Why do we refer to homo***ual men & women as "queer"?

[The Bedlington Terrier]

I know it's not footy related except in this instance the Saudis who own NUFC might be involved.

I read the article and the word "queer" was used. I thought "really" in this day of LBGT Rainbow Warriors.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...1567236de4513f

[ClaretinBudapest]

No need for language like queer BT.Looks like the Ausie`s are lacking behind the USA/UK on curbing homophobic language.It is exactly what we used to call them at Barden Secondary and Burnley Grammar School.In fact we used to call gay people queers up until I left the UK in 1991.
There were many other alternative names like brown hatter, back door man or turd burglar but I dont think you would get away with them now.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

The Australians still abuse their indigenous ancestors CiB, I gave up on that lot years ago.

[Swissclaret]

How it has all changed over the years. At my uni, there was a society for homo***uals. They called it “bugger soc”. I can’t see that passing muster these days.

[sinkov]

No need for language like queer BT.Looks like the Ausie`s are lacking behind the USA/UK on curbing homophobic language.It is exactly what we used to call them at Barden Secondary and Burnley Grammar School.In fact we used to call gay people queers up until I left the UK in 1991.
There were many other alternative names like brown hatter, back door man or turd burglar but I dont think you would get away with them now.

Uphill gardener was the one that always made me smile.

[Swissclaret]

No need for language like queer BT.Looks like the Ausie`s are lacking behind the USA/UK on curbing homophobic language.It is exactly what we used to call them at Barden Secondary and Burnley Grammar School.In fact we used to call gay people queers up until I left the UK in 1991.
There were many other alternative names like brown hatter, back door man or turd burglar but I dont think you would get away with them now.

Lots of great phrases at the time. Shirt lifter was another. Happy naive days when people could be offended without the law being changed.

[sinkov]

For some reason this little ditty, which references Oscar Wilde, who batted for both sides, has stuck in my memory.

The boy stood on the burning deck,
his arsehole to the mast,
he dare not move an inch,
until Oscar the bum boy had gone past,
But Oscar was a wily bird,
he tossed him down a fritter,
and when he bent to pick it up,
he rammed it up his sh****r.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

That's very naughty sinkov...

[ClaretinBudapest]

Harmless fun really now you can only think what you would then say out loud-not to their faces of course.

[sinkov]

I know it's not footy related except in this instance the Saudis who own NUFC might be involved.

I read the article and the word "queer" was used. I thought "really" in this day of LBGT Rainbow Warriors.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world...1567236de4513f

It is indeed very unusual to see queer used these days as in that article, I would think there'd be a s-h-i-t-storm, if you'll excuse the pun, should a journo in England use it to describe gays in that way.

On the origins of the word queer to describe homos-e-xuals, I always thought it was used because the meaning of the word queer was 'strange, unusual, abnormal,' which is how gay folks were thought of back then. Of course we live in more enlightened times now.

I wonder if 'queer' is being reclaimed by the gay community to describe themselves, in the same way that the N word is sometimes used amongst themselves by members of the black community ?