Ah, I can see that, if queer is seen as a word specific to sex or sexuality. Although my understanding of the word 'queer' is that it's used a bit more broadly, as in genderqueer. What does it actually mean in 'queerplatonic' - does the 'queer' bit mean that it differs from the norm of platonic? Although, thinking about it, the original meaning of 'platonic', taken from Plato, might be more descriptive of what is here being called 'queerplatonic'. If I remember rightly, Plato's ideal was a really intense relationship, between two men, that simply focused on discussing ideas and art and intellectual things rather than being sexual. I'm sure I remember that from reading The Republic - and the introductory notes also talked about how today's use of the word 'platonic' is quite different from how Plato used it!
I guess maybe the main controversy is because people define words differently? So people don't like queer being used in a way that seems to undermine their understanding of it and therefore their identity based on it? For instance, I've seen 'asexual' used to mean when a transgender person goes through a stage of not being sure of their sexuality, and to me that seems like a wrong usage of the word, and undermining asexuality as an actual positive identity.
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Date: 2011-08-26 12:12 pm (UTC)I guess maybe the main controversy is because people define words differently? So people don't like queer being used in a way that seems to undermine their understanding of it and therefore their identity based on it? For instance, I've seen 'asexual' used to mean when a transgender person goes through a stage of not being sure of their sexuality, and to me that seems like a wrong usage of the word, and undermining asexuality as an actual positive identity.