We’re queer. Are you offended?
San Diego CityBeat apparently created some unhappy readers through using the word “queer” in one of its articles.
CityBeat’s decision a couple of weeks ago to use the word “queerâ€â€”to describe the clientele at local bars that cater specifically to the gay community—invoked a ripple of dissent among our readership. This prompted us to dig a little deeper into where “queer†fits in our popular vernacular.
If you go here, you can see where CityBeat did exactly that.
“CityBeat is obviously gay friendly, and most of San Diego knows that,†continued Ralston, “but people are more inclined to take offense if it comes from a ‘straight’ publication.â€
Is the word “queer” offensive? When?
It is all in how you say it and who says it pretty much. If someone were to come up to me and call me queer, I don’t think I would really react much though. I might give a slight bow and say “Thank you.” People would would go by and call me a !@$*& queer, well they are the ones who might bother me. I think queer and gay are just becoming the same two words. It seriously used to be a word if someone says “Them queer people.” it would be offensive. Well that is probably because ‘queer’ means something that is weird, not right or normal. But anybody who is anyone knows that queer is as normal as a birthmark. You don’t choose that birthmark, you don’t choose to be gay. You can hide it, but it isn’t going away. There is my input.
Hi Dawn and Josh, thanks for your comments. Context is all, no? Someone can call me “gay” or “queer,” and the tone and actions will determine whether I think I was insulted or the victim of discrimination. I embrace the word “queer” as much as the term “dyke” in relation to my identity, but certainly someone screaming either one hatefully from a car is going to turn my stomach.
I think for many folks, particularly for those who have trauma associated with the word, certain words may always be problematic. I can tell you that the word “faggot” sends chills through my spine because of my experiences associated with it, but I know some people happily use the term as a self-descriptor.
Casey, excellent point on this issue (which I forgot to consider, which perhaps indicates something about my geography and what I’ve grown accustom to taking for granted): “while gay basically is a less clinical form of referencing the homosexual orientation, queer has political, radical implications which many gay individuals do not believe in and don’t want to be associated with.” I know that I’ll start emailing with a friend asking, “What list of definitions and beliefs go with the word ‘gay’ and which ones for the word ‘queer’?” I’ll open that thread here to anyone who’s interested.
It’s all about context for me. If you are shouting at me or have other abusive language in the article, then yes, I will take offense. If you are describing someone or a group, I don’t have any troubles
I think context is also a consideration in terms of geography. On the coasts or in urban settings, queer is more innocuous, but away from these areas, it is almost universally still imbued with its original meaning, of strange, odd, and somehow undesirable, at the same time as it references sexual orientation. As such, it can’t help but be derogatory, and people from these regions are very much aware of that. Alternatively, while gay basically is a less clinical form of referencing the homosexual orientation, queer has political, radical implications which many gay individuals do not believe in and don’t want to be associated with. Just my two cents.
it’s context, but it’s also generational–many older guys do not ever ever want to hear it. “queer” was more common than “fag” for a long time as an insult, and not many people use “fag” positively at all even to this day. “queer” holds the same position in many older people’s minds–it can’t be redeemed due to decades of having it flung.
great blog!