The story that they were discussing was about a man who was suing his firm for allegations of homophobia from his colleagues. The allegations consisted of verbal abuse towards him and the company's response was that he instigated the use of language as he used it himself. This issue of reclaiming language that was previously used as a method of oppression is common among groups of people who have previously experienced oppression. However the argument stems from whether or not it should be acceptable for these slurs to be used.
I have had conversations with gay men who have found it difficult to come to terms with using the word 'queer' when it comes to talking about the community as for years it has been used to torment gay teens in the school corridors or an effeminate male walking along the street. As the word's original connotations come from being strange or odd. Although the word queer was first starting to be reclaimed by the gay community in the 1980s to change the meaning and evoke an overall outlook on the LGBT identity. However it wasn't till 2015 that 'Q' was added to the LGBT umbrella. The reason for this is because the term queer has been coined in regards to gender, it neglects society's previous rules and this liberates many genderqueer or nonconforming people by giving them a label. Labels are not for everyone but comfort is often found in being able to put a name to who you are.
There is evidence to show that the claim of queer from the LGBTQ community is in fact a positive act. However there is still controversy when using the word queer in the gay community because of it's long history of being a derogatory term. This could be seen to parallel with black people and the use of 'n*****'? Although there are people who argue that it's the perfect label as you don't have to put yourself in a box, a label for people who like labels maybe? As it's such a broad term. This debate is still ongoing and in regards to homophobic rhetoric, it is still used as a slur against gay people similarly to the racial slurs being used to discriminate against black people.
The word 'queer' is definitely a phrase which still comes to down your personal opinion if you use it. It depends whether you see the good that overshadows the evil in which it was previously used.
On the other side of the discussion is the use of words such as 'f*g' and 'f****t'. Words that still hold incredibly negative connotations however there are gay men who find using these words liberating although many gay men still find these words offensive. Again this is relevant to slurs used against other communities. It again comes down to opinion. I knew someone who was gay and their friend in a joking way would call them 'f****t' however he did not see the humorous side to this and I remember our conversation about this. He said at first he didn't think anything of it but then one day he felt it began to be too repetitive and reminded him of previous experiences. After our chat, he did tell her not to call him and out of respect she didn't which was a good scenario. However you can expect that people are not always that understanding.
When approaching this subject it is definitely down to personal opinion and what you feel comfortable saying. Acknowledging what is appropriate for you to say and understanding that some words should only be said by certain groups of people is so vital.
I genuinely think this is an interesting debate and should be continued to be discussed as it is such a meaty topic.
I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this issue.
Lots of love
George x
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