Queer

Originally meaning strange or odd, the word queer became a derogatory term used to describe (people with) same–sex attractions. In the 1980s, this insult was reappropriated by members of the LGBT community as a neutral or positive self-descriptor, ¹ 1 See, for example, Queercore ² 2  (2017), a documentary that discusses the history of the queercore movement, which was founded by Toronto-based artists G. B. Jones and Bruce LaBruce ³ 3 .   becoming “an umbrella term for people outside of the heterosexual norm, or for people who challenge the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans) ‘mainstream’. It can also be a way of challenging norms around gender and sexuality through different ways of thinking or acting.” ⁴ 4 Barker, Meg-John, and Julia Scheele. Queer: A Graphic History ⁵ 5 . Icon Books, 2016, p. 7.  The term queer remains problematic: Despite becoming common currency among many members of the LGBTQIA+ community, many people still hold painful memories of this word being used to hurt them. These sometimes-contradictory points of view coexist and testify to the ways that queerness, as a concept and as an identity category, is still in full evolution. After starting her transition, Gabrielle begins to frequent gay bars, where she can explore her femininity more openly without fear of assault. In these spaces, she forms a “circle of queer friends” (p. 205): a community of people who understand and respect her identity.