Question: What do you think of when you hear the word "queer"?

1)
Name: Errol Shed (beanie)
Country of Origin: Australia
SFSU Major: Marine Biology
Age: 21

"If I saw a dog humping a cat, I'd say that was queer. But I don't think I'd ever use it toward a person. I'd say gay, never queer. We don't use that word that way in Australia."

2)
Name: Antoine Vernet (striped scarf)
Country of Origin: France
SFSU Major: Undeclared
Age: 26

"I think of something that is related to sexual orientation. I don't really use it, but queer is something that's looking a little between straight and gay."

3)
Name: Devang Shah (wedge haicut, posed in front of map)
Country of Origin: India
SFSU Major: Computer Science
Age: 26

"All I can say is that everyone has their own opinions about things and they're free to follow whatever they want to. It's all about individualism"

4)
Name: Anri Amino (black top, shiny black hair)
Country of Origin: Japan
SFSU Major: Psychology
Age: 22

"Homosexual people. Some of my friends are gay guys and they call themselves queer."

5)
Name: Mei-Li Sjoquist (turquoise hoodie)
Country of Origin: United States
SFSU Major: Dietetics
Age: 24

"Usually when I hear the word queer I just think of someone who is gay. But I don't see it as a bad thing. I've always associated it with the gay community. But it's not a bad thing."

6)
Name: Ugur Iyigun (scruffy facial hair, curly hair)
Country of Origin: Turkey
SFSU Major: Business
Age: 24

"I think it's not good because people think that heterosexuals are straight and that people who are not heterosexual are not straight. So I think it's not a good adjective because to describe someone as not straight means someone who is not right. So if gay people are calling themselves queer, it's not a good description for their own image."

7)
Name: Nathan Sackett (striped sweater)
Country of Origin: United States
SFSU Major: Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Med
Age: 26

"I think of the LGBT community. Living in San Francisco and being around this community, I feel like its part of the whole reclaiming of a derogatory word from history. Reclaiming it as part of an ownership."

8)
Name: Lisa van Diggelen (tortoise shell glasses)
Country of Origin: United States
SFSU Major: Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Med
Age: 25

"I feel like people don't really use the word queer anymore. I think of it as being somewhat derogatory. I don't use the word. I usually just say gay. I feel like there's some stigma that comes along with queer."

9)
Name: Anne Kern (blonde, headband)
Country of Origin: United States
SFSU Major: Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Med
Age: 25

"I've heard it more used now by the LGBT community to describe themselves. And in pop culture too with that TV show 'Queer As Folk'. It seems pretty okay when it comes up. I don't think of it as particularly derogatory, although I probably wouldn't say, 'Oh, he's queer.'"