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Anthony JamesWolfgramUH 30019 February 2013What Is Queer about Queer LanguageEver since the fiery Stonewall Riots that took place in a small gay bar during June of 1969, the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer, questioning, intersex, Native American Two-Spirit, asexual, ally, pansexual) community has struggled to genuinely offer a place within it for everyone, no matter what that persons sexual identity. This quest led to a period of reformation within the community in which inclusivity became the prime ordinance of the group. The newfound passion for activism led to a major shift in the use of language both inside and outside of the community. Linguistic reappropriation, otherwise known as the reclamation of pejorative words by those affected by them, became a divisive topic among those who identified with the community. For the first time, there existed a widespread attempt to integrate words that were used to attack ones non-heterosexual sexual identity into common community language. Although the majority of these words have not been fully reclaimed because of the immensely insurmountable offensive nature that they harbor, one word, queer, made it past the initial stages of reclamation and is now almost fully accepted as an acceptable identity for those who do not want to specifically identify with a sexual identity or just as a way of notating a lack of typical heteronormative behavior. One of the various reasons why the agenda for the word queer was so successful was because it served a unifying purpose. Rather than being forced to choose an identity from the over ten different options on the acronym spectrum, each with its own various subdivisions and idiosyncrasies, one can simply identify as queer. The range of sexual identity is so expansive and the differences so minute that reclaiming a queer identity allows the heteroromantic bisexual and the aromantic pansexual to feel equally connected and united underneath the queer umbrella. (Moreover, one can reason that it is substantially easier to identify as queer rather than explain the peculiarities of ones sub-identity). In this sense, the word queer regains its original meaning of describing something that diverges from the norm and prevents the ongoing labeling and classification war both within and outside of the community. This is precisely the argument that the (anonymous) lesbian-identifying writer of the blog The Future Is Fiction formulates. She makes the dispute that the limp-wristed straight guy who carries a man-purse and keeps his eyebrows meticulously groomed would possibly feel more contented describing his identity as queer as opposed to purely homosexual (Why Reclaim par. 2). In this viewpoint, there is a substantially beneficial social implication in that the morph of queer language toward inclusivity empowers those who cannot identify with either extremity of the spectrum (completely heteronormative heterosexual behavior or stereotypically homosexual) to join a community that offers them a positive alternative. Additionally, this particular evolution of queer language presents a strong political act in that it removes and/or condenses what many view as the superfluous amount of jargon-heavy language within the community. For this reason, the author notes that stringing together an endless assortment of letters is not a sufficient manner of summarizing all the gender and sexuality misfits (Why Reclaim par. 1). However, contrastingly, removing the vast array of unique descriptions of those who are a part of such an extensively rich and unique culture can be a detrimental approach for the solution of a problem that abridges to a matter of personal preference. The major qualm with the umbrella use of queer to describe all people within the LGBTQ+ community is that it detracts from the individuals detailed self-identification. Inadvertently, the overarching use of particularly queer language has the identical effect that calling every person within the community gay has in that people will naturally desire to define themselves in a way that separates them from everyone else. Although it remains paramount that the community as a whole displays a sense of unity, it is just as preeminent that the community finds value and worth in the minute differences that exist throughout the spectrum of gender and sexuality. In all, the advancement of queer language toward striking equilibrium between inclusivity and freedom of definition is equal in political, social, and cultural significance. Queer culture is constantly adapting to the needs of those who hold stake in it, and its portrayal as a social vehicle of progress is primarily based upon the overwhelming amount of acceptance and diversification that is present within the entire community. Nonetheless, the author of The Future Is Fiction makes a compelling argument for the implementation of uniform queer language across the board.

Work Cited"Why Reclaim the Word 'Queer'?" Web log post. The Future Is Fiction. 01 June 2011. Web. 17 Feb. 2013.