Can’t we say lesbian anymore?

[sellotape12]

Was just reading a Guardian review of some TV show and it describes a female character as ‘secretly queer.’ Then I popped to the local café where there’s a leaflet for a ‘queer antenatal group.’ Can’t we just say gay? Or lesbian?
The normalisation of a more ambiguous piece of language implies shame in the original word. Additionally, it just makes it all look like trend rather than biological truth. And that’s just counterintuitive surely?

Well that's worrying. That they've stated gender identity. It sounds very much like they are going to have a trans 'lesbian' in there just like they did with I Kissed a Boy.

I really hope we don't end up seeing a group of young lesbians all going along with the 'lesbians can have penis too' narrative.

The BBC received many complaints about the inclusion of a trans man but perhaps the ratings were good so they've decided to go for it again. I really hope not

My above post was meant to quote this

I would assume queer includes bisexual women, too

Unfortunately "queer" is one of those weasel that has been made consumer friendly as being sold as part of the vast rainbow umbrella that any number of identities, sexualities, non anything people can crowd together (effectlively making it meaningless).

But queer polities is in fact something very different. It is about disrupting the accepted "norms" - which isn't saying its being a tiny bit radical, but saying nothing is certian and to claim (for instance) that you are a lesbians just illustrates you are a conformist trapped in a rigid view of the world.

There have been many threads about queer politics on FWR, and interestingly showing the US bias in online information which claims it is all about 1980s gay liberation in the US, rather than an idea "influenced by the work of French post-structuralist philosopher Michel Foucault, who viewed sexuality as socially constructed and rejected identity politics".

And there is no doubt that the influence of queer politics in universities which led to the overthrough of women's studies etc., has led to its concept permeating through places of influence eg newspapers. ie the editor of the Guardian says everything she does is influenced by queer politics. (which has led the Guardian to become anti woman, etc., etc..)

And let's not get started on Judith Butler again!

I am in my 60s and will no doubt at some point offend someone because when I was young ‘queer’ was a highly offensive term, as was ‘black’, it was lesbian or homosexual - gay meant happy. ‘Coloured’ was the word to describe non-white.

I am genuinely concerned that I will inadvertently upset someone because I simply can’t keep up with what is and isn’t acceptable. Partly because I don’t come across many of either in my day to day life.

You raise an interesting point. I'm not sure they would be able to after the Supreme Court ruling.

I noticed that, unlike in previous years, they have stayed away from calling it a "gay" dating show, and there are limited references to same sex attraction. Whether that is so, they can include trans contestants without violating the SC ruling, I'm not sure. The most recent series of IKAB was filmed before the guidance was clarified, so I do wonder if that's what is going on (and why they've removed references to it being single sex).

I suppose it would be too much to reflect that for the show you're referring to, the creator and actor who plays the character in question, and who based the character loosely on herself, prefers to describe herself as queer rather than gay or lesbian, and so the Guardian were largely following her lead?

Incidentally, 'queer' is not some sort of new reclamation (and even if it was, oppressed minorities are entitled to determine what language they wish to use for themselves, and they don't need unanimity to do so). I was listening to something about queer history in California a couple of weeks ago and they played excerpts from various rallies where the word queer was used routinely.