What the term queer means to five different people

Queer is a contested term for many.

For some people, it's a powerful way to describe themselves and their community. For others, it's a more uncomfortable term — and, historically, has been used as a slur.

We asked five people for their thoughts.

William Yang (79) – Gadigal land, inner Sydney

Pronouns: He/him.
Best known as: Photographer, theatre maker.
Identifies as: Queer.

I used to identify as a gay man but, in the '90s, I moved over to queer, because it was more inclusive.

I first heard the term used in academic circles. Nobody could quite define it, but it was neither gay nor lesbian.

I saw its evolution from there, where that academic sense of the word dropped off and it became quite a fashionable term.

I don't remember queer being used as a derogatory term, but I probably live in a bit of a bubble — well, I definitely live in a bubble.

Queer [has always been] viewed [in my circles] as being more inclusive — and the trendy term.

Kerry Chin (33) – Cammeraygal land, northern Sydney

Pronouns: He/him.
Best known as: Asexual and aromantic advocate with an iconic bicycle.
Identifies as: Asexual, aromantic and transgender.

I don't specifically tell people I'm queer in most contexts because, where it's relevant, I use the specific terms for my identities. But if you asked me: are you queer? I would answer yes.

My understanding of the word queer is that some people use it as an umbrella term for the community.

In other contexts, to "queer something" is to challenge any societal expectations and assumptions. It extends beyond gender and sexuality, and has a bit more of a political connotation.

I think people should be allowed to describe themselves using any terms they think are relevant.

But I don't think you should use the acronym, or the word queer, just for the sake of it.

For example [using an umbrella term] when focusing strongly on sex and relationships, when many aromantic and asexual people aren't interested in those things.

Some people try to use the broadest possible umbrella terms — with the best of intentions — to be inclusive. But it becomes very jarring when they actually haven't considered other parts of the community.

Hannah McElhinney (32) – Naarm, Melbourne

Pronouns: She/her.
Best known as: Co-creator and researcher behind TikTok's Rainbow History Class, and author of the book of the same name.
Identifies as: Lesbian, queer.

To me, queer is a useful shorthand. I can identify with a broad community without needing to get into my specific attraction and relationship.

I think queer also has a political context. I like the word queer because it shows that I am specifically not in a straight relationship with my partner. We work in queer circles, and activism is quite important to us.

I do still say that I'm in a lesbian relationship, but that very much just says who I'm attracted to. Whereas, for me, the queer identity is broader than just who I'm into.

In some applications [the LGBTQIA+ acronym] can feel like we're simplifying people to a letter rather than acknowledging people in the full breadth of their identity and who they are.

I think that's why queer fits a lot of people, because it does accommodate for fluidity around a range of letters, versus having to pick a letter.

Ruth McNair (60) – Naarm, Melbourne

Pronouns: She/her.
Best known as: GP, prominent LGBTQIA+ health advocate and researcher.
Identifies as: A bisexual in a lesbian relationship.

Queer is a very useful term, but it's also difficult because it can mean so much.

It might be sexuality, it might be genderqueer. It might mean you hate labels, you're fluid, or that you're non-monogamous.

There's still a lot of assumptions that once you're a lesbian, you're always a lesbian, so having that term is a very helpful indicator of moving about on the spectrum, as you go along.

I had this debate recently on a research team I was on, and we had a range of ages. The younger people were suggesting that we just use queer, because it was easier than the acronym.

But there were two of us who are lesbian people in our 50s, and neither of us wanted to be labelled as queer. We're not queer. Never have been.

A lot of my binary trans patients don't use the word queer either, because it doesn't apply to them. They're not genderqueer, they're trans.

So, I think the acronym still has value. You can't supplant that for queer.

Ani Sidzamba (20s) – Gadigal land, Southern Sydney

Pronouns: She/they.
Best known as: Actor, drag king Malcolm XY.
Identifies as: Queer, gender fluid, pansexual.

I've found that the word queer suits me better. The word lesbian isn't something that really attaches to me as I am fluid with my attractions. The word queer is more explanatory of who I am and how I am.

For me, queer is out of the binary: I'm not feminine, I'm not masculine. Sometimes I go more femme, other times I go more masc. Then there's times where I look femme, but I behave masc, you know?

Being queer is something to be proud of and it's a word many people can use to describe themselves, without boxing themselves in to a specific letter. As long as you're not hetero, you're queer.

For me, queer is the umbrella term.

We have the rainbow, and we have different colours in the rainbow. When you're queer, you don't always fit a specific colour — you're the entire rainbow.