Straight Queer
A friend recently used the term “straight queer” to describe someone who is very involved in LGBTQ activism but identifies as straight. I fell in love with this term immediately.
Although I dislike the word “queer” itself (I don’t agree with reclamation) I absolutely love what it stands for. It shows that sexuality is not something we can pin down, nor that we should be trying to. The ever-growing LGBTQQA alphabet soup is a testament to the fact that sexuality and gender identity are very complex things specific to the individual. I personally identify as queer because I don’t want to categorize my sexuality in a society that is obsessed with clearly labeling it.
The term “queer” disrupts how we think about sexuality and “straight queer” builds upon this disruption. It destabilizes what we believe about the LGBTQ community; most notably that LGBTQ and straight are mutually exclusive. Queer includes straight. Straight is queer too. Sexuality is a big melting pot that doesn’t need, nor functions well with labels.
Some might argue that it’s not fair to allow people with all the societal privilege of straightness to identify under the LGBTQ umbrella and thereby enter LGBTQ space. I disagree. We are living in a time when “the closet” is becoming more and more obsolete and the LGBTQ community is slowly becoming a part of “mainstream” society. There is less of a need for exclusively LGBTQ space. Additionally, queer activism is at a point where we are working to normalize a variety of sexualities. Calling in to question the normalcy of “heterosexuality”, the way the term “straight queer” inevitably does, is a surefire way to destabilize the association between heterosexuality and normalcy.
Although I believe “straight” can be a part of “queer”, I don’t believe every single person now falls under the LGBTQ umbrella. I wouldn’t feel comfortable calling people like Paul Ryan or Glenn Beck “straight queer”. On the other side of the spectrum, I also don’t believe that one needs to engage in LGBTQ activism in order to “prove” themselves to the LGBTQ community. But really, I shouldn’t be picking and choosing who is “straight queer”. No identity label – gay, queer, straight – should be slapped onto any person. People should be able to embrace the term “straight queer” themselves – whatever their reasons may be.
-Sonya
please stop straight feminists
I need to lie down.
i feel dead inside
umichfeminists “i dont like slur reclamation, so im gonna give this slur to straight people, who contributed to making a slur a slur. i love feminism, and also, empowerment!”
Or you know you could just use supporter and not make it about yourself...
