Race-queer
Race-queer is used to describe a person who feels that his/her racial identity does not fit into the socially constructed "norms" associated with his/her sociologically or culturally defined race or occurs on a racial spectrum between two or more races or racial cultures.
Race-queer is intended as a humanizing alternative, similar to the idea of gender queer, based on the idea that race, like gender is a socially constructed concept. It is intended to replace dehumanizing terms like "banana", "oreo" "Uh-oh Oreo", "Coconut" etc. and to indicate a spectrum of racial identity and affinity based on indivdual culture, mixed family membership, and other factors that cause individuals to not fully identify as the race that outside observers would categorize them with or identify for them.
Race-queer is intended as a humanizing alternative, similar to the idea of gender queer, based on the idea that race, like gender is a socially constructed concept. It is intended to replace dehumanizing terms like "banana", "oreo" "Uh-oh Oreo", "Coconut" etc. and to indicate a spectrum of racial identity and affinity based on indivdual culture, mixed family membership, and other factors that cause individuals to not fully identify as the race that outside observers would categorize them with or identify for them.
Jenny recognizes herself as race-queer because although she is white she is the mother of black identified children, spends time primarily in the black community, and shares more of her black neighbors social and economic concerns. Jenny often feels black, but can also act white and was raised in an all white family of origin.
Race-queer by persephone 1111 March 8, 2013
