GenderQueer

GenderQueer term that started to come into use approximately 5-7 years. It has been seen as in use primarily with youth communities and those who are white and where born female and are now along the masculine spectrum, but there are many folks along the age spectrum that use it to describe themselves and those who where born male and are along the feminine spectrum. As also been written as Gender Queer or Genderqueer.

Current working definition:

GenderQueer: those who identify their gender outside the gender binary system of male and female, maybe fluid with gender presentation or not conform to gender norms and may use gender neutral pronouns such as "sie, hir, hir, hirs, hirself" or "zie, zir, zir, zirs, zirself" or choose to use the pronoun closest to the end of the masculine or feminine spectrum they are presenting. Some may do some or all of medical transition or none at all. Some may change their birth name.

Other terms that gender non-conforming or those who have gender identities outside the binary gender system are boy dyke, dyke boy, boi, and by some youth in communities of color are femme queens, butch boi, or drags.

Building the GenderQueer Timeline

When did you first hear the word Gender Queer?

What is your definition of Gender Queer?

Do you use it as one word "genderqueer" or two "gender queer" and why?

From my survey:

"I think I personally first heard of the word genderqueer in 2001...my definition of the word is a mindset that sees gender as a spectrum...you can be anywhere within and not just boy or girl man or woman. And yes, I use it as one word. I think I do so because I see genderqueer as being one whole mindset, one whole concept, and for some one whole identity, thus one word."

"i first heard the term genderqueer... probably about 2 years ago... maybe. genderqueer by my definition is one who rejects the binary gender roles set up by this society. my personal favorite word is gender fucker. i use genderqueer as one word because i think it gives the term more validity and it flows well :)"

"I only heard the term rather recently, but once I heard it, it stuck. Mostly because I can't seem to find many ways to describe myself and genderqueer fit better than anything else. I think genderqueer is what you get when you refuse to limit yourself to the culturally-defined stereotypes of gender. I like it because it doesn't seem like using the term is appropriating anyone else's struggle, but it's more obviously boundary-breaking than bi-butch-femme-fag-dyke-drag queen (and also easier to say in one breath)--also, I have a problem with "bi" because I don't believe there are only two genders, and I usually am attracted to people who wouldn't be able to be neatly placed and labeled. I like it as one word."

"I can't remember exactly when I first heard the term, probably in 1999, I know that i facilitated a workshop/caucus at the Creating Change conf. in 2000 for genderqueer ID'ed folks. So I've been using the term for at least that long

As someone who ID's as both gender queer and FTM, I use the term because I don't believe in the binary gender system, and therefore don't feel like I transitioned from one and of the gender binary to another, but instead have a queer gender identity."

 

Non-Fiction and Fiction Books:

Pinned Down By Pronouns, edited by Toni Amato and Mary Davies, Conviction Books, 2003- *Essays, conversations, poems, about gender, race, class, transgender, gender queer.

GenderQueer, edited by Joan Nestle, Ricki Wilchins, Clare Howell

*The theory in this book is not necessarily how the gender queer community would identify with, but the personal stories are very good.

Pomosexuals: Challenging Assumptions About Gender and Sexuality

by Carol Queen (Editor), Lawrence Schimel (Editor) (Paperback - September 1997)

My Gender Workbook: How to Become a Real Man, a Real Woman, the Real You, or Something Else Entirely

by Kate Bornstein

Boys Like Her: Transfictions

by Taste This, et al (Paperback - December 1998)

One Man's Trash : Stories

by Ivan E. Coyote (Author) (Paperback)

Close To Spider Man

by Ivan E. Coyote (Paperback)

By Gunner Scott

ButchDykeBoy.com (December 2003)