The Word Queer

Quick Notes & Links:

If you like superheroes stories with a bit of realism, check out the show Raising Dion on Netflix.

We will use the word "queer" on the show. Queer is used within the community and by allies to define everyone outside of the heterosexual norm.

Creative4evr is very thankful to all the support. Please give us some stars and a review in your podcast app!

Janet has been a guest on the That Aged Well Podcast 3 times! Check it out.

Coming up on Creative4evr -- Book Chat: Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Links:
> Raising Dion
+ 3 Min YouTube Video - The History Behind The Word Queer
> Isn't Queer A Bad Word?
+ 2 Min Video - What is Intersectionality
> LGBTQ+ Glossary
> Being Gay Doesn't Necessarily Mean You're Queer
+ 3 Min YouTube Video - Gender Identity
> Queer and Straight People Discuss Gender Identity
+ 3 Min YouTube Video - 5 Tips for Being An Ally
> Queer 101 from the Unitarian Universalist Association (religious organization)
> We Are All Allies - PFlag
> Janet as Guest on That Aged Well: The Little Mermaid / A Goofy Movie / Double Jeopardy
> Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of the Universe -- Find on Amazon or on Audible read by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Don't forget to be creative this week. Even if you just think about it. Later!

Full Show Notes:

Hey, hi and hello! Welcome to Creative4evr. The podcast dedicated to keeping you forever inspired, forever motivated, forever creative, and forever YOU.  I am your host, Janet, a.k.a. Jai//Em, a.k.a. the voice inside your head, a.k.a. your biggest fan, and together we’re going to get some creative shit done.

First! Check It Out:

This week I suggest you check out Raising Dion on Netflix. I binged season 1 and really, really enjoyed it. The synopsis for the show reads: A widowed mom sets out to solve the mystery surrounding her young son's emerging superpowers while keeping his extraordinary gifts under wraps. It stars Alisha Wainwright, Ja'Siah Young, Jason Ritter. The Creators are Carol Barbee and Michael B. Jordan who is Executive Producer.

It’s a great show. You know I’m always talking about superhero things and sci-fi, and fantasy. That’s my jam. I really like this one because it’s so steeped in reality that every episode I come away sweating a little bit. It’s a show about a 7-year-old kid, he happens to be of color, and he is sort of struggling with these superpowers in a very real way that made me sweat sometimes. I really enjoyed it, you should check it out if you care about superhero stuff or you are writing superhero stuff…do the research. It’s easy to binge watch the whole season. I understand not everyone has Netflix, but if you are able, borrow a password from a friend and check it out if you like superheroes with a little bit of realism attached.

Defining Queer:

So I wanted to talk about this on the show because it’s something I am going to do often. I want to let everyone know where I’m coming from, and give a little education or backstory. Maybe you don’t want to ask or are afraid to ask— I’m just gonna help you out right now.

I am going to use the word “queer” on this podcast. I use it a lot in the real world, and I do so to refer to larger queer community and myself. I identify as lesbian, but I also identify as queer.

So this is an okay word to use if you are using it in a neutral or positive way. It used to be only used as a way to identify people that were not straight, but as a slur, in the pejorative sense. Queer started out meaning: strange, odd or peculiar. However as time went on, people started thinking of gay people as strange, odd and peculiar. So they started calling us queer. The fact is, it is still used as a weapon, it is still used as a way to express hate. But in the 80s there was a push to reclaim the word and now it is widely used as a neutral or positive word in many LGBTQ+ spaces, and in spaces where queer people have allies.

So, what does it mean now? The same thing it did— people that are not straight. But it covers everybody! It is an umbrella term referring to, not just gay and lesbian people, but bisexual, transgender, pansexual, agender, demisexual, asexual, even bi-curious people. The word queer includes every single identify that exists outside of the 100% straight people. And honestly, it is my opinion that straight people themselves can be queer-minded. Now, I am not saying straight people are queer. I don’t need them to claim a word that isn’t theirs. I don’t want you to claim queer, if you are not queer, to be honest. But queer-mindedness can be a thing that straight people have, right? If you have a deep understanding and respect for all the identities that exist outside of straight people. If you are an advocate for queer people. If you have any history with queer people, whether that be a relationship, or a fling, or whatever it is, straight people can be queer-minded too.

The word “queer” is also political. The reason for this is because of the history of the word. Anyone that uses “queer” or openly identifies as queer is making a statement that they are actively working to reclaim the word for the larger community it defines. That means that if you don’t identify as queer (again you can be queer-minded), you can still be part of the politics and revolution behind the word. So if you are comfortable, you can and should use it. In conversation, saying something as simple as “the queer community” instead of “the gay community” is a great way to not only express to others that you want to be a part of this reclaiming, that you are an ally, but it is a thousand times more inclusive than saying gay. I know it the past, gay has been used as the umbrella term. But it is not anymore and there is a push to move away from that. I think that is why we hear a lot of people saying LGBTQ+. So if you feel comfortable and you want to start referring to the “queer community,” I encourage that.

The last thing I want to remind everybody about is that if you decide to use this word, if you have been using the word, please remember that the ability to do so is very much dipped in privilege. What I mean is, there are a lot of people that are not privileged enough to use this word. They either live with and around people that still think of the word in the pejorative way and they a...