‘Queer’ Has Changed Meanings a Few Times—Here’s What It Means Now and How It’s Used

The English language is a funny thing. A word can mean something hundreds of years ago, then it gets twisted into something horrible only to make a comeback in the modern day. That’s basically the TL;DR history of the word “queer.” It’s most commonly used to describe someone in the LGBTQ+ community—it is what the “Q” in LGBTQ+ means, after all—but it was also a slur for gay people not that long ago. So what does queer really mean and who can use it? Let’s get into queer’s meaning and how it got to where it is now.

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What does 'queer' mean?

As Planned Parenthood puts it, queer is a term used to describe “a sexual or gender identity other than straight and cisgender.” While labels like gay and lesbian are typically designated for sexualities, and transgender refers to someone’s gender identity, queer can be a label someone uses for any of these things.

Just like the label bi+ is an umbrella term to encompass anyone with a sexuality that includes more than one gender—bisexual, pansexual, etc.—queer is an umbrella term that covers “a spectrum of sexual orientations and gender identities,” THEM reported.

"Queer" is great for people that don’t want to stick to one label. It’s also great for people who don’t feel the need to specify just one part of themselves. It’s also a nice term when referring to the LGBTQ+ or gay community because it can be such an inclusive term for gay people as a whole.

What is the meaning of queer and sexuality?

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Again, queer can refer to anyone who doesn’t fall under the cisgender, heteronormative gamut (AKA those that aren’t straight). And while queer can be used for someone’s gender identity, it’s also really common to use it to describe someone’s sexuality.

Someone can use the label queer if they’re sexually attracted to multiple genders or all genders, but don’t feel the need to specify which, or maybe they don’t feel like the terms bisexual or pansexual fit for them. Maybe someone is a lesbian but also loves to use queer sometimes because it’s easier and feels just as right. There is no right or wrong reason to use the label queer (except as an insult). Queer can mean different things for everyone as well.

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Where did the word 'queer' come from?

If you look at the word “queer” in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, there are several definitions. Just like the usage of the word “gay” in “Deck the Halls”—"Don we now our gay apparel"—the word “queer” wasn’t always used for gay people.

The first definition that comes up is “differing in some way from what is usual or normal” with synonyms like odd, strange, eccentric and unconventional. A popular use of this version of the word is in Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland when Alice comments on how “queer it seems” being in Wonderland, talking to a rabbit.

This all came about in the 16th century, with the first use of "queer" being in 1513.

When did the meaning of 'queer' change?

While queer can mean something different for different people, it does, unfortunately, hold a bad taste in the mouths of older gay people or those that remember when “queer” was used as nothing but a slur for people in the LGBTQ+ community. Women’s Health reported that the early 16th-century meaning of queer was really its only meaning until the late 19th century or so when “queer” became a slur thrown at gay men.

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With the original meaning of the word—odd, unconventional, strange—you can see why this word became a hateful term for gay men, who were not accepted or weren’t living a “normal” life. It was in the ‘90s when people in the LGBTQ+ community started to reclaim “queer” for themselves.

Again, a lot of people now use queer as a label or in a celebratory way when describing themselves or their sexuality. But it took a lot to get here.

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Can you use the word 'queer'?

Because so many people use queer to label themselves now and the word “queer” has shown up on a lot of modern-day Pride Month merchandise, it obviously doesn’t hold that hatred the slur once did. However, it’s important to remember the history of the word and how harmful it was to the LGBTQ+ community just a couple of decades ago.

This might mean that older people in the community might still take offense if anyone uses the word, especially non-gay people. So it’s always essential for non-queer people to respect the queer people around them and listen if they call them in.

With that said, people within the community can of course use queer however they choose. They can choose not to use it as well. Straight people aren’t banned from using it in its newer sense of the word, but again, being respectful is a must. And of course, never use queer as a slur or an insult. That’s so… girl-wearing-a-skirt-as-a-top.

Next up, test your knowledge on all things queer and Pride Month with our 50 Pride trivia questions (answers).