Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
WCDT Strips 4331-4335 (18-22, August 2020)
eschaton:
Going back to my original point about "queer relationships" - I understand the argument that relationships can't be queer or straight. However, we talk about queer politics, queer art, queer music, queer fashion, queer culture., etc. Does queerness inhabit everything queer people do, except for interpersonal relationships if the other person happens to be cis and of the (perceived) opposite gender?
If you're going at it with the presumption (which is what the comic suggests) that Claire "passes" I do agree on a day-to-day basis Martin's lived experience is pretty conventional. However, if Claire did not pass he would deal with transphobia and (wrongly assigned) homophobia as part of his everyday life. Sort of like how if you're white and date a black person (as I have in the past) you become much more aware of casual racism that you would otherwise have been blind to. It wouldn't make Martin himself queer of course, but it would make the "personal political" for him.
sitnspin:
Does a person need to be "visible" in order to be queer?
That being said, whether a relationship (or an individual) is considered queer is really up to them.
eschaton:
--- Quote from: sitnspin on 21 Aug 2020, 08:58 ---That being said, whether a relationship (or an individual) is considered is really up to them.
--- End quote ---
I thought about saying this, but I was afraid of getting people upset.
I mean, if people can self-identify their gender whatever they wish, they can also self-identify their sexuality however they wish. So if someone who is in a relationship with a transwoman wants to call themselves queer, that's kinda up to them.
oddtail:
--- Quote from: eschaton on 21 Aug 2020, 08:33 ---Going back to my original point about "queer relationships" - I understand the argument that relationships can't be queer or straight. However, we talk about queer politics, queer art, queer music, queer fashion, queer culture., etc. Does queerness inhabit everything queer people do, except for interpersonal relationships if the other person happens to be cis and of the (perceived) opposite gender?
--- End quote ---
That is a good point, I didn't think of that.
On the other hand, queer fashion, music or culture are, well, cultural things. They're broader categories, and I don't know if any piece of music composed by a queer person is queer music. And if it is, it's different than queerness of music that forms, and is explicitly and implicitly informed by, queer culture. I think?
--- Quote ---If you're going at it with the presumption (which is what the comic suggests) that Claire "passes" I do agree on a day-to-day basis Martin's lived experience is pretty conventional. However, if Claire did not pass he would deal with transphobia and (wrongly assigned) homophobia as part of his everyday life. Sort of like how if you're white and date a black person (as I have in the past) you become much more aware of casual racism that you would otherwise have been blind to. It wouldn't make Martin himself queer of course, but it would make the "personal political" for him.
--- End quote ---
I'm uncomfortable with this line of reasoning because it (kind of) feeds into a notion that implicitly equates oppression with queerness. Queer identities derive a sense of solidarity from a shared oppression, but I'd argue they've grown beyond that base? I think? So I don't know how I feel about determining queerness on the basis of outside world's reactions to the relationship. I'm not saying it's not a factor, but... I dunno.
sitnspin:
My queer identity is not defined by how the outside world perceives me. It is who I am. I would still be queer even if no one could tell. Much of queer culture, like any culture, is about shared experience and perspectives, which are of course partially shaped by the oppression and othering we get from non-queer culture, but there is much more to it than that. There are a lot of experiences that are unique to us that growing up and living cishet people just don't go through. But we are a diverse lot, with a lot of different cultures tucked within, and like everyone else, a lot of individual unique experiences as well.
Again, queer is a self ascribed label and shouldn't be thrust upon anyone from the outside.
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