Do You Know About The Controversial Queer History? It's Eye-Opening
A common myth that prevents LGBTQIA+ global recognition is that being queer is a "recent phenomenon". Something too new for the masses to fully understand, and thus, accept.
Yet, this prevalent myth still shows something relevant: before the gay liberation movement in the 1960s, most of us don't have a clue about queer history. And that reinforces the idea that it's recent, therefore "unnatural".
An interesting article written by Learning For Justice denounces this systemic silence: "it creates an incomplete foundation from which others can label you as aberrational and ahistorical—a person without precedent. And just as people have been cast out of history, a person without precedent can be cast out of the present."
Even though queer people have always existed, we are not acquainted with that history. The 2019's GLSEN report reveals that "only 19.4% of LGBTQ students were taught positive representations of LGBTQ people, history, or events in their schools".
And as for myself, I recall pretty well that none of my sed ed classes has mentioned the many ways people experience sexuality, out of a basic penis/vagina penetration. Worst, I only got to know the difference between sex and gender in my early 20s!
What are we missing?
What is queer?
Disclaimer: We acknowledge the debates surrounding the term "queer". In this article, we will stick to the inclusive definition of the word, referring to all those who are not cisgender and heterosexual.
Queer is an umbrella term, encompassing a sense of identity and community. Defining yourself as queer means that you're not straight or cisgender (people who identify with their gender assigned at birth).
The label queer is meant to be inclusive, thus it can be used by all those on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum.
*LGBTQIA+: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and + to include other individuals identifying differently than the previous.
What's the difference between queer and gay? Gay people can define themselves as queer, but being queer is not limited to homosexuality.
Are all LGBTQIA+ people also queer? No, not all LGBTQIA+ people recognize themselves in the term "queer", partly due to the vagueness of its meaning and the historical baggage that comes with it. We'll get into detail later on.
Queer: gender or sexual orientation? Queer is at the intersection of many concepts. It is said to be fluid and dynamic because it gives space for people to explore their identity around sexuality and gender - which are often intertwined. To sum up, the word "queer" can describe a person's sexual orientation and express non-binary gender identity.
If you're confused about the myriad of genders and sexual orientations that exist, perhaps you should have a look first at our comprehensive guide about LGBTQIA+ diverse experiences.
Being queer in ancient times
Studying world history and indigenous cultures have a fascinating power. It takes us, western people, beyond our restricted conception of nature and culture. And we come to realize that our dominant culture is not an absolute truth. Understanding how people have lived through time and space is vital to cultivate an open mind, and question our deepest beliefs.
From cave paintings of the San people in Zimbabwe to ancestral texts dating back from Ancient Egypt, allusions to queerness across the ages are innumerable. We will see that androgyny is very ancient, and was, once upon a time, highly revered.
The two-spirit people in North America
Many Native American tribes, such as the Mohave and the Lakota people, recognized more than two genders. Along with males and females, individuals could be intersex, androgynous, feminine males and masculine females, always held in high respect.
Among Navajo tribes, four genders used to co-exist, comparable to transgender men and women, and cisgender men and women. Nadleehi refers to those who transition to feminity, and dilbaa, to those who transition to masculinity.
These special individuals were called "two-spirit people", as they were believed to host two spirits, one of a man and one of a woman. Far from being a source of shame and stigmatization, this duality was seen as an honor that granted them important spiritual and leadership positions among their tribe.
It was only in contact with homophobic European Christians that the respect for same-sex relationships declined, and the need to conform arose. Sounds familiar?
Hijra, the third gender in South Asia
Present in India, Pakistan, and even Bangladesh, the Hijras form a very ancient transwomen community with a recorded history of over 4000 years.
Back in the days, these women had significant positions in court, held religious authority and performed blessings at ceremonies. As mentioned in ancient sacred texts, they were believed to have superpowers.
However, in India, the respect they once benefited from vanished after the British colonists condemned the community as "agents of contagion and a source of moral danger".
Am I saying that, once again, white/western people messed everything up? Oh, yes.
Waria, the transwomen community in Indonesia
Described by Indonesians as "a woman's soul in a man's body", the Warias embody the idea that one person can have characteristics of both genders. And that there is nothing wrong with it.
The Bugis people in Sulawesi recognize non less than five genders! Cisgender men and women, trans men and women, genderqueer and non-binary. Similarly to other communities, they are spiritually elevated persons, often priests, shamans and mediums.
Samoa Island and its four genders
Beyond male and female, locals have the Fa'afafine and Fa'afatama, viewed as third and fourth genders. They had existed way before the Christianisation of the Samoans and were revered for the specific contribution to society.
Now, can anyone dare to say that sexuality and gender variance is… new?
Queer history in Western societies
The origins of the term "queer"
The first time the word queer was used in English, it meant "strange", "peculiar", or "eccentric", or could refer to a person with inappropriate behavior.
For example, the expression "there's nowt so queer as folk" means "there is nothing as strange as people". Another phrase, "in Queer Street" referred to as someone in financial difficulty. In 1922, the performance "My Word, You Do Look Queer" uses the word queer in the sense of "unwell".
Gradually, though, it started to describe people who are not heterosexual.
19th century
As the language evolved, queer began to refer to "sexual deviance". Its first occurrence as a homophobic slur was found in a letter from 1884, written by John Sholto Douglas, the ninth Marquess of Queensberry, whose son was involved in the romantic love affair with Oscar Wilde.
20th century
The use of queer as a slur expanded in the United States in the 20th century, a synonym of "faggot" and "fairy", essentially marking "eccentric people" who were out of the society's norms. At the time, extravagance was the mainstream vision of gayness, from a straight perspective.
For a good while, the terms "queer" and "homosexual" were highly rejected by LGBT people. It started changing, though, when a gay male group reclaimed the term "queer" to differentiate itself from the effeminate stereotype associated with homosexuality.
1960s
The gay liberation movement began and ran up to the 1980s, which pushed gays and lesbians to come out in the light.
Everywhere in the United States, anti-gay laws kept LGBT communities aside from society. As there were not welcomed in most public areas, such as bars, restaurants and nightclubs, gay bars like the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village established themselves as a cradle of the LGBT identity.
After several violent police raids in the bar, the Stonewall riots occurred in resistance to the oppression in 1969. It was truly a stepping stone for the gay liberation movement, which was finally getting organized to fight for the right of being in public spaces.
1980s
While early gay civil rights activists defended the idea that LGBT people could assimilate to the larger society, the 1980s witnessed the emergence of more radical groups, reclaiming the word "queer" as a way to self-identify and rejecting the assimilation of other LGBT groups.
Queer was a great alternative to the ever-increasing acronym LGBTQIA+, as it was short and easy, while still addressing the inclusion of those experiencing sexual and gender marginalization.
1990s
One of these more radical groups was the famous Queer Nation: an organization created in March 1990 in New York City by HIV/AIDS activists.
Their goal? Create more visibility for LGBT people in the context of increasing violence towards the community.
According to them: "Using "queer" is a way of reminding us how we are perceived by the rest of the world."
The word was first reclaimed as an alternative to mainstream and assimilationist gay rights groups. As radical and provocative as Queer Nation was, it still played an essential role in accepting the word queer today.
Activists, especially Queer Nation, and scholars both contributed to the questioning of heteronormativity.
In 1970, the first undergraduate course of Queer Studies was inaugurated in California. Queer Studies were all about exploring sexual orientations and gender identity, LGBTQIA+ culture, and strong opposition to binarism and normativity, which contributed to shifting the mainstream perspective of "what causes homosexuality?" to a different narrative "what causes heterosexuality?".
Finally, in the 1990s, queer theory emerged out of queer studies. The core idea of this theory is that heterosexuality is far from being "normal", but instead, is a socially constructed concept. Thus, sex and gender are deeply social and cultural phenomenons.
21st century
In this context, queer activism experienced a big boom. And the meaning of the word queer widened to define all people on the spectrum of non-normative sexual and gender identities. It went even further, by defining anything that is an alternative to the status quo.
Today, queer refers to people with same-sex relationships and unconventional genders. But beyond that, queer became a culture, a symbol of the existence of a spectrum, hence redefining sexuality not as a fixed binary concept but as something intersectional.
The limits of the queer label
While many non-binary folks proudly label themselves as queer, plenty of debates surrounding its use still exist. These objections are from LGBTQIA+ and straight/cisgender people alike.
First and foremost, the historical baggage of the word queer is something that put off most of its detractors.
Other folks simply want to dissociate themselves from the politically radical connotation of queer activism - which, according to some, contributed to the division of LGBT groups.
And finally, queerness acquired over time a trendy meaning, which has kind of faded the original spirit of being queer. Indeed, queer culture became such "a thing" that even heterosexual people began to label themselves as queer as well.
At first glance, it's totally contradictory. Because, if everyone can label themselves as queer… Does queer still mean anything?
On the one hand, some say that queer should only be used by those who are being oppressed. On the other hand, queer started to be adopted by heterosexuals to support one's right to be on the vast sexuality and gender spectrum.
Who's right, who's wrong?
In an article published on Vice ("Can Straight People Be Queer?"), the author made an interesting point. "For someone who is homosexual and queer, a straight person identifying as queer can feel like choosing to appropriate the good bits, the cultural and political cache, the clothes and the sound of gay culture, without the laugh riot of gay-bashing, teen shame, adult shame, shame-shame, and the internalized homophobia of lived gay experience."
Whatever the side you're on, there is no right or wrong as long as we keep questioning the rightfulness of our motivations, and being mindful of the impact of our words. Always. ♥
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