Why Queer?

Queer is a unifying umbrella term for people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, transsexual, and/or intersex. The boundaries of the concept queer are hard to define precisely because there is not one absolute definition of the word queer. In fact, these boundaries can be made flexible enough to accommodate some who would never fit under the label "homosexual," but are nevertheless outside the heterosexual norm. There seems to be a strict binary opposition between heterosexuality and homosexuality, where the heterosexual norm is the inside and homosexuality is outside. Queer, to me, is the term that attempts to include all (or, at least, more) of what is not homosexual but is not the heterosexual norm, either. Queer is often used by those who strongly reject traditional gender identities; by those who reject sexual identities such as gay, lesbian, bisexual and straight; by those who see themselves as oppressed by the heteronormativity of the larger culture; and/or by heterosexuals whose sexual preferences make them a minority (for example, BDSM practitioners). Many people feel that labels such as gay, lesbian, bisexual etc do not adequately describe their sexual identity and preferences. Some queer people identify as such because they feel it empowers them to be themselves on a level that goes beyond the rigid limitations of the traditional polarised interpretation of sexual orientation (either homosexual or heterosexual, or bisexual in the middle) and gender identity (male or female). For us, being queer means discarding such labels and their expectations and embracing the idea that our sexual identity or practices is simply different from others' in one or more ways. In other words, we challenge gender stereotypes and blur gender/sex norms. Some queers on the other hand have difficulty reconciling their identity with their anatomy. Many do not think of themselves as a 'woman' in anything other than the strict anatomical sense. For other queers, it's the person and personality that matter most, not sex or gender. And even for others, the term queer identifies their sexual behaviour (outside of the norm). Further, to be either butch or femme challenges traditional gender roles and expectations about appropriate gender presentation and desire, and expands the concept of what it means to be female. Some femme men, femme women, and butch women regard themselves thus as genderqueer for that reason, but many others do not. Moreover, some genderqueer people identify their gender primarily as butch or femme, rather than man or woman. For me personally, I am queer because I do not adhere to strict gender roles. Nor do I believe one should necessarily be defined by their bodies or what society says that men should be dominant and women should be submissive. However, unlike some queers, I am still only attracted to women and I am also comfortable being a female (just do not want to be limited as one).