Is queer offensive slang ?

Daan Corbijn   Sat Jan 14, 2006 11:23 am GMT
is "queer" offensive slang ? ( I was called a queer in Bristol-UK ! Didn't know how to react !)
Guest   Sat Jan 14, 2006 1:58 pm GMT
Yes. When said to a person, it's offensive. Some people have something against homsexuality, and use queers when talking about gay people. It is derogatary.
Adam   Sat Jan 14, 2006 6:15 pm GMT
Queer also means strange. So if you see something strange, you would say, "Blimey. That looks a bit queer."
Uriel   Sat Jan 14, 2006 8:49 pm GMT
Queer is like nigger; it depends on who's saying it and how they mean it. If you aren't sure, it's probably bad.
Guest   Sat Jan 14, 2006 9:12 pm GMT
"is "queer" offensive slang ? ( I was called a queer in Bristol-UK ! Didn't know how to react !)"
As bad as it gets.Should have sent a few insults or kicks there way.
Pedro   Sun Jan 15, 2006 4:19 am GMT
>is "queer" offensive slang ? ( I was called a queer in Bristol-UK ! Didn't know how to react !) <

It depends as well , are you gay ? if yes , queer was offensive, if not, could be just "something strange"

= adj. strange, odd, unusual; eccentric; uneasy; nauseous;
Daan Corbijn   Sun Jan 15, 2006 1:11 pm GMT
I am from Amsterdam and I’ve visited some friends from Bristol! Being gay I was called a queer. I understand “queer” is offensive! :(
Daan Corbijn   Sun Jan 15, 2006 1:13 pm GMT
By the way. Are there any Dutch speakers on this forum ?
Pravi   Mon Jan 16, 2006 7:39 pm GMT
Daan Corbijn,

<<is "queer" offensive slang ? ( I was called a queer in Bristol-UK ! Didn't know how to react !) >>

Queer was traditionally meant to be ‘strange’ or ‘unusual’, but is currently often used in reference to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities.
Its usage is controversial and underwent substantial changes over the course of the 20th century. The term is considered by some to be offensive and derisive, and by others merely an inoffensive term for people whose sexual orientation and/or gender identity or gender expression does not conform to heteronormative societal norms.

Its current usage dates back to the early 20th century, when homosexual men in the New York urban and suburban areas began using it to describe themselves and their subculture. Derived from the Old English term 'quare' , which means questioned or unknown, the term was meant as a "code word" to hide them from the so-called 'straight world'.

Do I answer your question?
Pravi.
Damian in Edinburgh   Tue Jan 17, 2006 9:37 pm GMT
I really don't think anybody in the UK uses the word "queer" to mean what it did at one time....strange or unwell. The word is now firmly fixed in most peoples' minds to refer to homosexuality.

As regards the attitude of gay people to the word, I reckon it varies. Some regard it as mildly offensive, it depends on the person, but the Gay community sometimes encourages its use so it really isn't derogatory at all and some gay bars/clubs actually have the word "Queer" in their names.

There are many other words to describe gay people (especially male homosexuals) which are far and away much more lurid. Quite honestly, I don't know why chronically obsessive homophobes spend so much time thinking them up...have they not got better things to do with their time? Why don't they concentrate on people who are really and truly evil ...such as rapists and murderers?
Doug in Washington DC   Fri Nov 03, 2006 1:50 pm GMT
Calling someone queer can be offensive, but calling someone gay can be equally so. Today with shows that don't just use the word but are titled using it (Queer as Folk and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy) the word is clearly not always offensive. There are a number of universities that offer "Queer Studies." Today queer is nowhere near as offensive as the "n" word or "fa**ot."
Doug in Washington DC   Fri Nov 03, 2006 7:59 pm GMT
I'm George W. Bush.