ABSTRACT
The origin of word “queer” is traced to the sixteenth century ad in Germanic languages as describing the unusual, the non-normative – the lone yellow narcissus in a field of white. Natural law, in contrast to God’s law, is out of kilter in cases of queer or unusual, non-normative behavior or gender expression. In addition to fag, fairy, and the like, “queer” was also used to label men who had sex with other men. Queer as a sexuality and gender-based label remained in vogue to describe homosexual and gender nonconforming men, used both within and outside the homosexual community, until post-World War II. Critiques of queer theory also extend to scholars overtly intellectualized and increasingly inaccessible reflections on queer, as a process as well as means to understand sexuality, gender, and politics. These critiques call for an expansive lens involving research and study of everyday practices and understandings when attempting to grasp the relevance of queer beyond the academy.
