In Defense of QUEER

by Jesse Heiwa

• copyright 1998 by Jesse Heiwa hapanes@juno.com
• (Reprinting without alteration encouraged. Please credit author.)

I recently attended a public forum at my local Gay & Lesbian Community Center on the issue of marriage and what it means to our communities. During the public comment and question section, a person stood up and said, "Let's not use Queer." Let's not use any term that alienate us from those who would support us, or confuse the issue." It seems that Queer, a term reclaimed by our communities in the early 90s, is no longer considered an "appropriate" dinner guest to the table of our assimilation. He finished off by saying, "our gay community." This got me thinking. Did we forget the last 25 years of our his/herstory?

The battles that women fought to be included in the boy’s club that was the "gay community". Where grudgingly, LESBIAN as a term was added to gay to acknowledge the role of women, and where issues such as reproductive freedom were finally deemed an important part of our struggle for human rights? Where in the early 90s, the Bisexual and Transgender communities had to struggle to even be considered to be part of "us." Where pitched battles were fought over whether even their own names for their communities would be included. Where they were told they could march, but not be named.

In our rush to gain acceptance (but not equality), some communities aren't yet even acknowledged officially at all, such as other sexual minorities like the SM/fetish communities or intersexuals; who without their consent are forced into the gender binary we call male/female. Can we really boil it all down to that for us to gain allies, we must jettison the diversity that is the REALITY of our community? Can we erase the last 25 years and just go back to the term "gay"?

With that logic, why not go back to the previous attempt at relating to the mainstream, and use "homophile?" Can't we keep moving forward instead of going back? Can't we instead celebrate the diversity that makes up our lives; including our chosen families that don't always "fit" the traditional monogamous model. Where we truly include the majority of people in this world, People Of Color. Where youth and seniors are not relegated to either being silenced or made invisible. If we need an umbrella for us all, why not Queer? Let's not be afraid of ourselves. We should welcome support from outside of our communities. But let's not do the job of those who oppose our very right to exist. Let us name ourselves and speak with our own voices. I am a proud QUEER; in solidarity with all my brothers and sisters around the world, and I will be accepted as what I am, not who someone else want me to be.

Email Queer Notions: qnotions@graphicgirlz.com