I am here, I am queer…

OK, you know the rest.  When I talk about our community, I tend to use the umbrella term “Queer.”  Using Gay seems too limiting and trying to figure out which part of the alphabet to use to be all inclusive gets tedious and I’m bound to leave someone out.  So for me, it’s Queer.

GLAAD recently moved from LGBT to LGBTQ. Better, but inevitably there are those who feel left out.     Not wanting to offend I decided to use queer feeling it was more inclusive.  What could go wrong? Wait for it….

Yup, I pissed a few people off.  On Facebook, naturally. I had made a list introducing our new Queer Business group on LinkedIn (yes, a not so subtle plug – join us). Most of my posts tend to go ignored (thanks for the love folks), but not this one.  The respondents were opposed to the business group concept, but they took exception to the use of the Queer identifier. Queer is offensive. Queer is derogatory.  Many had fought to overcome this schoolyard taunt. And here I was calling my group Queer. Apparently, I had sold out the brotherhood. Who knew?

Good on the LGBT, but why does it have to be “queer”? That word is very offensive to those of us over 45 and the ones that work hard in the 70s to get us where we are now (not to even start on the AIDS work). Just my feeling and my friends have been warned, call me that and they will have a black eye and I want to go running off crying like before. Did we vote for the “queer” thing and I missed it? 

I agree with you. Younger people claim they are “taking back” the word queer, but I have painful memories of a schoolyard game called “Smear the Queer.”

I get it, sort of. And I also realize that no matter what I do, I’m bound to piss someone off.

GLAAD recommends the use of LGBTQ. We have many followers who don’t identify as LGBor T, but something else. There can be a whole alphabet of trying to be inclusive LGBTQIAPK – you see where it’s going. Yes, based on a younger demographic who are more comfortable with an overreaching queer label as opposed to a gay business or lesbian business. No matter what we choose, we risk upsetting someone. So for those of you that haven’t embraced Queer as the solution – understand our intent was never to offend but simply to find an umbrella term that captures and embraces all those who wish to identify as LGBTQI or whatever suits you and know that we welcome regardless of which letter you choose.  http://time.com/4544704/why-lgbtq-will-replace-lgbt/

Over the years, I have been a fag, queer, gay, top, bottom, boy, Sir, bear and even have an official lesbian card. So I’m good no matter what you call me because it’s not your labels that matter but how I choose to self-identify to the world at any given moment. 

And it’s not just us – how about you don’t use the word queer to describe LGBT!!! it’s a fucking slur!

What do you think?

Did we vote for the “queer” thing and I missed it? 

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