In most cases, the term queer is used to reference someone who is part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) community. Depending upon who uses the word (and how), the term queer can be seen as an insult or as completely the opposite--a unifying label. The term can also mean something or someone who is strange or weird. For example, "That movie was a bit queer." However, this usage is mainly used by older generations (i.e. your grandparents).

So, where did this word come from? Well, its origins can be traced back to the 16th century. The term queer has always meant strange, suspicious or unusual. But it wasn't until the late 1800s that the term began to mean someone who was not heterosexual (in particular, homosexual men).

One of the earliest records of queer under this usage can be seen in a letter to Lord Alfred Douglas from his father John Sholto Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry, during the 1890s. At the time, Queensberry thought his son might be having an affair with the famous playwright Oscar Wilde, and accused Wilde of being a "sodomite."

From the 20th century on, the term has mainly been used as a derogatory remark. For example, someone might say, "He looks like such a queer." Since the word connoted homosexuality or sexual deviance, it was an obvious insult; and one that relied (and still relies) heavily on our homophobic culture.