Why the Q in GLBTQ persons?

[Joe Allen]

I thought "queer" was already an epithet for gays or lesbians?

I prefer to use GLBTI myself, with the "I" standing for "Intersex."

We used to call folks who were 2 genders at the same time, whether visibly so or internally so (in regard to primary and secondary sex organs), "hermaphrodites." Hermaphrodite was the offspring of the god Hermes and the goddess Aphrodite.

Ignorant Okies and others thought the word was "morphodite." But, as a Greek prefix, "morpho" means "change."

But, after talking to folks who self-identified as "Intersex," a couple of years ago, I decided to use the initial "I" with GLBT.

One of them told me about the Intersex Society Of North America and I looked it up on the internet.

Intersex Society Of North America (http://www.isna.org/)

A close friend who lived in Tulsa until last October has Klinefelter's Syndrome. And, what he has is mention on the website, too.

[Jim Burroway]

Usually the Q in LGBTQ signifies "questioning"

Queer is slowly losing its pejorative edge, mostly among younger people it seems. I'm not fond of it myself, but I've found myself occasionally reaching for it because in conversations it's hard to say "gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender", and LGBT(and sometimes Q) seems so unwieldy.

[tpdncr4christ]

I like the term people. But when it comes to identifying all of us, I think GLBT works for just about everyone, but then again so does GLBTIQ... too many letters, not enough cleverness.

[BruceChris]

But NOBODY will use it. :confused: :(

P&L, BC

[Zerbie]

Personally, I like the term "queer." Suits me well as someone who questioned for a long time, falls pretty far over onto the "straight" side of the spectrum (though didn't always) but identifies a lot more with the gay community than not. So I find 'queer' can express all that stuff I squeezed into 4 lines above, plus more, yet all in ONE word.

Otoh - I go out of my mind with all the alphabetizing. I remember when it was just "lesbian and gay." Then in a few years it became LGB. Then all of a sudden I blinked my eyes and it was LBGTQQISA. :eek: :p

To the anger of my fellow Bs, the Ls, the Ts, and everyone else, I am at the point of advocating a return to just the word "gay," and let's use it as an umbrella term inclusive of everyone. Just because "gay" - at least - is short!!!! It just doesn't feel elegant to speak or write LGBTQQISA, or even LGBT - there needs to be a nice pretty real WORD there. Not alphabet soup. But, whatever works, I guess. sigh.

[tpdncr4christ]

I've been thinking so for a long time...

[Joe Allen]

When I was growing up and our family were going to Pentecostal churches, some denominational and some not, my older sister sang a song as a church solo which began with the words, "I remember when some queer folks came to town, My pastor said 'To that church, don't go down.'" The title of the song was "I Prayed Through."

To me, if you use Q with G & L, you are being redundant. "Queer" was used as a hateful epithet for gays and lesbians (and also for anyone assumed to be homosexual whether they were or not) when I was growing up.

I am Gay, as a homosexual; but, I cannot be a GLBT person. One would really have to have a really queer body and sexual orientation to be all 4 of those at once.

Being a transsexual aka transgendered person actually has no connection with sexual orientation. That has to do with spiritual gender identity and external physical identity being in conflict with each other.

[beat0it]

I am from the Toledo, Ohio area and often "queer" is used as an umbrella term. As far as I understand it's used as an umbrella term for those who want to avoid specific labeling. I can agree that saying "GLBTQIQA" is kind of a mouthful and if you're talking to someone who doesn't have a great understanding of what it means it kind of shoots right over their head.


:)
--Lindsey.

[marutidas]

G=gay,L=lesbian,B= bisexual, T=transgender,Q=questioning, Although I dont know what "I" stands for, Maybe they added the extra letters so they could make a rainbow with the letters, for Example
GLBTQI
Your guess is as good as mine

[andrewlittle]

Unless I'm mistaken (highly likely) I=Intersexed.

[Zerbie]

Nope, not mistaken.

It's "intersex."

[Joe Allen]

Nope, not mistaken.

It's "intersex."

Just like I use with GLBTI.

[marutidas]

But whats the diference between Transgender and Intersexed.

I kinda get it, Transgender is going through the process of becoming the opposite sex, MTF or FTM and Intersex is those born with both sexual organs but either, docters made the decision for them when they were young and the insides don't match the outsides, ore they have not made the choice to be one way or the other yet, or something like.

As you can guess I am not an expert on Gender Identification. Although I have had a few Tranny friends.

[belladonnacordial]

Intersex covers people born with irregularities who have, and have not had surgery, as well as those with genetic differences (persons who appear in every way physically male yet have two X chromosomes for example. This may describe as many as one in every 500 births. Who has ever had their chromosomes checked? I haven't. The majority of these people are not aware of their condition, btw.) I think the whole problem stems from labelling. Our terms are too small, while human sexuality and variation is vast.

[Joe Allen]

I used to be friends with a person named Tony whom I thought was a man when I first met her. She was slim had a moustache and sideburns. My friend, Kathy, told me that she had overheard Tony talk about having an hysterectomy and that sounded kind of odd. So she asked me to find out about Tony. Both Kathy and Tony had given me rides to services at the Family of Faith MCC in Jenks close to Tulsa.

So, Tony told me the whole story that even led up to the operation. At work, only Tony's boss knew she was not a man. Since Tony had passed for a man, although her driver's licence said "female," she had gotten a marriage licence as the husband of Mary, who definitely looked female. Her boss said so that the insurance would pay for the operation, he would claim that Mary had the operation on the forms submitted to the company's insurance company.

It was really interesting that the operation took place in the Oral Roberts University City of Faith Hospital. Tony said that only the doctors and the nursing staff who took care of her knew that she was not actually a man.

Tony said she had a xxy chromosome.

When I was attending the MCC, the regional Lay Person's conference of the MCC took place in Tulsa at a hotel complex. On Saturday night, there was a MCC members only dance in one of the clubs there. Tony and I danced together and it was like dancing with a man and not a woman and I let her lead. I just loved Tony as a friend in the Lord with no other feelings.

About 4 years later, I was attending an independent church which was mostly gays and lesbians and Tony visited. Because of my disabilities, one of the church elders fixed a chair with a stool for me to sit on at the back of the church. Tony chose to sit by me in the service. I had a lower body feeling which I never had before with her. It was the kind I had only experienced with men. I never told her about it; but, I doubt that it would have shocked her if I did.

If I remember correctly Tony had been a real mother and had a biological grandaughter, too.

[beat0it]

Jim, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your story. It seems to me you have a way with words. I am terrible at expressing myself so I really appreciate when a person is the opposite because I know how hard it can be to share a personal story in a clear, understandable way. Thanks for sharing a story that im sure is close to your heart.

:)
--Lindsey.

[RainbowL'elly]

see, i like the use of the 'q'- be it standing for a reclaimed 'queer' or 'questioning', it covers people who don't feel comfortable with any of the other specific labels- i tend to use the 'q' often because just calling myself bisexual seems to limited- i don't believe in just two sexes, so why should my identifier attest to only two? i am not intersex, trans (though by loose definition any non-comforming woman is transgendered....), lesbian, or gay...i am just...queer. i like reclaiming the term as a positive and i think it's kind of neat. my friends have gotten used to the fact that i use it and that i am a 'proud Q of the spectrum'. my husband also identifies as 'q'- he really doesn't feel like any of the other terms really fit him. he's just un-straight.

being married and appearing to be straight to most people, identifying as just 'gay' as a blanket term really confustes people= it causes more questions than it's really worth. for ease of explaination, i usually just cop-out and use the term bisexual, even though it is a rather ackward fit (and places like facebook don't offer any other orientation identifiers for those of us neither homosexual nor heterosexual)- it's all very confusing, what we call ourselves.

i also like saying that i'm genderqueer.

it's not that i don't like going into explainations, but when it's in certain settings, it's just safer to get them used to a term they're probably familiar with and have a basic grasp on, rather than getting all technical with definitions.

[Zerbie]

L'elly,

I enjoyed your post b/c I relate to it so much! We're fairly similar in those ways. Deep down, I think of myself as just non-straight. I enjoy 'queer.' But my husband is as straight as they get.

[RainbowL'elly]

hey, zerbie!
we do seem to keep finding ourselves on the same ends of these kinds of discussions, don't we :D .

here's to the un-straights amongst us!

[Zerbie]

hey, zerbie!
we do seem to keep finding ourselves on the same ends of these kinds of discussions, don't we :D .

here's to the un-straights amongst us!

Ah, so perhaps a heated disagreement is in order. Hmmm. :inspector: Got it:

I'm not an "un-straight." I'm a "non-straight." We play on different teams, so - there!!! :p :lol:

[RainbowL'elly]

what is the semantic difference between the prefix un-* and non-* ?

i suppose you are right- un-* seems to imply that something has been reversed- such as in 'undone' and 'unreliable', when in truth, we are not the reverse of anything- we are merely another option. in truth, my hasty use of the prefix un-* could have a polarising effect on our linguistics, forcing a dichotomy, rather than a spectrum. the use of the prefix non-* means merely that the object the prefix is attatched to is excluded from the criteria- being non-straight means that that definition is not used in the definition of our person, which does, i will admit heartily, seem to be a more accurate discriptive element. use of the prefix non-* over the prefix un-* maintains the ideal spectrum, rather than forcing an opposition.

so with this in mind, i hand that you are correct that the term non-straight is much more apt than un-straight.


;)

i bow to your superior linguistic intuition.

[andrewlittle]

Ah, so perhaps a heated disagreement is in order. Hmmm. :inspector: Got it:

I'm not an "un-straight." I'm a "non-straight." We play on different teams, so - there!!! :p :lol:

Stands such as this from a usually sweet-hearted, sympathetic soul assaults my sensibilities. I am astounded at the severity of this summons to spar on issues of semantics. (Sigh)

what is the semantic difference between the prefix un-* and non-* ?

i suppose you are right- un-* seems to imply that something has been reversed- such as in 'undone' and 'unreliable', when in truth, we are not the reverse of anything- we are merely another option. in truth, my hasty use of the prefix un-* could have a polarising effect on our linguistics, forcing a dichotomy, rather than a spectrum. the use of the prefix non-* means merely that the object the prefix is attatched to is excluded from the criteria- being non-straight means that that definition is not used in the definition of our person, which does, i will admit heartily, seem to be a more accurate discriptive element. use of the prefix non-* over the prefix un-* maintains the ideal spectrum, rather than forcing an opposition.

so with this in mind, i hand that you are correct that the term non-straight is much more apt than un-straight.

;)

i bow to your superior linguistic intuition.

Suppose, instead of soliciting this sweet person's supplication and submission to suspect superiority, solutions be sought that subsume both sets of sensibilities.

"Straight" is the standard set by the "superior" segment of society. To singularize self using the semantics of society's standards is spurious, even if it is schemed to show dissimilarity.

It still sets "straight" as the superior standard by which self is scrutinized. Lest we be short-sighted, select something else with which to signify separation and singularity from the supposed superiority of society's standards.

Submitted in a sense of stimulating a symposium of the substratal substance of semantics, and seeking sympathetic support and sharing between my sisters.

Steadfastly your servant, Andy

[Zerbie]

L'Elly,

Mwuahahahahaaaa - I won!!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: (Struts around flexing biceps.)

Andy,

Way too much alliteration in that post, I couldn't get past it because you see, I'm swimming in a seething sea of sibilants.

As to your Ha! Gotcha! point: well, descriptors are just verbal conveniences anyway, and the only real fact of the matter is that I'm just :p me:p and L'Elly's just L'Elly, so once again - :p there! :p :lol:

[andrewlittle]

I'm going to pout, now. All that work invested to say so little to such an unappreciative audience.

Where's the "raspberry" emoticon? Surely there's got be one. Dang.

Oh well, :p ppphhhbbbllltttt!!!

Shoot, now I need a tissue.

[u-dog]

Stands such as this from a usually sweet-hearted, sympathetic soul assaults my sensibilities. I am astounded at the severity of this summons to spar on issues of semantics. (Sigh)



Suppose, instead of soliciting this sweet person's supplication and submission to suspect superiority, solutions be sought that subsume both sets of sensibilities.

"Straight" is the standard set by the "superior" segment of society. To singularize self using the semantics of society's standards is spurious, even if it is schemed to show dissimilarity.

It still sets "straight" as the superior standard by which self is scrutinized. Lest we be short-sighted, select something else with which to signify separation and singularity from the supposed superiority of society's standards.

Submitted in a sense of stimulating a symposium of the substratal substance of semantics, and seeking sympathetic support and sharing between my sisters.

Steadfastly your servant, Andy


thiS iS Seriously Silly, Sir

[andrewlittle]

thiS iS Seriously Silly, Sir

It's amazing what can happen when I'm off my meds.

[Tinkerbell047]

Wait... I thought it was just GLBT... where did the "I" and "Q" come from?
Oh boy, I agree with Zerbie, we need a word, something all-encompassing that will still describe us even in ten years when there are fifteen different devisions of the gay community.

[tpdncr4christ]

Chimerians

Genetics. an organism composed of two or more genetically distinct tissues, as an organism that is partly male and partly female, or an artificially produced individual having tissues of several species.

Just cause it sounds cool

[u-dog]

Naturally occuring Chimera already exist, people with two distinct DNA signatures caused when one twin absorbs the other. Its rare but they got dibs on the name. How about.... hmmmmm.... Queers?

[Renaissancefan98]

Well i think the "Q" means "Questioning" and the "I" means "Intersexed"

Am i right?

[Zerbie]

. How about.... hmmmmm.... Queers?

Dewdrop_world wrote in one of his first posts: "Queerfolk."

And I thought it sounded like a real name, really took to it. I can see it as a name that might not go over well with those who don't like the negative association with 'queer.' And I can also see how nowadays it might be confused with a soap opera. :p But I still really really love it. I can see the Queerfolk having their own songs, hangouts, designer clothing lines. . . heheheheh! No seriously - I really really like the name Queerfolk.

But at the same time, it makes me think of Elves.

[u-dog]

Elves? not Faeries?