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Queer communication is the study of communication of and about topics within the queer, or LGBTQ+, community. Queer Communication has been developing since the 1970s. One topic commonly discussed is gayspeak, or dialogue between those who identify within the LGBTQ+ community. Queer communication is developed from Queer Theory. Queer Theory was developed in the 1990s by Lauren Berlant, Leo Bersani, Judith Butler, Lee Edelman, Jack Halberstam, and Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick. Queer communication occurs in many forms including media and interpersonal communication. In order to understand the concept of queer communication, it is important to understand the vocabulary within the LGBTQ+ community as well as the history of queer communication itself.

Vocabulary
There are many terms used within the LGBTQ+ community to enhance queer communication.

Ally
An ally is someone who does not identify within the LGBTQ+ community but supports and often promotes equality for the community.

Gender expression
The presentation of one's gender. This is done through external factors such as clothing, behavior, haircut, etc. Typically, gender expression is measured as a scale of masculine versus feminine and can be different than the sex assigned at birth.

Androgynous is a term used to describe someone or something that does not present within the binaries of masculine or feminine. Someone who identifies as gender non-conforming is someone does not identify or present within a certain gender category.

Gender identity
The concept of who they are and who they choose to identify as. This can be different than the sex assigned at birth.

Someone who identifies as gender-fluid is not considered to identify within one gender and that identity is fluid, or can change over time. Someone who identifies as genderqueer may identify as both male or female or neither male or female. Someone who's gender identity is the same as their sex that was assigned at birth are cisgender. When the sex assigned at birth does not align with the gender identity someone holds someone may identify as transgender.

Sexual orientation
Refers to the attraction someone has for other people.

Someone who identifies as asexual has limited to no attraction to other people. Someone who identifies as bisexual is attracted to both their own gender and other genders. Gay describes people, most commonly men, who are attracted to their own gender. Lesbian describes women who are attracted to their own gender. Pansexual describes people who are attracted to people of any gender. Queer is an umbrella term used to describe people whose sexual orientation is considered fluid and/or outside of heterosexuality.

History
Homosexuality and same-sex relationships date back to ancient times occurring in civilizations such as ancient Egypt and Rome. Up until 1961, homosexuality was considered a crime. In 1961, Illinois decriminalized homosexuality, followed by Connecticut in 1969. A majority of states followed Illinois and Connecticut in the 1970s and 1980s. Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Southern California, Texas, Utah, and Virginia were the last to decriminalize homosexuality in 2003. Since the late 1970s, there have been many communication scholars dedicated to the study of Queer Communication. There are queer communication interest groups within three of the communication associations including the National Communication Association, the International Communication Association, and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, while the International Association for Media and Communication Research and the European Communication Research and Education Association have brief queer communication sections within their gender and communication fields.

LGBT History Month and Pride
LGBT history month began in October of 1994, with National Coming Out Day being on October 11. One of the most common ways to celebrate LGBT History Month and LGBTQ+ identities in general is a Pride parade. Pride parades are any sort of march, event, or festival celebrating the LGBTQ+ identities. Pride Parades are an important way to communicate togetherness and acceptance within the LGBTQ+ community.

The Secret Setting
In a secret setting, the use of gayspeak may be very limited or even nonexistent in order to conceal one's identity. The limited use of gayspeak allows someone to provide hints towards their sexuality without making it obvious. For example, someone's partner may be referred to as just a friend, and their gay friends may be referred to as "members of our book club," or "members of our faith." There is also an avoidance of making a gender reference. For example, one may say "I went to the movies with my friend last night." Ultimately, in the secret setting, gayspeak is developed in order to cover up one's sexual orientation. There are many specialized phrases and words used to maintain secrecy.

The Social Setting
In the social setting, the use of gayspeak often employs a lot of cynical humor. There is a tendency of categorization within gayspeak in the social setting, so that every sexual orientation and sexual identity is recognized. People are categorized by many aspects of their identity from height, weight, and race, to sexual preference, intimacy of relationships, rank within the subculture, and eccentricities within the norms of the subculture. Also within the social setting, gayspeak develops many synonyms for both sexual acts and sex organs.

The Radical-Activist Setting
In the radical-activist setting, it is similar to the secret setting in which there is little to no use of jargon. In this setting, gayspeak is avoided in order to separate themselves from the alienation and discrimination that gay people face.

Coming out
Coming out is a process in which someone who is apart of the LGBTQ+ community announces or tells a group of people or an individual about their identity. It is considered a life-long process. There are many ways that for people to come out and many different platforms to do so including face-to-face or over social media.

Romantic Relationships
Dating within the LGBTQ+ community is an important factor when developing their identity. Like heterosexual relationships, those in same-sex relationships often seek out qualities similar to their own. For gay men, they tend to seek more masculine partners, while lesbians seek out both masculine and feminine partners on average.

Same-sex relationships do not have a traditional script, as they do not meet the traditional male-female gender roles. Gay men tend to have a more sexually-oriented dating experience, while lesbians tend to have more emotion-oriented experience.

There are many challenges people within the LGBTQ+ community face when forming romantic relationships. These relationships often take longer to form and may be strained due to the effects of oppression and discrimination of those in the LGBTQ+ community. While there is often difficulty finding partners, but most relationships form through meeting in settings such as bars, work, through mutual friends, and other various social events.

Social Media
Social media is commonly used by members of the LGBTQ+ community, especially amongst LGBTQ+ youth. There is often a lack of support for LGBTQ+ youth to explore their identity and sexual orientation, so many turn to social media to find that support. Social media is often used to find support groups, romantic partners, friendships, and information regarding health and wellness. Members of the LGBTQ+ community are often more likely to disclose personal information in online communication versus face-to-face communication.

Pop culture
There are many instances of the LGBTQ+ community being featured in pop culture. There have been LGBTQ+ relationships depicted in books, movies, and television show for decades. A few examples of this include television shows Grey's Anatomy, Glee (TV series), The Fosters (2013 TV series), and movies Love, Simon and Rent (film). Many times, the LGBTQ+ relationships or coming out stories depicted in pop culture are inaccurate and over exaggerated.