Queer: Umbrella? Slur? Identity? Don't answer until you've heard this story.

[@ddrissel]

I’m a 67 year old gay man who used to associate “queer” only with a demeaning slur. I wasn’t comfortable using that word for decades, but gradually started warming up to it some by the late 1990s - in large measure because of Queer as Folk. I still mainly identify as a gay male, but also as LGBTQ+. And sometimes I will even use the term “queer” as a positive inclusive term, especially when I feel angry at homophobic people or policies. I’ve occasionally even used the phrase, “we’re here, we’re queer, get used to it” in recent years, even though I would never have chanted that phrase in the nineties when Queer Nation came on the scene.

[@znmnky13]

I'm a 51 year old gay man and this was very educational. I feel like I just learned a lot. I have been confused for a long time about these terms, specifically the word queer. Thank you.

[@mathewsydney8929]

I think it's important to remember that in the 1970s, 'gay' WAS the inclusive term. When David Bowie came out as 'gay' in the '70s, he meant bisexual. When Lou Reed came out as 'gay,' he meant bisexual. I think it was only in the 1980s when 'gay' became restricted to homosexual men and was used less when describing bisexual people, or bi/homosexual women, or gender non-conforming folks.

[@mudkip_btw]

I always believe people when they say "queer" carries trauma for them. But hearing you describe how it was used and how "queer" people where harassed, beaten up, etc., makes me think twice now. I use the word queer for the reasons you also mentioned, but I like the word gay as much. To me queer is powerful esp. because many people realise it is more anti-establishment. I am nonbinary myself which is traditionally not included in these discissions. Queer to me includes sex/gender minorities who face discrimination based on that alone and not their sexuality. I am also on the ace spectrum and feel a lot of distance from sexuality discourse because I was born post gay liberation (where I live). Homophobia still hurt me deeply (came out at 22) but by now I feel we need more than sexual liberation. Defying gender roles will still get you crap from 90% of "polite" society, fighting this means so much more to me. I will side with my trans and enby siblings even if it means pissing off a portion of the lgbt community. Great video btw, glad I watched it

[@troygaspard6732]

As Gen X man, I adopted the term queer in the early 90s. I appreciated that the term covered bisexuals as well as transexuals, along with same-sex loving men and women.

[@praguejim]

Wonderful presentation. Thank you. As a gay man, the term that bothers me most is ‘straight’. I resist the idea that because I’m not heterosexual I’m wrong…or crooked, if we need an opposite term. As long as straight equals normal or right, and the rest of us are abnormal or wrong (crooked), none of these terms will sit well with me.

[@myjoncarllewis]

Language is a tool for connection. I do not use queer around older men. If I don't use that word around the younger folks I want to connnect with, I won't connect with them. I want to be in community with both, so, like Paul, I am all things to all men for the sake of the gospel.

[@mothboy420]

this is so intetesting bc the trans community has had its own reckoning with seperatist vs integrationist views, especially when it comes to the "we have to make our identities digestable for cis ppl so we are respected" idea. as someone who has consistently identified as nonbinary for 9 years now, i remenber seeing binary trans people argue that non binary and bigender people make the trans community less respectable to cis folks (not to mention the "transmed v tucute" debates)

[@reaganmonkey8]

10:54 There is an interesting segue here. Patrick Stewart was also Professor X in X-men, the one fighting for equality. There were two Patrick Stewart roles listed here looking for equality.

[@GeekyJustin]

In one draft of the video, I had a "Patrick Stewart vs. Patrick Stewart" gag, but it didn't make it to the final cut.

[@dakotanorth1640]

Indeed I'm queer. I'm transgender, panromantic and demisexual. It's easier just to shorten it to queer.

[@otsoko66]

I'm old enough to have buried half of my friends in the 80s and early 90s, and definitely gay. I went on Queer Nations zaps in the 80s, and marched with Act-Up, and use 'queer' as an adjective when I want to include everyone -- but I am not a queer man, I am a gay man. The only thing that really bothers me is that you'll watch a video which will talk about someone who is trans, and a woman who is lesbian, and a guy who is bi, but the gay man will inevitably be referred to as 'a queer musician' or 'a queer activist' - it's as though people are trying to erase gay men from our own history.

[@SouRwy4501Productions]

I’m a bisexual, and I have called myself queer several times as a compliment.

[@0692XA]

I'm not even 30 and I have trauma with that word. I remember being ganged up and beaten in school by kids shouting queer and every other slur. And my friends being told by their parents that they don't want no queer in their house, we're a bad influence. When other people who say they're like me, especially when they might not be, call me that word it feels no different than the way non-lgbt people have. I feel I have no community other than a few close friends because I can't understand or relate to most of the people who call themselves queer, especially the ones who aren't lgbt. I can respect that the modern use makes sense for people who are questioning if they are lgbt or don't quite fit one of the four letters but it doesn't apply to all of us. I don't care if someone wants to use it for themselves all I want is my preference to not be called that respected but that seems to be asking too much. Boundary pushers is exactly what they are and I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels that way. This divide is still as strong as ever and as long as groups of people are forced together when they don't want to be it's not going to end.

[@QuantumJ67]

This was very educational. I’m 57 and I didn’t come out until late in life. I think the thing that most held me back was all the media programming that I grew up with. The game “smear the queer” is exactly what you said it was and I was the target of that on the playground. AIDS came about when I was in my late teens and early twenties and that fear and shame kept me in the closet for decades. Thanks for making this video.

[@Geekstin]

In NZ we've been using the term 'Rainbow community' for over a decade, and LGBTQIA+ less often (sometimes just included as a subtitle or in the definition). It surprised me when I went looking that almost nowhere else in the world seems to use this term at all, as it solves a number of issues in regard to an inclusive umbrella term that is not an absolute mouthful to say.

[@rogerhardy6306]

I came out in the early 1990s in UK. Queer was then a nasty insult, if used by rough straights, but it was also a friendly insult between us, so between two gays it was friendly but from straights it was a threat and insult. Maybe that's just a reflection of the British way of linguistic inversion.

[@coffeewifi7589]

I love the call for empathy for 'the other side'. Thanks for this video! ❤

[@GeekyJustin]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

[@JosMorn1]

Thank you, this has been quite helpful. I identify as straight but have a number of people in my circles who are LGBTQ+, and I have always received mixed messages about what was "queer". In a bar, I overheard a gay man and a trans man argue over the word, which only left me more confused. I am relieved to know that the confusion is actually rather common.

[@davidcheater4239]

Myself, older person who was in Queer Nation. Part of using an umbrella term was that it included a lot of the fluid terms. I could say I'm a male-presenting, nonbinary, AMAB, Intersex, androphile or just say I'm Queer. I'm immersed in a community that includes binary cis, binary trans, non-binary, genderfluid, homosexuals, bisexuals, pansexuals, drag-queens, drag-kings, asexuals, Two-Spirited, and cis-het partners or just say queer. I don't use 'Gay' since I'm aware of a Gay cultural identity I don't belong to. I don't understand why gay men listen so much to pop by straight women and avoid rock or CW by gay men. I'd rather read an M/M Werewolf romance than go to a club. I loved Q-Force and am uninterested in Show Girls. There really is a gay culture - which ought to be respected instead of erased.

[@Barrin10]

I have read that Q was initially meant as "Questioning" in the LGB alphabet. I think it was formulated at that time when queer was still considered a slur or divisive. Anyone else remember this? What I find it astonishing is how rapidly queer has gained traction here in Australia where it was never really a slur like in the USA. Same with the F word. As a 64 year old I heard many slurs especially as a teenager, none of them began with Q or F and no one, absolutely no one in Australia is reclaiming those local slurs. When same-sex marriage was a huge public debate (the law passed in 2017) queer was nowhere to be heard, it was all about gay, lesbian and same-sex couples. No "umbrella" required!

[@EricPatton]

Thanks for the video! It was well presented and covered a controversial words history well. I'm a 49 year old queer person and fully agree self-identification is the best course when using the word. For me, discovering in midlife I am intersex and was not biologically "a man" helped me come to reconcile my biology, being agender, and my life as a male presenting person in a same sex relationship. I like it because honestly, my story and particulars aren't something I get into on a daily basis.

[@geovaughan8261]

I personally identify as “queer” for a number of reasons. I’m gay, but when I talk about the community I prefer using the term “queer” because it can encompass people from every part of the spectrum, not just gay men. I also do prefer the connotation of “strangeness” or “otherness”, because, quite frankly, I embrace strangeness and eccentricity as part of our community, the same way that punks, metalheads, and other outsiders find ways to form their own community by embracing difference. I disagree with confrontation or militancy, but I find assimilationist attitudes only wind up benefitting a portion of our community, leaving out people like trans individuals who by definition must go against certain social norms and fight for acceptance far more publicly than I have to. “Queer” is my way of encouraging myself and others to be the best and truest versions of themselves without compromise.

[@panthekirb7561]

Honestly I have clicked on this video expecting something a bit silly.. but this video is really educational and worth a watch. I don't have friends who are into this subject matter but I'm still going to share it around. It helped me realise even more why "queer" doesn't feel like a word I'd use for myself or for others without first making sure that they identify with the word.

[@gerryszymanski8468]

We should also take into account William Burroughs' 1985 novella "Queer" which was also reissued in a 25th anniversary edition in 2010.

[@Malik_Maverick]

Has Patrick Stewart been old my entire life?????!

[@davidmallon1632]

I'm 77 and I like queer. It is my go to self descriptor. But if anyone ever uses it pejoratively toward me, I metaphorically put my hand on their chest, look them straight in the eye, and say as close to their face as I can, "that's Mr. Queer to you."

[@KarenSDR]

What an interesting video. I have a friend in his eighties who met his husband in 1962 and has been a gay rights activist all his adult life. About twenty years ago he told me "I understand they're reclaiming it, but if anybody calls me 'queer' I'm going to punch him in the nose." On the other hand, the minister of my UU church, who is in his early thirties, is quite comfortable calling himself 'queer' in his sermons. As an old straight lady, all I can do is take my cue from the person I'm talking to. It does feel very much like a generational thing.

[@ormondomaha]

Thanks for an excellent presentation. I happen to be a 73 year old gay man who retired as a psychology professor from a small university in September 2020. For 30 years I taught the course in Human Sexuality there. While I was teaching the class I could discuss the use of the word "queer" by young people and issues on both sides without any personal emotion. I have surprised myself since I retired at just how much I hate the word when I think of someone applying it to myself. I really don't want to be labeled that way while I'm still alive (I realize no one can control what happens after they die.. :) ) One of my pet peeves about these changes in language is how terms for fiction that deals with LGBTQ characters seems to have evolved in the science fiction and fantasy community the last few years. I read reviews and publisher's blurbs about books in those genres frequently. It's now extremely common for stories that include romantic relationships between women to be described as "sapphic", but those which are about male-male relationships just get labeled "queer." I suppose "sapphic" has replaced "lesbian" because some people know that residents of the Greek island of Lesbos and their descendants object to the use of their ethnic term to describe a sexual orientation, but it irks me that female-female stories are still being called by a term which makes it clear what kind of romance is involved, while male-male stories are lumped under the general term which doesn't clearly explain what aspects of GLBTQ life the book is really focused on. ----In personal relationships I would heartily agree that everyone should be designated by the label(s) they themselves prefer, but of course people must also realize that others who have just met them may innocently use a term they don't like and it will take a while for most humans to correctly remember how a particular individual wants to be called, since the human brain is far from a perfect device in this regard.

[@timbohp]

I'm 62 and you did a fantastic job at capturing the difference! Do I like the word 'queer?" It's not my favorite word, but if I'm called a queer, I'll take it with a grain of salt.

[@spotteringa]

What an insightful and beautiful message. I identify most with your comment at (26:44), “I’m blessed enough to have other terms that fit me well.”

[@clancyalexander6192]

This is a great video. As a 55-year-old gay man, I do remember when the word queer was a slur and for a lot of people to some extent myself as well, it was harmful and traumatic. But I also understand, that it can be helpful for people. I've used the word queer from time to time as a label for myself. I would like to see you do a video on queer versus gay in terms of being a slur.

[@leonhayes188]

I prefer queer, not just because of my sexual orientation, but the circumstances of my life. As my friends would probably tell you, i am definitely "queer".

[@CamMcGinn1981]

The only ones I despise in my core is "Alphabet Mafia" or "LGBTQWXYZ". I find those both incredibly belittling.

[@huntedsnark7507]

Excellent, humane and thoughtful vid. So, as an older asexual person, who has never fit in to ... most categories ... unless you spell it all the way out to LGBTIAQ (or QILTBAG which for some reason has never caught on), I remain rather ambivalent about the Q. We're still fighting our tiny fight for visibility. But many of us know what it is to cop the slurs (yes, really). But most of the time, it seems a little bit better to be under the Q umbrella than being '+' or absent.

[@mosaic.owl.studios]

Kind of off-topic, but I always forget that Michael McKean portrayed Mr. Green in the Clue movie. I love that guy. I love that movie too.

[@amirhad6594]

I'm in my early thirties and can't stand the q word. I'm not going to tell anyone what words to use or don't use, but I really hate when people casually slap it onto me 🤮

[@rafaellechugo]

excellent video! another thing that the author can take into account is the experience of those who grew up in non english speaking cultures (like myself). we probably have a more neutral approach to the term. i mean, the word queer doesn’t have a negative emotional charge for me because it was never used as a derogatory word in my native language (in this case portuguese, for which the common slurs were “bicha” or “viado”). so later, when i grew up and connected to the rest of the world using english as a common language, “queer” felt like an inclusive term, without any negative emotion attached to it. 👍

[@psiphiorg]

I really appreciate your thoughtfulness in approaching this topic! I recently watched "All of Us Strangers", and that was the first time I had heard the explanation of "'gay' was an insult when I was a kid, and that's why I don't use it". When the topic had come up before (not that it had very often), it was usually just framed as "'queer' is more inclusive". As a non-confrontational person, I thought but rarely said, "But that word that includes you, excludes me, because I could never use that word to describe myself." It was eye-opening to hear, more or less, that the opposite can be true for some people as well.

[@GeekyJustin]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Yes, it's an explanation I'd previously heard from multiple people I talked to in my research, so I was fascinated to see it pop up in the film.

[@GilbertGTV]

Justin, you never fail to hit it out of the park! What an incredibly compassionate and informative video! It’s fair to both sides and full of history, information, and receipts. I do hope all who watch this walk away knowing what an important topic this is and how to be more sensitive as to why someone may have the feelings about the word that they do. Bravo. 👏🏽 ❤

[@jerzyzielinski8652]

I am 51 year old homosexual male. I am ok with using gay but I prefer homosexual. Really dislike the word queer. To each his own❤❤❤

[@crptnite]

I always preferred the term "queer" because I don't find it offensive at all. Even when it's meant to offend, it's just not an offensive word. It means "strange," "odd," or "out of the ordinary" and that fits me regardless of my sexuality or sexual identity. Everyone's a little queer... Personally, I see it as an inclusive term. I've never attached a negative connotation to it.

[@alangay4180]

Not an issue with the word, queer, it has been around for ages and has a valid use, but I would not want to be called queer because it does mean other and odd and not necessarily in a positive way. For example, "an odd thing happened yesterday" is not the same as, " a queer thing happened yesterday".

[@RealShebang]

I'm GenX so I was pretty annoyed at queer showing up. I was definitely wounded by it, but you know, I decided that if the young people wanted it -- they should have it.

[@jmorton201]

Thank you . Discussion and understanding commonality is the way to break down barriers

[@PaganFaerie]

Only halfway through and already SUBSCRIBED 😍 Your thoughtfulness and perspectives are awe-inspiring and I am blown away by how educational, well-organized and *understandable* this presentation is🥰 I am GenX and my LGBTQ friends have been forever UNable to answer this question for me ... but I heard it from my millennial girlfriend the other night in a fully positive and confident way. I felt like I was closer to understanding the meaning of 'queer' and you got me over the proverbial finish line 🤓 Thanks for brightening up the internet 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[@mothboy420]

i like including the + in LGBTQ+ since im pansexual and nonbinary and dont really identify with "queer"

[@josephblue4135]

I'm a 70-year-old gay man and have never liked the word. For obvious reasons because of my age I didn't like the word. Now as an umbrella word it's even worse. I was watching a director being interviewed about his obvious gay film and he used the word to describe his film. WTF! I'm torn between yelling out in rage or breaking down into tears.

[@MrMyers758]

I would love to see a similarly deep analysis on the new pride flag with the additions of the trans and people of colour triangle. There have been trans people of colour fighting for their rights under the rainbow flag since it’s inception, only to be told by younger, mostly white people that the flag doesn’t actually represent their struggle, and needs an addition apart from the rainbow, seperating themselves from white cis LGBQ people.

[@havefuninlife83]

Justin, thank you very much for this video. I had always thought of Queer as an inclusive word, and really didn't know that history. We are a beautiful group, navigating this journey to the best of our abilities. 🌈

[@Jasona1976]

I grew up in the '50s & '60s.....when calling someone a queer was the worst insult possible. Today, as an old man, I prefer SSA.

[@SethEdwards-hq9pm]

Some are so easily offended, whatever is said. I try not to be, but I don't like queer. But as far as being an umbrella term, are we even a single group? As I'm sure you already know, some want the LGB to separate from the TQIA2S+. We are so divided I wonder if an umbrella term is even appropriate.

[@adambunner2957]

The book “Something Queer Is Going On” was published in 1973 not the 1990’s. I remember my teacher reading it to us in elementary school in the early 80’s

[@GeekyJustin]

Yep! But the "Something Queer" series that started in the 70s continued into the 90s before being renamed.

[@thomaspickin9376]

I really enjoyed the video. I'm a Millenial, I remember at one point I was really struggling with labels as nothing quite fit and I could've easily gone to 'Queer' if it was a little bit more popular like now. The thing I realised was though, I didn't need a label, I could just be myself. That was so much more freeing... I think it's almost too easy now to just attach a label put it in your bio now than really just spend time being okay with just being 'you'.

[@ReasonQuest]

Thank you, Justin! What a great video. I appreciate your thoughtful, thorough treatment of this. I am a 65-year-old gay man, and I have never appreciated the word "queer." I was not traumatized by it; I simply view it as offensive. At 26:10 you referred to, "...because it's not traumatizing to me, it shouldn't be traumatizing to them." I agree that's not a good way to deal with it. Yet to use race as an analogy, the "N" word is almost universally viewed as a slur-except when Blacks use it themselves. If I, a White man, were to use it, I'd be summarily labeled a racist. I-a White person-am offended when someone uses the "N" word-EVEN when Blacks use it. It definitely instills in me a sense of "othering": THEY can use the word, but MY GROUP cannot. I wonder if the use of "queer" applies to this context. Yes, you mentioned that we shouldn't refuse people the right to call themselves what they want to be called; I agree wholeheartedly with that. This issue is an enigma wrapped up in a puzzle for sure. I do think it might take a generation to make the change more pervasive. Yet that brings up something entirely different too. The swastika is viewed by the vast majority of people as a hateful, horrible symbol. Not all, but most people see it that way. Even now, a few generations removed from WWII, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone in mainstream culture who embraces that symbol. It'll get you cancelled. And what about the Confederate flag? I have friends in the South who are PROUD of the heritage it represents. Should we "allow" them to identify as they want? Mainstream culture has basically not allowed that: "Your flag is offensive to some, so it should be offensive to all." I don't agree with that position. Yet I still don't like the word Queer. Thanks again for your channel, and such a great video today.

[@BellePal]

18:13 I learned this as part of the first course at my college to later be considered queer studies. Back then it was a women's studies and anthropology class.

[@dabedwards]

This is an excellent presentation, very well argued and balanced. I could just add that the words discussed can have different value and force in other English speaking territories. In the UK, the words f****t and f*g have never (in my experience) had the powerful associations of hate that they seem to have in America. For a start, both had other common meanings. The former meant a piece of firewood or a meat ball; the latter a cigarette or an unwelcome task. It was through the films of Mel Brooks, that my generation began to see these words as jokey slurs. They were not part of our childhood bullying in the 60s and 70s, so those words when used in Blazing Saddles and Silent Movie seem comically ignorant and insulting to British ears, but not so offensive as to stop us laughing.

[@davidmachemer1015]

Excellent analysis, as usual, Justin! I would say: treat the word Queer like pronouns: ASK before applying! Beyond that, cut people some slack as we figure this out in community. (And hetero white men need to be intentional about learning with humility!)

[@tookitogo]

I’m a guy who identifies as gay, and definitely not queer. And my understanding of the term was pretty much complete - your analysis is spot-on and thorough.

[@604stella]

Thank you for this! Subscribed. I'm cishet Gen Xer and this has been super helpful and informative!

[@tonifibinger4124]

Empathy is the first step für forgiveness which is the first step for healing.

[@robertrobert5583]

Justin, thank you for this thoughtful and respectful analysis. I'm pushing towards 70 and was a UK gay activist from the 1970s onwards and lived through the AIDS disaster. I still flinch at the word queer. But the thing about language is that it changes meaning all the time. As Wm. Burroughs said, "language is a virus". It mutates and spreads in unpredictable ways. It's not controllable by any of us in any meaningful way. I think that most folk are just trying to get along as best they can with the cards they have been dealt so I am much more relaxed about these things these days. It will change again and queer will be re-stigmatised. But it's worth remembering that almost all of the equal rights we take for granted today came from the efforts of us gay integrationists. None, so far as I know, came from the efforts of angry, separatist queers hating on str8 people. Thanks again for an excellent, important contribution to this ongoing debate.

[@seanhenriques808]

What a terrific video. You really went in deep didn’t you? Lol I was so impressed at the analogy to X-Men. Clearly, you have a talent for this type of analysis. Subscribing now!

[@UniversalistSon9]

I call myself queer, it’s simple and I just feel more comfortable with it more than calling myself pansexual or whatever.

[@mattbarneveld815]

Thanks for your thoughtful look at this topic. It is rare that an individual's position will change my position/actions on something, but I have never really felt right about the "+" in "LGBTQ+" which I, for some time, have used. You have eloquently voiced what I think has been the problem for me and, while I will consider it further, I suspect I will follow your lead and go with just "LGBTQ". Makes sense to me😊.

[@BearinatorBear]

I'm a gay man in my 30s, and I would personally much rather someone call me the F slur than "queer". "Queer" always struck me as a nasty label that people called gays to other them and make them feel weird, odd, or out of place. "Gay" is a word that came from the community that doesn't have that baggage. I grew up around the "that's so gay" playground talk, but I agree that it still doesn't have nearly the same baggage that "queer" has. I can understand why someone would want to reclaim the word so that people can't use it to hurt you, but it's always just rubbed me the wrong way. I could be speaking from bias because at my core I suppose I'm an assimilationist. I don't believe I'm significantly different from the rest of society just because I'm gay, and I believe I have an inherent seat at the table of society, so to speak.

[@vanessamonster5038]

Great analysis, I'm old enough to remember it as a slur, but then my "queer"status has to do with gender identity and expression not sexual preference. Back then, people identified themselves more around sexuality than gender. I've spent plenty of time having to educate gay men and lesbians about gender diversity.

[@Argelius1]

Superb video! I've totally come to terms with the fact that language is always involving. Things change. I'm still questioning (!) what it means when the umbrella gets so big that the people underneath it have nothing in common.

[@sirensong93]

Subscribed immediately. Excellent video, thank you!

[@zenbija]

This is a smart analysis with many good points. I'm working on a dissertation using queer theory in the teaching of writing, and I use "queer" as an adjective with abstract nouns--queer theory, queer desires, queer expressions, etc.--and I use LGBTQ as an adjective for groups of people. The thing about an "umbrella term" is that it's meaningless if you try to make an umbrella so big it covers everyone. There's been a big cultural shift since the Queer Nation days; when AIDS was deadly for so many gay men, people didn't want to share an umbrella with us. People who had different ways that they didn't fit in were quick to distance themselves, to say "That doesn't mean I'm gay." It was only after gay and lesbian people fought hard for acceptance, risking a lot in the process, that a whole lot of adjacent groups wanted under the umbrella as well--and often wanted to point fingers at gay men and lesbians for not being inclusive enough in our definition or terms of LGBTQ.

[@moonwhispers]

I'm in my early 50s, and when I was very young I was called "Gay Boy" for being friendly and affectionate with a male friend I had and bullied and beaten up. Queer was less common, but still existed as an insult, and the F-slur was REALLY common for a long time (my brother said it constantly, and called everything he didn't like "gay"). And Smear the Queer was basically just tackle football in my schools (which we were not supposed to be playing). And yeah, unless I need to be specific, I like to call myself queer (I'm a bisexual non-binary trans-femme, which is way too long, LOL), and I used Queerphobic instead of saying the full list of bigotries involving the rainbow alphabet.

[@emilyf.5]

Love the ending of your piece. And thank you for the history lesson. I knew most of it with a few minor exceptions and it filled in the gaps of comments I've heard. Personally, use whatever word you want; that is your "right" - and I'll stand by you.

[@jordanwalker6613]

I was born in 93. We played smear the queer on the lot...i had no idea in elementary school why i was always " the queer "

[@JeffD.A]

I like the term. I've used it as an all inclusive term since the 90s.

[@brucewalsh-in6np]

Arguing about this language usage is not about a lack of empathy. It’s about identity. People have strong feelings about their identities and in the age of the internet, nasty things get said. Empathy isn’t the issue, civility is.

[@widicamdotnet]

Very educational! I had been mostly ignoring y'all for a couple decades until my cishet-normative upbringing suddenly caved in last year and my feelings (and everyone else's!) finally started making sense. I still have a lot of catching up to do about the history of this community...

[@tomekd789]

Wow! Thanks for the explanation, so many new facts for me. And for your insight, and concluding note.

[@PaganFaerie]

While I totally understand the concern around "otherizing", it does strike me how *ironic* how *binary* the very argument is. Outstanding content!!!

[@yanggang7]

Nail on the head! I fall squarely on the “boo queer” side. But I don’t begrudge people using the term for themselves or their group, I just oppose its use as an umbrella term because it forces me and others who don’t ID with it under that label. I think the acronym (including Q and maybe a +) is the best compromise. At least until our community does what it does best and uses its creativity and ingenuity to come up with our own, homegrown umbrella term that is both life-giving and inclusive.

[@vincentimbesi3947]

Great video! Both words have made me feel uncomfortable at different times, but now I don’t care and can use either one. 👍🏼💙👍🏼

[@MrChuckGrape]

This did make things a little confusing for us non homophobic straight people. Here in flyover country, it was a struggle to be comfortable saying that word.

[@eja1258]

This is a great video that's distilled so much of what I've read as well as my own personal feelings. Thank you very much!

[@Joshth1983]

That was an excellent discussion of the topic. I was better informed than I expected

[@Wadetrtl]

As a non-native English speaker, this is interesting! In my country (Finland), some people like saying “gay” (as in in english) vs “homo” which, while obviously not originally Finnish, it is the real word. I personally find saying gay in english in an otherwise finnish sentence is strange and cringe. Sounds like you’re shy to say homo, which is the actual word.

[@jwb52z9]

Being from Texas and nearing 50, the fact that an entire saying involving the "Q-word" literally mentions my state, makes that word viscerally hurtful, even though I am bisexual. Count me in the, "I'm not weird" group. Unless someone doesn't know it's been an insult, I don't understand how they can use it.

[@daniellee7149]

Excellent Justin and good to see some more videos from you.

[@RebeccaPaige]

Has and always will mean questioning to me. There's no taking back of a word that's always been an insult afaic.

[@raha78]

I am gen x and I grew up with queer being and insult. I will not call myself that. I grew up in the time where idenrifying as one of the letters in the acronym was important. Queer is too vague for me. It can mean a number of things. I doubt people when they say they're queer.

[@SarahsVeganSpace]

Thanks for the great insightful video! 💚 I cherish the history of the LGBTQIA+ community so much. I would rather be acknowledged for being lesbian than being read heterosexual to play by the rules, integrationalist style.However, I get why people don't want to be in the center of the fight and they don't have to be but don't let us stop fighting for visibility. For me "queer" is the perfect umbrella term for people of the LGBTQIA+ community but also on a meta level an acknowledgement of what we can accomplish if we keep on fighting. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️✊

[@ididntsaythis8109]

I’m a male bisexual and prefer to use queer. “Queer” is much easier to refer to the entire lgbtq umbrella than alphabet soup. It’s also confronting a lifetime of internal biphobia and fear of being identified as queer in a conservative small town where that might as well be a branding iron to the forehead. That said, I can certainly see why some would be uncomfortable with it and try to be aware of context and usage. I thought the “Q” in lgbtq+ meant questioning?

[@anglicanmarians6845]

Great video, Justin. I was unaware of much of this history, so it was enlightening. As someone who is Gen X, I wouldn’t accept being called queer nor would I like to refer to anyone else as that, but that’s primarily because of my age and background. If someone wants to refer to themselves as queer, I think now with a bit more understanding, I’ll be more accepting of that. I do believe though, from your presentation, that it’s still not a great term for any kind of umbrella term. If you tell me you’re gay or lesbian or bi or trans or nonbinary or asexual or any of the other things that fit under this umbrella, you’re telling me who you are. If you tell me you’re queer, you’re just telling me who you’re not. It’s telling me that cis straight is the norm, and you’re not one of them. I really think that we should have an umbrella term that doesn’t imply we are somehow out of sync with the rest of humanity.

[@RM-xr8lq]

any acronym with the + is the best since it will get everyone

[@Kitgilmore]

Great video! As a gen x i know it as a slur, but as someone who has lived my entire adult life as a lesbian, i have realised im non binary and now i feel that doesnt fit me; queer is something i use to those i know but to new people i would say gay...so its a conflict within as well as out in the world. i feel both sides, i want everyone to matter so be seen as equal but how do you get there...?

[@williamroeben]

thank you very much

[@thisisnotayoutubechannel]

People can call themselves whatever they like, of course, but when someone tells me they are “queer” they have given me no useful information about themselves, except perhaps that they hold leftwing political views. “Gay” and “lesbian” describe material reality as much as they do identity. “Queer,” not so much.

[@mjventresca]

Great work, thank you 👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻

[@bunabear]

Nicely done, thank you.

[@GeekyJustin]

Thank you for watching!

[@jamescutler428]

This was wonderful. Thank you.

[@caspianhardin7521]

10:59 X-MEN!!!!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@ajadefish]

Hey Justin, It’s Oliver. How have you been? It’s been around 20 years probably.

[@GeekyJustin]

Hey man! Shoot me a message on my website and let's catch up.

[@BreadofLifeChannel]

Great video!

[@GeekyJustin]

Thanks!