The Two Kinds of Queer

There are two kinds of queerness that prevail in our society. One says we need to be respectful and kind and people will accept us. It claims that our oppression can be resolved by simply being nice and showing people we are human. It says that we participate in our own oppression when we fight back. It says to remain peaceful and to not "prove them right" when they think we're violent.

This kind of queerness can also be called utter bullshit. Queers who perpetuate this queerness are collaborating with our oppressors. They blame us for our own oppression rather than directing their ire to those who oppress us. They say we need to be kinder, more empathetic to those who choose to abuse us.

The other kind of queerness is radical. It sees our oppression and stands against it at every turn. It spits in the face of those who wish for our destruction. It persists despite the whims of cisheteronormativity. It sees how other people see us and says, "We're here. We're queer. Get used to it."

This kind of queerness is the foundation of our liberation. When we are unapologetically queer and don't permit anyone to deny us that, we allow ourselves to define ourselves in terms of our own needs and desires and not according to the whims of "normal" society. We experience a freedom and a joy unknown by cishet society.

Be here, be queer. Make them get used to it.