Queer 

Queer is used to describe a sexual orientation or a gender expression or identity outside of the gender binary (man/woman). Queer people express that having a specific sexual orientation or a single gender is not natural or inherent to human nature. Instead, that they are fluid social constructs that can be modified.

Originally, queer was used negatively against the gay collective in anglo-saxon contexts. However, in the 1990s this word acquired political and social power related to sexual dissidence, and some people began using it to identify themselves. Many people identify as queer because, this way, they do not have to fit into a specific label.

It is important not to use the word queer before asking the person how they identify themselves since, for a long time, it was used to disrespect the LGBTIQ+ community. A queer person must not be confused with non-binary or genderqueer people. Non-binary people do not identify within the traditional categories of man or woman, and the use does not carry a political connotation. Genderqueer, on the other hand, refers to a trans person who does not identify as a man or women, but rather as an intermediate identity or none.

In Latin America, the term queer  in English has generally been used in the academic sphere. This anglo-saxon word has been greatly criticized due to its colonizing connotation. Therefore, in the Spanish-speaking world and to decolonize the word, academics and activists have opted for writing it how it sounds in Spanish: cuir. However, in other countries such as Mexico, being queer carries a connotation of privilege associated with class, economic power, and whiteness. This means that the queer  identity is not based on the same performative act in the United States and Canada as in Mexico or Latin America.