Why the word "queer"?

Hi there!

Thanks for stopping by.

We just wanted to take a moment to address the choice of the word Queer in our name Glacier Queer Alliance (GQA).

In trying to choose a name for our group we examined the cultural implications of a variety of terms. We choose queer as a term that is inclusive and positive within the LQBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, asexual, and so forth) community and we feel that this Wikipedia post accurately describes our definition:

From Wikipedia:
Queer is an umbrella term for sexual and gender minorities who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning "strange" or "peculiar", queer came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the late 1980s, queer activists, such as the members of Queer Nation, began to reclaim the word as a deliberately provocative and politically radical alternative to the more assimilationist branches of the LGBT community.[1][2]

In the 2000s and on, queer became increasingly used to describe a broad spectrum of non-normative[note 1] (i.e. anti-heteronormative and anti-homonormative) sexual and gender identities and politics.[3] Academic disciplines such as queer theory and queer studies share a general opposition to binarism, normativity, and a perceived lack of intersectionality, some of them only tangentially connected to the LGBT movement. Queer arts, queer cultural groups, and queer political groups are examples of modern expressions of queer identities.

In choosing the word queer, Glacier Queer Alliance hopes to offer a recognizable yet collective name that feels welcoming to all.

GQA feels that the word allows for a person of any orientation or identification to feel included, outside of or in between the LGBTQIA+ alphabet.

Read more about it here or watch this video.

Cheers, and have a great day!

Bryan
Glacier Queer Alliance

GQA have a Facebook page that you can visit as well.