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Why "Q" plays?
For many years, the word "queer" was a pejorative term that sent
chills down the spine of any homosexual. But several years ago, some
gays began to take the attitude, "If you want to throw it my way,
then I'll just take it and use it!" And the move was on to "reclaim"
the word. But not without some struggle within our own community,
for the word had become so vile to some that they had a hard time
letting go of its ugliness.
But as years have passed, the word has been more and more
embraced. One of the reasons for this is probably because we didn't
have the word that was adequately inclusive of our community. Within the realms of "alternative lifestyles," there was a great
deal of diversity. "Queer" finally settled into being probably the
most inclusive term we have for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders. And it didn't take long for "Q" to become a snappy and
easy-to-use "code word" for "queer."
Not everyone within our gay community is yet comfortable with the
common use of "queer" and the resultant "Q." But it has become so
widely accepted that we are comfortable using it in the name of our
program. And apparently we aren't alone, because if you do an
internet search for "queer theatre (theater)" and "queer stage," you
will come up with about 25,000 hits from all over the world. There
are even college courses using the term. And these are just theatre
references!
Originally the meaning of the word "queer" had to do with that which
was off-center or not in line with what was around it. A crooked
picket on a fence was the queer picket. I like the picture that
conjures in my mind.
Is the word "queer" still used pejoratively? Of course it is. And
those using it that way want to insult and hurt. But I've had people
call me a "liberal" in a way that was intended to insult and hurt,
too. But I'm proud of being a liberal -- and I'm proud of being
queer!
-- MTT
A reclaimed word
is a word that was formerly used solely as a slur but
that has been semantically overturned by members of the
maligned group, who use it as a term of defiant pride.
Queer is an example of a word undergoing this
process. For decades queer
was used solely as a derogatory adjective for gays and
lesbians, but in the 1980s the term began to be used by
gay and lesbian activists as a term of
self-identification. Eventually, it came to be used as
an umbrella term that included gay men, lesbians,
bisexuals, and transgendered people. Nevertheless, a
sizable percentage of people to whom this term might
apply still hold queer to be
a hateful insult, and its use by heterosexuals is often
considered offensive. Similarly, other reclaimed words
are usually offensive to the in-group when used by
outsiders, so extreme caution must be taken concerning
their use when one is not a member of the group.
-- Dictionary.com |
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