AIBU to think the word 'queer'...

[Nik2015]

...isn't acceptable?

There's a channel 4 programme called 'raised by queers'.

Surely this isn't an acceptable term????

Depends. I have heard a few gay people saying it. But if it was a straight person saying it, whilst having a go at a gay person, then it would be construed as offensive I guess.

Who are you offended on behalf of?

My gay cousin and his husband use queer all the time.

I have a very good friend who revels in using queer.
I use Gay when I need to use anything at all. I'm delighted that it's becoming increasing rare to need to say anything at all about anyone's sexuality.

I'd say it was, but I also know some gay men who refer to themselves as queer.

I thought it stopped being a slur and was reclaimed ages ago. Lots of people identify as queer. I haven't really heard of it being used any other way during my adult lifetime (only when reading period novels etc.)

Lesbian here and happy to confirm that us Queers 'reclaimed' the word a long time ago. It's quite common for it to be used without it being pejorative. That said, it's one thing for me to put a shout out to my queer mates on FB but quite another for some ignorant that to shout 'fucking ugly queers' at us in the street. The TV company are probably just showing how down with tha kidz they are, bless 'em.

Well the couple concerned don't think it's unacceptable and it's about them so I don't really think we are entitled to judge.

Btw they were on this morning

It's not necessarily synonymous with gay either, is it - I mean I'm not any sort of expert but ...

www.google.co.uk/amp/www.teenvogue.com/story/what-queer-means/amp

My understanding is that queer is an umbrella term, and much less rigid in terms of orientation. So people who might have a same sex partner but considering themselves gender fluid or who are exploring their sexuality will use queer. It has been pretty comprehensibly reclaimed

I thought it was a bit like the N word. Ok for a gay person to say it but if you are not gay it's probably best not to use it.

I thought it was LGBTQ these days. Q for queer, gender/sexuality non conforming.

Totally agree Dolly, lesbian here as well. I regularly call my gay friends queer. It took a long time for us to reclaim those words and we now embrace them.

Some gay people prefer it to "gay" (or so I've been told) by a gay/queer guy.

As a heterosexual person I wouldn't use the term however I know many gay people (men especially for some reason) who use it.

It's actually a great word and I think probably has more positive connotations than negative now as it's been reclaimed.

LGBTQ

Guess what the Q stands for...? HTH

If you're heterosexual it's not your place to police gay people's usage of the word.

I just googled the word 'queer' and the search results come up with a pretty rainbow banner! Cool.

You have no right to tell others how to describe themselves. The lgbtqia community has worked very hard to reclaim queer - just because it's not your type of representation doesn't make it unacceptable representation.

Queer actually originated as a term used by middle-class gay men in New York in the 20s to differentiate themselves from men they identified as 'normal' or 'fairies' . It was then turned into a slur, and reclaimed my activists in the 80s and 90s.

I work with teenagers and would correct them if they used the work...???

I don't like like it, it was considered very derogatory back in the 90s. So I sit and won't use it.

However, I am straight so I wouldn't presume to correct a gay person if it was used.

What do you think the q stands for in lgbtqia? Don't take away someone's identity OP. If you work with teenagers you should do yout bloody research.

As you can probably tell I use queer to describe myself (I'm bi but aromantic with women). Queer is a really nice way to describe myself. And I won't accept judgement from people who haven't even bothered to research.