At the end of the twentieth century, in a number of European countries, the term "queer", applied to people of non-traditional sexual orientation, came into use. In the past, jargon and a general definition of all "abnormal" relationships, it is now used in various fields. The use of the term is controversial.
Queer - what is it?
Queer is a word from English jargon (queer), which in the past was used for the rough designation of homosexuals, and subsequently became fashionable in the US and European countries as a definition of everything that is different from the heteronormative norm of behavior. In Russia, the term has penetrated into philosophy and sociology and its meaning is vague, vague:
- In a narrow sense, these are people who exist outside the accepted framework, practicing non-traditional relations (BDSM, swing, etc.) or LGBT adherents.
- In a broad - term, you can identify any person whose behavior and self-determination is not comparable with the generally accepted canons. Queer identity is applicable to any person different from others (blind, autistic, etc.)
What is queer culture?
People, united by their "otherness", rank themselves as one group and encourage others to accept their choice. Quir-culture deals with quir-community issues - a relatively young movement. Only in 1986 in Italy began the work of the organization in its support. Today, the culture of "queer" focuses on three key concepts:
- sexual identity;
- gender identity ;
- norms and ways out of them.
The ideology of "dissimilarity" is a fashionable trend, and Russia does not lag behind the whole world. Every year in St. Petersburg is an international festival "KvirFest", designed to protect the rights of disadvantaged minorities and to develop tolerance in society. In the fight against homophobia and other forms of intransigence, he chooses the language of art.
Queer theory
A lot of teachings tell about the nature of gender and one of them is quir-theory. It was formed in the 20th century on the basis of the works of Michel Foucault and argues that sexual orientation is imposed on the individual to a lesser degree by the biological sex and, more importantly, by upbringing. The theory received great academic recognition. Its peculiarity is that it completely rejects identity. Recognizing the queer, people reject what fits into the legalized stencil. As in any ideology, activists and radical groups emerge here. In modern society it is fashionable to talk about dissimilarity.
Queer and Feminism
Sometimes the ideology of "otherness" tries to interact with other theories and analytical practices. So in the 80-90s of the twentieth century, two seemingly opposing concepts were combined and created a new definition - quirrelism. The struggle for women's rights and the attempt to equate them with men's can be countered with the ideology of dissimilarity. Queer is an orientation that goes beyond the accepted behavior, and under such an ideology people are not equal. But the two concepts have something in common:
- Both queer and feminism reject discrimination.
- They move away from social stereotypes and labels.
Queer Relationships
The chosen queer orientation allows a person to determine his path in love (and not only) and to join one or several existing groups that practice non-traditional relationships. These can be communities that are united by features of human behavior or sexual context: gays, lesbians, bisexuals, asexuals, swingers , etc. At the same time, sexual or queer platonic relationships are practiced among people from different communities. No one imposes his point of view on others.
For self-realization, queer is an ideal term. Conservative people find it difficult to imagine what to expect from the future, where everyone is free to do what he wants, to be what he wishes. But an advanced society actively promotes the rejection of gender stereotypes. If we develop the theory in the right way and do not hide marginality behind the fashionable word, the future lies behind "otherness" and non-identity.