Originally posted to the based communism.lemmy.ml Either way this is a leftist space and that means you gotta have a place for all the queer theory. But if you added a c/LGBT that would be better than nothing lol.
Queer. It is still a somewhat controversial term, being as many have felt the sting of it as a slur. Nonetheless many including myself have chosen to expropriate this world as an identity and umbrella term. Anyone who isn’t heterosexual, allosexual (as opposed to asexual) and cisgender is queer. I often just use the label queer as it doesn’t box me in and I don’t have to explain that I am a pansexual, graysexual, graygender person or explain what those mean to people.
Yet, LGBT and its variations are still far more popular. Perhaps CisHet people are afraid of offending, but if you are a member of the Queer Community you will know there is next to no controversy surrounding the term. It certainly isn’t like New Afrikan people using the N word, you do not need to be part of the community to say “queer”. I certainly won’t get mad at you anyway. “Fa**ot” and “Dyke” are being reclaimed, but don’t toss those words around unless you are one. I think it is empowering to take what was a pejorative and own it, taking a word used to be used to hurt people and disarming it. Besides, my generation hardly ever knew queer as an insult, but we sure heard gay be used a synonym for bad constantly, so if we are gonna avoid words because of their former derogative usage that’s bad news for all my gay friends.
I know it is not the intention, but I see LGBT as a somewhat exclusionary term, and adding more letters can only help so much. LGBTTQQIAAP (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, ally, pansexual) Is the longest version I’ve seen, certainly not in an organic context, that mouthful will never see popular use. Some add a plus sign as a quick fix to represent any identities not covered by the acronym, but I still think queer is less exclusionary. Someone won’t feel like why aren’t I good enough to have a letter in the acronym, I don’t want a crumby plus sign.
Plus queer just rolls off the tongue better.
Obviously I can’t strongarm the world into adopting Queer over LGBT, but I think they should. Especially us radicals, since it has had even stronger usage in queer radical communities.
Any thoughts, comrades?
I picked up the acronym GSRM (Gender, Sexual, and Romantic Minorities) from the r/lbgt sub a while back, and I always thought it kinda slick. It's a very obscure term, though, and when I use it I find myself explaining it heaps, which kinda defeats the purpose of an acronym.
personally I think it sounds sort of like MAP (minor attracted person), which we should definitely strive to avoid
we've got c/anticishet_aktion rn; it's the name we voted for in the discord which I quite like. I also prefer queer to lgbt though, since you mentioned it
edit: i see now that the c/anticishet_aktion is for lgbtq+
People have called me queer while jumping me. Me Father called me queer when he punished me. It's a terrible word. Stop trying to make it a thing. I never want it to happen.
Maybe in a generation or two that reclamation should happen when stories like this aren't so common, but a label/acronym we give ourselves is much less likely to be linked to trauma than what used to be a slur (and still is for a lot of people in a lot of places). Plus, we have anti-cishet-aktion as an lgbt+ space already.
I use queer for the same reasons, but I also dont think we need a third queer general sub just yet.