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‘Queer’ label prompts reflection, change

By By Austin Caster (Contact)

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

What’s in a name?

With a group comprising gay men, lesbians, transgenders and bisexuals, it’s hard to find one all-encompassing term.

To stay in accordance with our style guide, the editors who worked Sunday evening held a discussion and decided to change the term “homosexuals” to “queers” in the article “Protesters return to campus.” The reporter was not responsible for its use.

For about 10 years, the Kansan has used the term “queer” to describe the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community. The rule in our style guide states, “Although the term ‘queer’ was offensive in the past, it is a term in transition. It is not considered as offensive by younger generations (which are our primary audience) and is the preferred term of many.” The stylebook for The Associated Press, another source the Kansan staff refers to, does not include an entry for “queer.” It does, however, list the term “gay” as acceptable, but leaves out the bisexual and transgendered parts of the community.

Though we have used this term for about 10 years, and already several times this semester, it drew criticism in Monday’s edition through the forms of letters to the editor and Free for All comments.

The feedback received prompted research to determine whether our style guide required an update.

The Web site for the KU organization Queers and Allies poses the same question I was researching: “Why the word ‘queer?’” Because “queer” is an all-inclusive, one-syllable word, because it pushes the envelope and because it continues to gain acceptance in political and academic context, according to the site.

But because the Kansan received so much negative feedback, my investigation led to Santos Núñez, director of the Multicultural Resource Center.

“There’s differences in what people call themselves, and they’re from the same cultural group,” she said. “A lot of it has to do with the generation.

“You have some of the older people who remember being called those names and to them, it’s not powerful, it’s derogatory.”

It’s easy to see why the commotion arose. The term “queer,” as defined on Wikipedia.org, traditionally means strange or unusual.

“Growing up that word had a very negative connotation,” said Michael Franklin, LGBT resource coordinator. “Being called queer was not a fun thing.”

Though he suggested “gay” as his preferred term, I found conflicting evidence elsewhere.

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or GLAAD, lists a media reference guide on its Web site, www.glaad.org.

The site deems the terms “gay,” “homosexual” and “lifestyle” as dated ans derogatory.

“Traditionally a pejorative term, ‘queer’ has been appropriated by some LGBT people to describe themselves. Some value the term for its defiance and because it can be inclusive of the entire LGBT community. Nevertheless, it is not universally accepted even within the LGBT community and should be avoided unless quoting someone who self-identifies that way,” according to the site.

So, as long as the organization chooses to call itself Queers and Allies, we will print its preferred name. But from now on, the Kansan will refer to the community as a whole as “LGBT.”

Caster is a Shawnee senior in journalism. He is Kansan editor-in-chief.

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