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submitted 1 year ago by DoctorTYVM@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world
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[-] Roundcat@kbin.social 125 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

As a queer person, extending the acronym past what is necessary feels like pandering in the best light, and purposely trying to bait ridicule in the worst. The whole point of LGBT was to include anyone on the spectrum that was gay or trans, and the Q was supposed to include anyone who considers themselves queer, even if they don't meed those parameters. I can understand wanting to include I because intersex people are often left out of the conversation, and I even understand A because there is a lot of debate even within the LGBTQ community itself as to whether asexuals are considered queer or not. But when you start incorporating numbers, symbols, or extending past 5 letters within the acronym, you are defeating the purpose of having an acronym, creating confusion, baiting ridicule, and even making people not explicitly represented in the acronym feel excluded.

And there is already a single, all encompassing, inclusive, one syllable word that describes the community and all who occupy it: "Queer." It's easier to say, remember, and hell, even type if you are typing LGBTQ past 5 letters. But because of it being appropriated and used as a slur, there are many even within the community who are even afraid to utter it, let alone identify with it. Which is a god damned shame there is nothing inherently wrong the word, cause even in its original meaning, it meant someone who was outside the norm or otherworldly, and in literature has been used to describe characters like Gandalf, and characters in Shakespeare.

It describes me without having to explain or justify how or why. It describes how I feel as a person, how others see me, how I interact and relate to others. Its an adjective that can be verbed and adverbed. It's sharp and provocative, yet also warm and natural, like a forest green. People who have adopted and embraced the word for themselves feel the love within the word, and can extend it to others. And even for those outside the community, those who are brave enough to use it when talking in our defense come off as more decisive and confrontational, than the person who thinks adding another letter or number to the acronym will make them seem more legitimate.

It's time we stop fearing our word. It's time we recognize the difference between queer as an insult, and queer as a description of who we are, and we need to extend that to people who are willing to talk about us and our struggles or come to our defense. The word is only as evil as we are willing to reject it, and I will be dead in the ground before I let our word be the domain of queerphobes and bigots.

edit: ~~It's late and I'm going to bed. Apparently some people think I'm a self hating queer for thinking the acronym should be dropped for an all inclusive term, and so be it. It's late and I want to get some sleep. And a lot of the people making this argument I know haven't read past the first paragraph, much less to here. Anything clarification they could want can be found here and in my other posts here. Otherwise, if they are not going to put in the effort to read, I'm not going to put in the effort to respond.~~

edit 2: I wanted to make a separate inclusion because I have had a chance to sleep and cool off, and I wanted to address some of the more combative posts in my replies: I get it. We as a community suffer attacks constantly, even from within the community, so I understand why so many here are on guard and skeptical of my intentions. And I'll admit, my post probably could be better written. I'm not exactly the best at articulating my thoughts. But the point of my post is not to exclude anyone from the community, but rather embrace a word that includes everyone. I would like to hear counterpoints to my argument, because maybe what I need is a different perspective on the issue. I would love to hear from people who prefer the acronym, and why they feel it maybe more inclusive. I am a flawed human being with many faults. I grew up in a conservative background, and my life up to this point has been trying to unlearn a lot of that. But I did not write this with the intention of excluding or singling out anyone. Forgive me I have done so.

[-] HawlSera@lemm.ee 38 points 1 year ago

Indeed.. all extending the acronym does is give the Far Right ammo for their unfunny "Alphabet Cult" jokes

At some point ya just gotta say "Look if you're not straight and not cis or just think that may be the case. You're in the club"

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[-] itsAsin@lemmy.world 33 points 1 year ago

i am really glad you took the time to put all of that into words. i, a queer person, agree completely.

[-] ridago@programming.dev 22 points 1 year ago

I wish everyone was this rational

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[-] BonesOfTheMoon@lemmy.world 64 points 1 year ago

There was a petition to offer refugee status to LGBT Americans put before the House of Commons recently, I just got an email update about it because I signed it, and apparently they accept some refugees on this basis, but it doesn't look like many. I say open the borders and bring me your gays, America. We'll be nicer to them than you are.

[-] PRUSSIA_x86@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago

My fiance and I have been looking into moving to Canada. He's a librarian in a small town and things are not looking so great.

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[-] FangedWyvern42@lemmy.world 64 points 1 year ago

LGBTQ2 - the long-awaited sequel.

[-] ArmokGoB@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 1 year ago

Best thing since they announced pussy 2

[-] OldWoodFrame@lemm.ee 48 points 1 year ago

The "2" is for two-spirited which is a traditional Native American concept and that is neat.

[-] user224@lemmy.sdf.org 50 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

So no LGBTQ sequel? 😥 /j

[-] ivanafterall@kbin.social 48 points 1 year ago
[-] dhork@lemmy.world 34 points 1 year ago

2 Gay 2 Fabulous

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[-] NOT_RICK@lemmy.world 23 points 1 year ago

LGBTQ2: Electric Boogaloo

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[-] utopianfiat@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago

What's wild about "two-spirit" is that it's not a really definite concept (that is, it is a neologism from 1990 that does not have a universal understanding among tribal traditions) but what it does accomplish is replacing the perjorative European anthropological term

slurberdache, from Arabic burdaj "slave" meaning basically a young male submissive gay partner

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[-] Compactor9679@lemm.ee 41 points 1 year ago
[-] TheRealKuni@lemmy.world 53 points 1 year ago

LGBTQ 2 has better graphics, split-screen multiplayer, a customizable interface, and hot-swappable controls. It also supports macros.

But now you have to pay for DLC maps.

[-] regalia@literature.cafe 30 points 1 year ago

LGBT was so popular that they made a sequel with 200% the gay

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[-] StarkDay@lemm.ee 30 points 1 year ago

It stands for "two spirit," which is an Indigenous term for a gender identity similar to being transgender. Canada has been making a more concerted effort to acknowledge and respect Indigenous views and traditions, so it's added to the LGBT+ acronym in Canada

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[-] vlad76@lemmy.sdf.org 28 points 1 year ago

It's LGBT Q2. It's the second quarter for the LGBT corporation.

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[-] jerome@kbin.social 34 points 1 year ago

Wow.. that #2 seems to have taken this article hostage.

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[-] DontTreadOnBigfoot@lemmy.world 25 points 1 year ago

Oh Jesus, there are numbers now?

Fuck it, I give up.

[-] devious@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago

Ah yes, the sequel LGBTQ2: Electric Boogaloo

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[-] zepheriths@lemmy.world 23 points 1 year ago

Damn. New version already?

[-] altima_neo@lemmy.zip 23 points 1 year ago

There's a part 2 now? How much better is it? Or is the original always the best?

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[-] oldbaldgrumpy@lemmy.world 22 points 1 year ago

OK, I can't keep up, what's the 2 mean? LOL

[-] Electricorchestra@lemmy.ml 24 points 1 year ago

It means two-spirited and it's part of an Indigenous concept of gender and worldview.

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[-] Sekoia@lemmy.blahaj.zone 12 points 1 year ago

It's more relevant for NA, it's an indigenous thing iirc.

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[-] pastermil@sh.itjust.works 21 points 1 year ago
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[-] MossyFeathers@pawb.social 14 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

“Not all countries have the same values and legal system that we have in Canada. As a result, it is important for you to be informed about the legal framework and social customs governing sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics in your destination country,” that page notes.

Wow, way to understate that. I suppose they have to downplay it though because if they were honest about the state of the US then they'd have to acknowledge that large swaths of the US can no longer be considered even remotely safe for members of the LGBT community. As such, they would have to consider the possibility that of members of the LGBT community might seek asylum in Canada and if so, that they could no longer turn them away on the basis that the US is a safe harbor (iirc many countries ban US citizens from seeking asylum because the US is supposed to be a "safe country").

Edit: Canada likes to claim that LGBT people from the US and UK can achieve refugee status, however the US-Canada Safe Third Country agreement says otherwise. Note that while there are exceptions to the agreement, none of them involve people who are members of the LGBT and/or BIPOC communities. In fact, it sounds like, based on the canada.ca link, that Canada recently expanded it to make it harder for people to claim refugee status if they're coming from the US, which is kinda the opposite of what they should be doing.

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[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago

I can't say I blame them.

[-] Smacks@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago

I hope the new v2 update doesn't come with a battlepass.

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this post was submitted on 29 Aug 2023
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