Reclamation politics are the politics involved in people groups taking terms, symbols, or ideas once disparaging or oppressive and claiming ownership of them so as to transform them into terms of pride. We see reclamation and reappropriation of terms and symbols happen constantly in America's busy history. Examples of racial groups, women, and others reclaiming symbols of oppression as identifiers can be seen here and here, to just exemplify a few.
But these continuous efforts of reclamation are difficult to handle and almost impossible to measure in any consistent way. Reclamation politics only succeed when facilitated by the group the term was applied to themselves, and this sometimes means it will take a long while for terms to be successfully transformed, since the typical groups powering this process hold little power in society. And of course, how does one measure such a process? When is a word safe to call "reclaimed?" and furthermore, can words with histories of oppression ever truly be transformed? Who gets to say the new reclaimed words? And who decides the meaning?
So before continuing, consider that this topic is very complex and I can offer my insights, but not definitive answers.
That being said, I want to discuss a word that many consider to be reclaimed and that applies especially to my community and me.
That word is "Queer."
"Queer" is complicated. "Queer" has a lot of baggage and an ugly history. It is often employed as an umbrella term for those who experience attraction to the same gender and trans people. Basically, "queer" is often a way refer to everything LGBT at once. It has gained a lot of ground as an umbrella term and is employed by many as a catch-all word. I can't deny that even I have found it useful at times. However, while the popularity of "queer" has risen dramatically in the new century, people's awareness of its history and connotations haven't.
Let's remember that "queer" has a meaning unrelated to the LGBT community. Merriam Webster will show that there are many definitions attributed to the word, which are, at best, "differing in some odd way from what is usual or normal," and at worst "Not quite well, suspicious, and Worthless."
This is why the word was used by a straight and cis majority against LGBT people, so as to label them as "queer" deviants worthy of hatred.
And why many, in a brave action, have embraced this term so as to change it, many others have understandably not taken such actions. I am not queer. I do not want to be called queer. My existence is not abnormal in any way and there are words like "transgender" that can describe my status without the need for "queer" (currently in the purgatory of reclamation politics).
Ultimately, language cannot be controlled. Directing it at all is a difficult task. I don't seek to exorcise the word from our language all together, but to ask for a closer examination of this word. Especially for those outside of our community, do you know the history of the slur? Are you aware of how your LGBT friends and family feel about it? This is not just about a word, but about a closer examination of LGBT politics and how you fit into them. Examination of "queer" might be the first step of that.
