Description
Y’all don’t have to call yourself queer. But “I’m gay, not queer” is not a permission slip to disrespect trans people.
On this episode of Queer 101, I’m getting into the gay vs. queer debate—and the difference between choosing a label for yourself and using it to shut somebody else out.
Gay, queer, masc, femme, trans: our language has history, and sometimes that history hurts. I understand why a word reclaimed by one person might still feel painful to another. You get to decide what you call yourself. What we’re not doing is denying anyone else that same respect.
So let’s talk about what happens when a personal preference becomes “LGB without the T,” pronoun mockery, or a campaign to distance gay people from trans and gender-nonconforming folks. Baby, if your path to acceptance requires throwing somebody else under the bus, we need to discuss your directions.
I’m looking back at Sylvia Rivera, tensions within the LGBTQ+ movement, the HRC’s 2007 ENDA stance, and the fight for trans rights after marriage equality. Because this divide didn’t start with a social media post—and a rainbow flag doesn’t automatically mean everybody is welcome.
In this episode, I get into:
Gay vs. queer: personal identity or exclusionary politics?
Reclaimed slurs, generational differences, and respecting people’s labels
Pronouns, transphobia, and the “LGB without the T” crowd
Sylvia Rivera and the history we need to stop conveniently forgetting
“Pick me” politics and the price of chasing straight acceptance
What LGBTQ+ solidarity looks like beyond a slogan
Call yourself gay. Call yourself queer. Just don’t call excluding trans people progress. Respect names. Respect pronouns. And let’s stop treating somebody else’s rights as a bargaining chip.
note * under new leadership the HRC has completely renewed its pledge to the trans community and has been extremely vocal on protecting them in recent years. Annie's videos Kelly Robinson has done great work to rehabilitate the reputation of the organization
prior to Kelly Robinson coming on board time of the HRC was heavily criticized virtual abandonment of the trans community
HRC Reboots Its Mission Toward Greater Trans Inclusion | HuffPost https://share.google/qV4HGxeuGDpPLRDnH
In Apology To Trans Community, HRC Pledges Push For Broad LGBT Bill https://share.google/1PGR4xc45UmoL3SJw
Source: Pride Source https://share.google/IiFqdR3GtO9q1NieB
https://www.out.com/activism/2019/9/27/hrc-president-unveil-new-framework-centering-transgender-community?fbclid=IwdGRzaAVW6cdjbGNrBVbpsWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHBkb2YFc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMzUwNjg1NTMxNzI4AAEfF0Ah7mFQpQh6seGFNAt4c_e_Lwr3cs2Q9cHW_x8_IfgnxQnM3zz24FQ6EVQ_aem_Fi5a32ILNwYww6m6EjMu-Q
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