Talk:Queer/Archive 4

Archive 1

Archive 2

Archive 3

Archive 4

Queer as a derogatory term

I see that it’s called “reclaimed” but I don’t thing that’s 100% accurate. And the page downplays the fact that as late as 2015 the term is widely used in more conservative portions of the US in particular it’s used a a slur/and need to include that kind of information. It’s used to identify folks for less than ideal issues and targets them.

it can be said it’s trying to be reclaimed, but it isn’t wholly so and this article makes it seem as tho there are no lingering issues when clearly here are - there needs to be a section on its darker uses to help clarify that not everyone uses it as endearment or reclamation 198.210.85.56 (talk) 17:22, 15 January 2025 (UTC)

If you search the archives (check the search bar in the yellow box at the top), you'll see we've discussed this several times already (here, here, and , etc.). If you re-read the lede, however, you'll see that we already say "queer activists began to reclaim the word". I.e., it already says what you're suggesting. This same language ("began to be reclaimed"/"began to reclaim") is used throughout.

The third paragraph of the lede also mentions objections to the term, including for its derogatory usage. The "Reaction" subsection details this in greater depth. The history section also details its pejorative usage.

What else, specifically, are you suggesting that isn't already covered? Lewisguile (talk) 10:16, 16 January 2025 (UTC)

Interesting reply. I was wondering about a different dimension when I read the original comment and your reply; that of possible appropriation. My sense is that it might better to describe the trend for people describing themselves as queer but not gay as appropriation since they are a new population different from the original. An example to illuminate: If 'footballer' became a term of abuse then tennis players began calling themselves footballers; that would be appropriation, not reclamation. I'm not wedded to it, but worth a thought? Emmentalist (talk) 22:37, 25 March 2025 (UTC)

Do you have any sources to back that view of the term or is it just WP:OR? DeputyBeagle (talk) 10:53, 26 March 2025 (UTC)

I was wondering the same thing. People who describe themselves as queer are (almost?) always people who would previously have described themselves as being one or more of LGBT — and back in the 70s might have used the then-umbrella term "gay".

Terminology evolves, but I've not seen any RS claiming that cisgender heterosexual people are describing themselves as queer. — OwenBlacker (he/him; Talk) 13:14, 26 March 2025 (UTC)

There is an article on queer heterosexuality, which has a summary section in this article.--Trystan (talk) 13:30, 26 March 2025 (UTC)

people who would previously have described themselves as being one or more of LGBT

WP:OR? I see lots of people claiming that they’re "not LGBT but Q."

I also suspect that appropriation by the Q-slur parallel of political lesbians may be happening. JapanYoshi Trans Not Q***r (talk) 12:43, 31 March 2025 (UTC)

@OwenBlacker I'm a cis het monogamous person and I identify as queer, since I advocate the abolition of gender. 814jjs (talk) 11:22, 15 May 2025 (UTC)

I see the same thing! Q people always say that the Q has to be after the T because they’re not LGBT. But then if you’re not gay, why are you "re" claiming a gay slur? JapanYoshi Trans Not Q***r (talk) 12:45, 31 March 2025 (UTC)

Anecdotes are not reliable sources. You may "see lots of people claiming that they're 'not LGBT but Q' ", whereas I also see lots of people using "queer" in addition to other labels within LGBT, myself included.

And that is why we need reliable sources to inform articles. I stand corrected by Trystan on queer heterosexuality, but a term can be used simultaneously both as a slur by opponents and reclaimed within a community — the same is the case with faggot, even back in 1982 with Joe Jackson singing "So don't call me a faggot, not unless you are a friend" in Real Men, and even now, if you search Bluesky for the cigarette emoji, for example.

As Lewisguile pointed out above, this has been discussed repeatedly before. If there are Reliable Sources to add to the discussion, then please point to them. If there are not, then let's all spend our time better than going round in circles on the subject. —  OwenBlacker (he/him; Talk) 11:57, 1 April 2025 (UTC)

Yes, I think we need some RSes here. Lewisguile (talk) 19:15, 1 April 2025 (UTC)

@OwenBlacker Hard to find non-anecdotal sources for an inherently anecdotal phenomenon like “someone calling themselves something”... 122.213.236.53 (talk) 23:24, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

If there aren't such sources, and it's all entirely anecdotal, then there can't be any expert consensus on the subject and it's likely WP:UNDUE for inclusion per WP:NOTEVERYTHING. Remember that we are creating an encyclopaedia, so we WP:SUMMARISE the consensus of reliable sources, rather than including every fact about every subject. Lewisguile (talk) 07:47, 15 April 2025 (UTC)

Additional context re: the political dimension and queer as distinct individual self-identity

Hi all, I’m coming in here to advocate for the addition of some additional context to help clarify some of the nuances of the present-day overlapping uses/meanings of queer. This page's lead currently addresses the political connotations of queer to a certain degree, and also the fact that queer is used as a distinct personal self-identity term for many people (not just an umbrella term), but there isn't much information in the body of the page to explain these additional uses/meanings of queer.

Adding more context re: these nuances would help explain some of the things that keep causing (understandable) confusion like that expressed in the “Queer as a derogatory term” Talk section above, e.g., why Q is its own letter separate from LGBT, why there are people who don’t identify as L, G, B, or T but do identify as queer, and why having a particularly political stance could be a reason some people identify as queer even if they also identify as cis het monogamous.

I’m going to add some scrupulously researched content along these lines to the bottom of the “Reclamation” section with copious citations from a diversity of sources. I welcome thoughtful, good-faith discussion. RadicalCopyeditor (talk) 14:12, 16 September 2025 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: Texas Government Sec. 701

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation–supported course assignment, between 25 August 2025 and 14 December 2025. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): STardif330 (article contribs).

— Assignment last updated by STardif330 (talk) 21:45, 3 October 2025 (UTC)

Changes to first sentence

Last week @ALeafInAutumn changed the first sentence of this page to read "Queer is often used as an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual, non-cisgender, non-allosexual or alloromantic, or intersex." I have edited the sentence to ready "Queer is often used as an umbrella term for sexual and gender minorities" and want to explain my reasoning here.

Since 2010 this page has started with some variation of “Queer is an umbrella term for sexual and gender minorities who are not heterosexual or are not cisgender.” In November 2021 an editor shortened this first sentence to “Queer is an umbrella term for sexual and gender minorities” due to redundancy and awkwardness and a different editor counter-edited it to “Queer is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or are not cisgender,” which is roughly how it has read for the last 5 years.

Particularly since there is now a Wikipedia page for sexual and gender minorities, it feels like the clearest choice is to go back to “Queer is an umbrella term for sexual and gender minorities,” because ALeafinAutumn’s addition of “non-allosexual or alloromantic, or intersex” while accurate, makes for a sentence that is difficult to understand if you aren’t already well-versed in detailed LGBTQ terminology. RadicalCopyeditor (talk) 18:35, 4 February 2026 (UTC)

I agree that this is the best course of action. Thank you for recognizing (as I should have) that reducing is better than adding (just as "queer" is a much better term than "LGBTQIA+"). ALeafInAutumn (talk) 01:22, 5 February 2026 (UTC)