XX) (Fausto-Sterling 21-22). The article “AliceDreger, Gender Bender” points out that people born with “ambiguous genitalia” are also included in the “intersex” label (Magnuson). To avoid labels associated with their biological status, some intersex prefer the label “gender queer” for themselves (Friedman).

Some people use the label “queer” to signal that they are sexually attracted to men and women, as well as trans people (Friedman). Leslie Feinberg’s article “Transgender Warriors” defines a “transgender” person as someone who does not identify with their assigned gender, but also doesn't necessarily identify with the other sex (Feinberg 199). Transsexuals identify with the opposite sex which they were assigned at birth (199). Thus, in a sexual sense, "queer" can mean someone is attracted to men, women, and trans persons.

“Queer” remains today to be used in a negative sense when describing something as “strange” or “eccentric.” Some individuals have reclaimed the word to refer to their political, sexual, or gender identity. In general, it appears that calling oneself “queer” is an “intensely personal” choice; one that only an individual can choose on their own (Friedman).

Word Count: 673

Works Cited

Fausto-Sterling, Anne. "The Five Sexes: Why Male and Female Are Not Enough." The Sciences March/April (1993). Web. 5 Feb. 2012.

Feinberg, Leslie. Transgender Warrior. Beacon, 1997. Print.

Friedman, Vanessa. "What Does "Queer" Mean? Queer 101: Labels, Explanations, Identifications." Her Campus. Her Campus Media, 9 Feb. 2012. Web. 25 Feb. 2012.

Harper, Douglas. "Queer." Online Etymology Dictionary. Web. 25 Feb. 2012.

Kirchick, James. "Young, Out, and Gay—Not Queer." Independent Gay Forum. 14 Feb. 2006. Web. 26 Feb. 2012.

Magnuson, Danielle. "Alice Dreger, Gender Bender." Ms Magazine Blog. WordPress, 8 Nov. 2011. Web. 25 Feb. 2012.

"Queer." The Free Dictionary. Farlex, 2000. Web. 26 Feb. 2012.

Siegel, Laura. "An Interview With My "Queer" Son." Critical Path AIDS Project. Youth Guard Services, 19 Aug. 2002. Web. 26 Feb. 2012.