mogais keep inventing bullshit homophobic and/or just plain fucking useless terms like “queerphobia” and “homonormativity” when the only similar term i can think of that might actually be useful would be some fuckshit like “queernormativity” since yall love to call every lgbt person “queer” without our consent
Ordinarily, I wouldn’t bother reblogging a post like this, especially not to this blog. But this post is a perfect example of a major problem that exists on Tumblr. In short, history is being ignored, erased, and rewritten with every new discourse flavor of the week.
The term homonormativity has existed since the 90s. It’s creation is credited to the trans community. In specific, the term is credited to Susan Stryker: a transgender woman and professor of Women’s, Gender, and LGBT Studies.
This is a screengrab from The Sage Encyclopedia of LGBTQ Studies. But a simple search will show that Stryker has written much on homonormativity and trans history.
The history of the usage of queerphobia has been less easy to track down, but a few pages suggest that its been in use since the 90s as well.
Given the push for the reclaimation of queer during the 90s and the growth of queer theory around the same time, that would be entirely logical. In addition, searches on Google books for “queer-phobic” and “queerphobia” turn up related hits dating back to the late 90s.
But I’m short on time right now. I do intend to keep looking for additional sources on this. And if anyone has any I would be grateful to you for sending them my way.
However, my point is this: even if the term queerphobia had originated on Tumblr, and it did not, it has since spread beyond into wider community and academic usage. Queerphobia has been mentioned in everything from blog posts to academic journals since the mid 2000s at least.
If the existence of the term queerphobia did not benefit or add to discussions of queer oppression, would we use it? Obviously the term has a place and a usage.
I find it interesting and telling that an exclusionist would go out of their way to lie about the origins of terms like homonormativity, so much so as to deny credit to the trans woman who coined it.
And I believe I know why: Homonormativity is a term that helps us to discuss assimilation and respectability politics within the LGBTQ+ communities. Exclusionary discourse on this website has been pro-assimilation since day one.
In any case, the tl:dr is this:
1) Be very careful what you accept as true, because lies intended to push a specific narrative are posted on this website everyday.
2) Learn queer history. When we know our pasts, it will be that much more difficult for people with less than honorable intentions to manipulate us.
3) Just because you’ve never heard something before doesn’t mean it is a new word or concept. *especially* if it sounds like academic or activist jargon it has likely been in use for awhile and you should look it up before brushing it off. (I mean, and the wider: don’t brush things off just because they are new to you thing…)
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