Editing Queer studies (section)

==Background==
Queer refers to the implicit identity of gender and sex and how it is integrated into individuals' lives. It can function as an adjective, verb, or noun. In academia, queer has become a mode of analysis recognizing the intersectionality of sex, gender, and sexuality intersecting with aspects of human identity such as class, race, age, and ethnicity.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1076634823 |title=Queer methods and methodologies : intersecting queer theories and social science research |date=2016 |others=Kath Browne, Catherine J. Nash |isbn=978-0-7546-7843-4 |location=London |oclc=1076634823}}</ref> Once considered a slur, queer now encompasses inclusivity in the 21st century. Some people find that the term "queer studies" is more defining of universal experiences compared to "LGBTQ+ Studies."<ref name=Erb>{{Cite web |last=Erb |first=Michael |date=3 May 2018 |title=Queer: The Creation of Power Structures within Deviancy |url=https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstream/handle/10919/83421/Erb_MS_T_2018.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y }}</ref>

Many topics within queer studies focus on the open possibilities beyond heteronormativity; detailing texts, cultural artifacts produced by queer individuals, as well as expanding beyond into how queer interacts with daily life.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Hall |first1=Donald E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o0CRAgAAQBAJ&dq=%22queer+studies%22&pg=PR1 |title=The Routledge Queer Studies Reader |last2=Jagose |first2=Annamarie |date=2012-06-04 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-135-71944-9 |language=en}}</ref>

Though a new discipline, a growing number of colleges have begun offering academic programs on the expansive topics of queer. This has been a trend in higher education since the early 90's.

=== Queer as a reclaimed slur ===
The term [[Queer]] itself has become the topic of controversy over the reclaiming of a word which has been used against LGBTQ+ individuals for the last century. There is an ongoing debate within the community itself between the use of LGBTQ+ studies or queer studies. LGBTQ+ provides a more categorical description of its subjects. In contrast, queer has a history of going from being a common descriptor for someone who exhibited any emotion from happy to drunk in the 19th century to being used as a slur against same-sex individuals in the 20th century. The term did not have an implicit sexual definition until the early 20th century,<ref name=Erb /> and reclamation of the slur started during the late 80's and 90's. This was a response to the overall LGBTQ+ movement, with influence from the AIDs crisis of the time. Some people believe that "queer" expands the definition without categorical labels, while others reject the term due to its harmful history.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Is The Word "Queer" Offensive? Here's A Look At Its History In The LGBTQA+ Community |url=https://www.bustle.com/articles/139727-is-the-word-queer-offensive-heres-a-look-at-its-history-in-the-lgbtqa-community |access-date=2022-10-31 |website=Bustle |date=4 February 2016 |language=en}}</ref>