In a comment to my blog post, someone posting as “Concerned Queer” had this to say:
I want to highly encourage you to continue to learn about your own community. We are not the same people that were fighting in the 60?s, 70?s, 80?s, 90?s or 00?s. Please learn the differences, respect the new waves and directions that we are heading towards. We have created new terms, new demands, and new goals. There is a difference between the gay community and the queer community (sadly), and that difference is very personal and very political.
I found the comment- this portion quoted and the rest very interesting. I have some questions I want to ask to better understand Concerned Queer:
1) When you say “there is a difference betweeen the gay community and the queer community,” what do you think that difference or differences may be?
2) The term “community” may mean very different things to different people. What does it mean to you?
3) When you say “gay community” do you mean gay men, or are you talking more about the mainstream LGBT vs Queer?
4) Do you agree with this notion of Queer as stated in Wikipedia. Why or why not?
In the context of Western identity politics the term also acts as a label setting queer-identifying people apart from discourse, ideologies, and lifestyles that typify mainstream LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual) communities as being oppressive or assimilationist.
5) If there is a difference between the gay community and the queer community from your perspective, which community do you think I self-identify with? Which community do you identify me as a part of?
6) What does “respect the new waves and directions that we are heading towards” mean to you? What does respect look like?
Looking forward to reading any answers posted.
Photo by QZAP