As we now making a concerted effort to be more inclusive in our approach to Love and Sexuality, it becomes important to start using language that is current and suitable for a diverse audience… and to educate all of us as to its proper usage. Here is an article that speaks to the notion of Queer Sexuality:
Back in the 60s and 70s identifying openly as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT), was a way for people of the LGBT community to create a place for themselves in society, where there otherwise was none. In a period when beatings and arrests were common place of openly LGBT people, bonding as a community by identifying specifically as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, in juxtaposition to the “oppressors,” was essential to being taken seriously as a movement. A non-label would have only allowed people in the mainstream culture to dismiss them and/or allow the individual to remain closeted in ambiguity. So instead they came out gay, and they came out proud.
Today, more and more young people are coming out “queer,” much to the dismay of the older generation of the LGBT community who is used to hearing it as the oppressors attempt to degrade and dehumanize them. Although not exclusively used by the younger generation, and not used by all youth in all cities and towns, it does seem that more LGBT people are choosing Queer as their term of identification than LGBT people ten years ago and that those who choose to identify in this way actually benefit from not choosing a specific label…”
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