Appropriating gay culture

Cultural appropriation of any kind is about power dynamics. The policing of culture and words in our society isn't limited to queer communities, of course. Here's an example: To score "cool points," people who aren't Black often use words like "bae," which derives from African-American Vernacular English (AAVE). This is a clear appropriation of language and iconography that is emblematic of the centuries-old ‘ball culture’ established by many poor, black and brown, queer individuals in New York City.

However, other problematic adaptations of queer culture are more pernicious such as the gay culture series and eventual franchising of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Cultural appropriation appropriates gay culture when a dominant group takes elements from a marginalized group's culture without permission or understanding the significance of those elements to the marginalized group. Can straight people call themselves queer without being appropriative?

Here, experts break down what constitutes queer cultural appropriation. These women of privilege are trying on an oppressed culture to look edgy or sexy and conveniently taking it off when it’s out of style. But is it cultural appropriation when the culture is. Our editors handpick the products that we feature. This is why the appropriation of terms like "shade" is so tricky. Oh hi! Did you know that pro-life Americans are being targeted and appropriated gay for standing up for the preborn?

Magazine Workshops About Us. While marginalized people are punished for using theirs, nothing happens when the majority adopts similar terminology to act "cool. The documentary follows a group of predominantly Black and Latinx people who perform and compete at balls across Harlem, where a gritty, glittery '80s and '90s nightlife scene appropriated marginalized appropriate gay culture folk and notably, at-risk transgender women.

No time to clean? Reminder: the art of voguing carries a tremendous amount of weight to those who come from the ball scene, which was a safe space for a group of people who experienced discrimination daily. But it would almost be a waste of time and energy for the church to try to explain itself. And recently, using Spanglish in public has lead to culture encounters provoked by people who believe that Latinos should assimilate into white society and exclusively speak English.

Do your research. Sign up for a free six-month trial of The Stand Magazine! So how do you know where to draw the line? Select your format below. Related Articles. Please Note: We moderate all reader comments, usually within 24 hours of posting longer on weekends. Being educated about and recognizing the origin of something doesn't give you free pass to use a term all you want.

But this does not give us a free pass to steal whatever from whoever. We may earn commission from the links on this page.

Can Straight People Call Themselves Queer Without Being Appropriative? It’s Complicated

Gays have experienced their own horrific injustices, certainly. Take Action. Again, appropriation is only applicable when those in power take from the culture of the oppressed—not the other way around. Some may see the popularity of "shade" and similar lingo with origins in queer culture as a good thing—after all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, as the saying goes.

Years later, I look back on that choice with regret and embarrassment. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below. But if a queer person uses queer language in public, it could prompt discrimination—and even violence.