Queers and the state of queerness has come a long way. Sure, it’s not where many community members need it to be, an accepted, equal and accommodated in public spaces such as media and the workplace.
But…
If we’re being honest, being queer has since become a whole lot cooler. Gender blurring and non-conformism has become aggressively more acceptable even on the continent. So, much that it may be easier to be different than the same to be socially acceptable.
Is queerness being abused as an automatic cool-kid card?
Or is looking at it this way both derogatory and contradictive? We came across this powerful thread on twitter from @AfroFiend which not only packed some spice but some powerful truth too!
Because I saw a conversation on FB where “authenticated” queer people are discussing their discomfort with the uptick in what they call an “uptake” in queer identity.
— bad mrs (@AfroFiend) August 20, 2018
Here’s a continuation of the thread;
First of all.
Queerness is not a culture, and while the cultures that form within the community can, and have been appropriated, it is incredibly false to say that people who are identifying themselves as queer are appropriating queer identity.
Secondly,
There is no one way to be queer. And to say you are uncomfortable with more people identifying themselves as queer is to say that sexuality is linear, and all people should come to their identity in one way.
Thirdly,
Why are we asking people to authenticate and validate their queerness? Is identity a social club? Also, what has been the point of the movement if we’re going to be unhappy that more people feel safer to identify themselves with the bigger, more accessible community?
Why are we pretending we don’t live in a world where people are not always comfortable to identify themselves as queer? Why do we want everyone to do so to prove their queerness?
