Queer Liberation Theory Infographic

Full text

Anti-Assimilationism
Solidarity
Across
Movements
Political
Economy
Access
and Diversity
Considerations
Decolonizing
Community
and Activism
Crediting and Centring Marginalized
Voices, Concepts, and History
Practical Applications and Creating
a Platform for Future Generations
Solidarity Across Movements
Political Economy
Anti-Assimilationism
Challenging the assumption that there are
“good queers” (that mimic cis-
heteronormative relationships) and “bad
queers” (reflecting a distinct queer culture).
QLT resists corporate “pink washing” and
“rainbow capitalism” that transforms
queerness into a socially approved market
that camouflages the need for change.
Beyond Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity
and Expression, QLT also focuses on
addressing longstanding structural
inequity. Moving past assimilationism and
identity formation, QLT aims to develop a
“Queer political economy” that recognizes
class discrimination as a fundamental
economic structure resulting in oppression
and the perpetuation of under-valuing
hidden/invisible unpaid labour.
The history of the Queer Liberation
Movement includes collaboration across
social movements (such as women’s
liberation, labour rights, and Black Power
movements). QLT seeks to reconnect with
the coalition approach to challenging
structural oppressions.
Access and Diversity Considerations
Decolonizing Community and Activism
Practical Applications and Creating a Platform for Future Generations
Crediting and Centring Marginalized Voices, Concepts, and History
There is an under-representation of data on women, trans and non-binary identities,
sex works, and racialized perspectives. Next steps for QLT will include a greater focus on
a deeper and more explicit understanding of marginalized voices, including a cross-
cultural analysis integrating diverse perspectives and centring non-white perspectives.
QLT highlights the need to develop an access point for a pipeline of activists,
including those who are unable to donate their time due to the constraints of
capitalism. This access point must include actionable approaches to activism and act
and an avenue to imaging new structures for a society that supports human needs,
social inclusion, and environmental harmony. Within a liberationist framework, QLT
is anti-carceral and abolitionist, envisioning a society free from police brutality and
other forms of oppression and violence. QLT remains a work in progress, and future
discussions will focus on collaboratively developing specific actions and a platform.
Accessibility must consider intersectionality, diversity, class, language and culture,
intergenerational community, and safety — which must extend into an effort to
diversify leadership. QLT calls us to find solidarity through supporting our differences
and advocating for each other, together. Steps must also be taken to address how
capitalism and funding limits accessible engagement in social movements.
Theory and activism both must be an embodied experience, and not through
a colonial approach that emphasized symbolic and intangible meaning. For
this to happen, prioritizing diverse representation is necessary to understand
and encompass varied lived experiences and social issues. QLT emphasizes a
“Radical Remembering” of Queerness, it’s history, and moving towards
community action both within and outside of the Queer community.
Language is always evolving and
how terms are defined continues to
change and differ from person to
person, especially in an international
context. With this in mind, the name
Queer Liberation Theory (QLT) was
chosen. In QLT's context, 'queer' is
understood as anyone whose sexual
orientation and/or gender identity
and expression is outside of being
cisheteronormative.
The term cisheteronormative
includes individuals who identify as
the gender they were assigned at
birth (cisgender) and are attracted
to the "opposite" sex (heterosexual,
"straight"). Cisheteronormativity is
the assumption that being straight
and cisgender is the "normal"
standard, and reinforces the gender
binary (male-female).
QLT recognizes that neither
sexuality nor gender exist on a
binary or linear spectrum. In QLT,
"queer" represents an umbrella term
capturing 2SLGBTQ+ individuals and
is not concerned with essential vs.
fluid identities. Instead, "queer" is a
politicized term that is critical of
assimilationist initiatives and is
committed to social justice, equity,
diversity, decolonization, and
inclusion towards the emancipation
of queers and mainstream society.
Q U E E R L I B E R A T I O N T H E O R Y
Framework for Solidarity and Mobilization
Note on Language
2024 – ABBI LONGMIRE, CAMERON MCKENZIE, AND NICK MULÉ ©