Opinion | Using the Word ‘Queer’ Instead of ‘Gay’ – The New York Times
Charles Yale
Omaha
To the Editor:
Pamela Paul implicitly criticizes me and the organization I am soon to lead for using the term “queer” rather than “gay” or “lesbian” in a recent video.
Let me be clear: At the Human Rights Campaign, we do say gay. We say “lesbian,” “bisexual,” “transgender” and “nonbinary,” too. And yes, we say “queer,” because we believe in the power to self-identify. I identify as a Black queer woman, and when I say “queer,” it’s to be as inclusive as possible, to re-center those at the margins, to embrace our difference and to embrace our power, too.
The L.G.B.T.Q.+ community is under attack right now, and we need to come together. Politicians are coming for us and our families, spreading hateful rhetoric and spurring a rise in violence and harassment. To them, and anyone else who tries to sow division, we say: Come for us, and we will come for you at election time.
Those attacking L.G.B.T.Q.+ families can be stopped only if we make ourselves heard. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, straight, we vote and we march together — all of us, without exception — toward full equality. That’s how we fight back. And that’s why we call it pride.
Kelley Robinson
Washington
To the Editor:
The main concern expressed here seems to be that inclusive language is “diluting” gayness. While I personally believe that adding more voices to the choir only makes it more beautiful, I can see why Pamela Paul is concerned; she seems to believe that the young queer community defines “queer” as something nearly everyone can claim. Typically, people who are straight and cisgendered are called “allies,” not “queer.”