"QPOC" stands for Queer People of Color and is used to discuss LGBTQ individuals in communities of color or as an abbreviated term for an organization or cause representing them.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Word of the Gay: "QPOC"
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5 comments:
I actually have a question on this. I notice that you use the word queer and yet in speaking to gay and lesbian POC it recently came to my attention that some found that word highly offensive. The term I was told to use was same loving. Have you heard of this before? I was wondering if it was something that received a lot of usage and how problematic the term queer really is? As a straight person it is important to me that I do not use any descriptor that is insulting to another.
Well, I haven't heard of queer in the context of POC who are LGBT as being offensive. But yes "same-gender loving" is quite popular among LGBT POC. Some gays and lesbians who are older, are offended by queer because it was used against them verbally and sometimes when they were physically bashed. Young people are overwhelmingly supportive of the reclamation of the word though.
Many queer people were wondering the same thing in the late 80's, early 90's! I might be wrong, but I think that Queer Nation, a group of very vociferous activists that formed in early 90s, helped to redefine and reclaim that word for a lot of people, especially younger people. I would never advise you on what word to use. (But...my partner says "gay" is probably more polite within more contexts; though we only use that if we're writing to politicians.) We both agree that the term HOMOSEXUAL sounds textbookish.
Homosexual sounds too clinical to me, its like cough I have a case of homosexuality, do you have an antibiotic for that?
Thanks, I will stick to using gay and lesbian then if that will be most appropriate in all situations.
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