The Nineties in America - Salem Press (2009)

of the time framed themselves, these activists came
together to form Queer Nation. In the tradition of
reclamation, they chose to refer to themselves as
“queer,” a word that had been used pejoratively to la-
bel homosexuals, and by doing so empowered them-
selves as individuals who were proud to reside out-
side the heteronormative structure. The act of using
such a powerful term that had negative connota-
tions to so many people was only the first of many “in-
your-face” political actions of the organization.
The New York chapter of Queer Nation, as well as
those in major cities around the country, began to
actively engage the mainstream culture through rad-
ical rhetoric and action, hosting sit-ins against com-
panies who openly discriminated against gays and
lesbians, organizing kiss-ins in traditionally hetero-
sexual spaces, and protesting activities that catered
to heterosexual audiences. Unlike the organizations
that had come before it, Queer Nation was loud and
abrupt, coining the popular slogan “We’re here,
we’re queer, get used to it.”
By the organization’s first anniversary, chapters
had been established in many major cities around
the United States, including Albuquerque, Atlanta,
Houston, and San Francisco. However, by that time,
the organization was already beginning to experi-
ence an identity crisis. Founding members quickly
found themselves burned out with such direct activ-

ism. It was at this time that members of the group be-

gan trying to make Queer Nation a platform for

their own particular causes. The combination of

these factors saw some of the chapters begin to dis-

solve in early 1991, while others lasted well into the

mid-1990’s. Queer Nation as a whole has never offi-

cially disbanded, though no active chapters are cur-

rently in existence.

Impact Queer Nation moved facets of the gay and

lesbian movement into a new territory—that of ag-

gressive disobedience. The organization will be best

remembered for reclaiming the word “queer” and

for resisting assimilation in favor of celebrated diver-

sity.

Further Reading

Baker, James N., et al. “What Is Queer Nation?”News-

week, August 12, 1991, 24-25.

Slagle, R. Anthony. “In Defense of Queer Nation:

From Identity Politics to a Politics of Differ-

ence.”Western Journal of Communications59, no. 2

(Spring, 1995): 85-102.

Needham Yancey Gulley

See also AIDS epidemic; Domestic partnerships;

Don’t ask, don’t tell; Hate crimes; Homosexuality

and gay rights; Transgender community.

The Nineties in America Queer Nation
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