Update: Past Shelves to recognise that queering language is contested

We are delighted that following our discussions with Edinburgh Council, the Museum of Edinburgh will now display a notice in the Past Shelves exhibition recognising

that the terms “LGBTQ+” and “queer” used in this exhibition are contemporary terms, and that the use of them has been, and continues to be, contested - especially by some lesbians and gay men... [who] believe that applying these terms retrospectively obscures important distinctions between communities and misrepresents their history.

(Full text below)

The use of language that denies the distinctions between lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and trans-identifying people has been one of the main weapons used by the gender-identity lobby. Having this acknowledged is an important step towards reclaiming our language and our history.

The discussions we had demonstrate that engaging with sex realist groups can be productive and effective. We hope that Edinburgh will continue to show that willingness, and other councils and institutions will follow suit. The full text of the statement is:

The use of language in this exhibition

The Museum of Edinburgh recognises that the terms “LGBTQ+” and “queer” used in this exhibition are contemporary terms, and that the use of them has been, and continues to be, contested - especially by some lesbians and gay men, and particularly when describing the history of the 1980s and 1990s.

Many of the publications on display were produced by lesbian, gay and bisexual, or transsexual organisations at a time when the term “LGBTQ+” was not in use, and the word “queer” had a different meaning from its use today. Some people therefore believe that applying these terms retrospectively obscures important distinctions between communities and misrepresents their history. At the same time, “LGBTQ+” and “queer” are used today by some people as umbrella terms for the communities represented in this exhibition. Some people have reclaimed the term “queer”, while others reject it. The Museum recognises these differing perspectives.

The exhibition was created in partnership with Lavender Menace Queer Books Archive, which uses both terms in its work to describe the community in general. We have therefore used these terms in the exhibition while recognising that language changes over time and that there is not universal agreement about the use of this terminology.