From the evening of Sunday May 8th until Sunday May 15th, a 40 foot banner was hung in downtown Hamilton, twenty feet above the five lanes of traffic on Main Street in front of City Hall. The banner read, in large and simple lettering, www.AreYouQueer.ca.
The question is intended to evoke passionate responses from all corners of the City, and from people of all walks of life, sexual orientation and gender identities.
Throughout the 20th century, the word "queer" was often used as an anti-gay epithet. However, the word is increasingly being used by members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities to describe themselves.
The campaign is directed not just at members of the LGBT community - but encourages everyone to consider their own use of provocative words and confining labels.
Lots of questions to consider here:
- What is the impact of hate and hateful speech on an individual and a community?
- Is this an appropriate way to identify, confront and eliminate homophobia/transphobia in Hamilton?
- Can a community re-claim a word - queer - in this case? And is it appropriate for people outside of that community to use it?
What are your thoughts???
I feel that the word 'queer' has always had a bad vibe to it, and it is often used to describe and discriminate against the LGBT in a negative way. Personally, i never use the word queer because I believe that it would offend people who are lesbian, gay, or bisexual, and I would never want to do that. I have never once heard anyone who is apart of the LGBT community referring to themselves as a queer, because it has been used as such a hurtful term in the past.
ReplyDeleteI also don't think that it is right for the LGBT community to refer to themselves as queers and then get offended if someone outside the LGBT community called them that.
I personally don't think that the community can reclaim the word queer because of the way it has been used In the past. There are other ways to eliminate homophobia.
I feel words can be reclaimed but i do not feel that the term queer is most appropriate for the LGBT to represent themselves with because of it's definition as strange/odd.
ReplyDeleteBut for this specific campain i feel like the name is appropriate and effective way of confronting homophobia.
is it not also called lgbtq? q for queer?
ReplyDeleteI'd say that words and meanings and hateful terms are subject to changes.
according to wiki, queer means:
"The range of what "queer" includes varies. In addition to referring to LGBT-identifying people, it can also encompass: pansexual, pomosexual, intersexual, genderqueer, asexual and autosexual people, and even gender normative heterosexuals whose sexual orientations or activities place them outside the heterosexual-defined mainstream, e.g., BDSM practitioners, or polyamorous persons.
For some queer-identified people, part of the point of the term "queer" is that it simultaneously builds up and tears down boundaries of identity. For instance, among genderqueer people, who do not solidly identify with one particular gender, once solid gender roles have been torn down, it becomes difficult to situate sexual identity. For some people, the non-specificity of the term is liberating. Queerness becomes a way to simultaneously make a political move against heteronormativity while simultaneously refusing to engage in traditional essentialist identity politics."
the n-word has changed over time, however into a negative light. queer is changing for the positive. forgive and forget the past meaning, because people are not embracing the word as such anymore.
The word "queer" seems to stem from the word querie or to querie which were about questioning, therefore if someone calls them self a "queer" they are stating that they question things, or in this case their sexuality. Actually the proper term would be querent, but who cares about that. As for whether it is possible to own a word I have deduced that it is physically impossible to own that which is to be immaterial, like words. One may invent a word, but one cannot own a word.
ReplyDeletehonestly, i think this is only an exercise in futility. ans mentioned, "queer" has too many negative ... whats the word... "vibes" to it. What is happening here, is the LGBTQ people are trying to stop others from using the term as an insult. "This word doesn't hurt me nahnah" (or something like that). I fully expect this to go nowhere. This will not eliminate homophobia or anything, only make others more aware that it exists, and give the homophobics an opportunity to hate. pointless all around. the LGBTQ people don't have enough supporters, not even from LGBTQ people, so the sign also intends to pull out more supporters. Personally, i think that it is a lost cause. haters will be haters.
ReplyDeleteIf one wants to change the definition of a word it should be done slowly, so that people do not even realize that it is happening. Being bold like this will only serve to strengthen its current definition
I've never associated the word queer with negativity personally...
ReplyDeleteI was raised with lgbtq.
Personally, I have never seem the word 'queer' in a positive light. I have always thought that it was a hurtful word that was used to discriminate against people of different sexual preferences. That is why it is difficult for me to try to see the word queer in a more positive way, and embrace it. That is why I think it will take some time for society to start using the word 'queer' in a non-negative way.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Caitlin... I have never grown up in the presence of the word queer being used in a positive way. I think that it has been used in the past as a way to hurtfully discriminate against people's sexual preferences and because it has been this way for so long, it will take some time for myself included with other people to readjust to seeing the word "queer" used in a positive light. I also agree with emilija in the sense that the meaning of the n-word has changed over time, so who's to say that the same isnt possible for the word 'queer'? .. especially with the lines of communication so open and easy to gain access to with technology in this modern age.
ReplyDeleteObiouvley i think that hateful words can impact people in a hateful community in a negative way becasue firtly it is hateful. Anyone to like hateful comments that are directed at themselves is very hurtful, and would be crazy to be happy with it. I think it could raise suicide, because it is like going to school and being bullied, but the difference is that they have no sanctuary to go to, its thier community and home not just the school.
ReplyDeleteI think in a way that yes it is a good way to apporoach the issue of homophobia, but it could also be a little too open. For example if there is someone who is not of the straight sexual orientation they might not want to be reminded of the issues everytime they drive through downtown.
And as for the word queer, i agree with caitlens comment
I would say that the term Gay is used more in a negative way in today's society. You hear more people calling something "Gay" rather than saying something is "Queer" to describe a negative situation/object/person. The term queer is more often used in a non-derogatory way by the LGBTQ community and also people that are not a part of it.
ReplyDelete