Queer
Queer is a collective term for people whose gender identity and/or sexual orientation (who they desire or how they love) does not conform to the heteronormative norm. Queer is also used to refer to movements and things associated with queer people, such as the queer scene, queer studies or queer film festivals.
The term comes from the English language and initially refers to things or people who deviate from the norm, usually in a negative sense. It can be translated as “strange”, “peculiar” or “odd”. It was used to speak pejoratively about homosexuals in particular, but also other people whose gender identity and/or sexual orientation did not conform to the heteronormative norm. In the course of the AIDS movement, however, the queer community succeeded in reclaiming the term so that queer is now a positive term for many people and they are happy to call themselves queer. As a collective term, the word is very open and offers many people a means of identification.
However, as with all self-designations, not all people whose gender identity and/or sexual orientation does not conform to the heteronormative norm want to identify with the term. Some find other terms such as gay, lesbian or trans better for themselves. They are concerned about losing visibility in the large queer community. Some also don't like the political context in which queer is used. In addition, the word queer is still used both as a slur and as a self-designation.
Quelle: Diversity Arts Culture