The word queer has been stirring up a lot of discussion lately. Is it a bad word? Is it too drenched in hate to be reclaimed in a positive light? There seems to be a divide in the LGBT community on this.

The Oxford Dictionary defines the word queer as: 1.strange;odd 2.informal; derogatory (of a man) homosexual. Clearly the word still has negative connotations and no doubt it has been used as a weapon to bully and shame the community. But it has also been used in positive circles. Especially by youth. Is it because as youth we did not suffer the same attack at the hands of this word as those who fought for our rights in the Stonewall Riots and Bathhouse Raids?

Even the media has been criticized for using this word to describe the community- Queer Nation: Is this offensive to you? But with hit sitcoms like Queer as Folk and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, who can point fingers if the word has now been accepted in some society spaces?

So the question still remains.. Is queer a bad word? What do you think?