DiscussionA thought about the use of the word 'queer' as a descriptor

submitted by lovelyspearmintLesbeing a lesbian from self.LGBDropTheT

I'm probably not the first person to notice this but how can people talk about queer relationships and call the community the queer community, when this is never the case for any other 'reclaimed' slurs.

What makes queer different to the N word, even in the sense that the N word can't even be written or said out loud by most people? How come those who have reclaimed it don't call their community the N word community, or talk about n word representation and n word relationships and n word people?

Yes, it's a harmful slur with a long history behind it, but so is queer and f*ggot, and yet those have been apparently reclaimed and are most often used by people who aren't LGB, which is the opposite to how the n word is used and by whom.

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[–][deleted] 34 insightful - 1 fun34 insightful - 0 fun35 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

They started using queer community instead of gay community because they wanted to include all the heterosexual gender specials under the same umbrella.

[–]theytookourjerbsXX only. 17 insightful - 1 fun17 insightful - 0 fun18 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Basically this. It's a disgusting slur.

[–]Shales123 12 insightful - 1 fun12 insightful - 0 fun13 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Hate it

[–]nettygay5 9 insightful - 3 fun9 insightful - 2 fun10 insightful - 3 fun -  (3 children)

one thing even bisexuals (bisexual men who like to use that word and ftm straight women) say is that "well, i've been called this word too! YES...because they are calling you GAY..a homosexual. Thats the last word gay people hear when theyre murdered. And when they try to blur the lines with "maybe in theory some bi guys are targets of hate crimes!"..no, theyre not because theyre too busy eating popcorn watching the hate crimes occur in their heterosexual relationships.

this whole "i've been called it too" is complete and total bullshit. More straight guys have been called that word than anybody. does that mean straight men get to use that word and "reclaim it"? What a bunch of insincere assholes. White women were called N-word lovers. Does that mean they get to run around and use that word? No.

[–]reluctant_commenter 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

one thing even bisexuals (bisexual men who like to use that word and ftm straight women)

Why do you judge bisexuals so much?

White women were called N-word lovers. Does that mean they get to run around and use that word? No.

Bisexuals are actually same sex attracted, though.

[–]PatsyStoneMaverique 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

He's a dedicated division troll, his goal here is to prevent a dissident gay community from forming. He uses pretty common trolling tactics. Ask him about lesbians and black people.

[–]reluctant_commenter 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Yeah, think this is the same guy who is on like his 15th account or something here.

[–]SnowAssMan 10 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 0 fun11 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

Queer the noun is not the same word as queer the adjective e.g. no one identifies as "a queer". It was never reclaimed, but everyone everywhere insists it was, even academics! "Queer" the adjective wasn't a slur, just an outdated word, which was resurrected & re-defined, kind of like the word "gay".

This is also why they changed from transsexual to transgender, because the former is a noun & the latter an adjective.

The N word is a noun, which is why it will never get "taken back". It's a myth that a slur can be "taken back". It's a myth that even the most educated people believe in, just because they don't understand the difference between nouns & adjectives. It's like the whole world has gone mad.

[–]yousaythosethingsFind and Replace "gatekeeping" with "having boundaries" 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

"Queer" the adjective wasn't a slur, just an outdated word, which was resurrected & re-defined

Well put.

[–]reluctant_commenter 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Queer the noun is not the same word as queer the adjective e.g. no one identifies as "a queer". It was never reclaimed, but everyone everywhere insists it was, even academics! "Queer" the adjective wasn't a slur, just an outdated word, which was resurrected & re-defined, kind of like the word "gay".

Do you mind if I ask more about this? I never thought about it before but now you mention it, the times that I heard "queer" used in a derisive or insulting way growing up, it was always as a noun, e.g. "those queers." Yet nowadays it is always used as an adjective.

It's a myth that a slur can be "taken back". It's a myth that even the most educated people believe in, just because they don't understand the difference between nouns & adjectives. It's like the whole world has gone mad.

I think most people just haven't observed this before. Are you suggesting that only nouns tend to be slurs? I'm thinking, for example, how "retard" as a noun is obviously a slur but I would call "retarded"... maybe a slur as well? Whereas almost all the rest I can think of tend to be nouns, e.g. "fggot," "cnt," etc.

[–]SnowAssMan 8 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 0 fun9 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

What sounds better "jew", or "jewish person"? Nouns consistently sound like offensive slurs. Why do you think the self-ID cult refuses to call people who reject their ideology 'gender critical', opting for calling them "TERFs" instead? I assure you, the only reason 'black' & 'gay' have stood the test of time is because they are adjectives.

We need a snappy label for self-ID cult members, that acts as a synonym for sexist (noun) & homophobe. And instead of saying "trans-womxyn" we need to say transgender males.

[–]NonimeTired of Explaining Reality to Fuckwits (TERF) 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I consider it a slur and hate it when people use it. It's awful.