Links: Positively queer

capri0mni posted on queerly_beloved Why I’ve decided to refer to myself as “Queer” about the intersection of queerness in both sexuality and disability.

So I use the word “queer” because I realize my experiences are skewed within the framework of my native language, and I don’t really have any other word that fits better.

In comments capri0mni brought up inferring her parents were likely ace/aro, which made me stop and think. Yeah, that could explain a few things about my parents too, which in turn would explain some of my assumptions about and struggles with relationships.

The post brings to mind an email I got a couple of years ago saying that encountering "queer-friendly" on my website was triggering for the person writing to me as well as other people she knows, therefore I shouldn't use it. In addition to other issues with her email, she blithely assumed I'm "likely not lgbt." I do place myself under the queer umbrella. I gave it some thought and discussed it with folks (locked post) and carried on using the term.

tim linked to this great post on tumblr, I feel like one thing the “queer is a slur” crowd overlooks… by Alexandra Erin.

…is that the word gay has been used so overwhelmingly as a pejorative, as a slur, that most children in the U.S. in the past several decades likely grew up learning “gay” as a word for bad, strange, or wrong before they fully understand that there are “gay” people, and that it’s not just a word with negative connotations.

and ending with

I won’t call someone queer if they don’t think of themselves a queer. I will use queer as an umbrella term. If that’s not you, you can cheerfully include yourself out of it.