So, Kathy.

Here at Nancy, we use the word queer a lot.

Queer folks, queer politics, queer art, everything is queer.

Yet, people have really been embracing this word lately.

But, it can be really loaded for some folks.

There are lots of people in the community who have painful memories on the word, but

other folks feel very affirmed by it.

So, our dear friend Helen Salzman does this awesome podcast called The Illusionists from

Radiotopia.

And every week she digs deep into language.

You know, the words we use and the history behind them.

This week, we're dropping an episode of our show all about the complicated past and present

of the word queer.

And bonus, caffeine, eye-making appearance.

Here's Helen.

This is about a word that currently means a lot of things to different people.

So I see queer as an umbrella term, as a political call for revolution, as well as unity

across different groups of people.

I think of it with definitely positive and loving energy around it.

Like I don't think of it as an insult at all.

I think growing up, I felt it would have been more of an insult.

I think that it was in 2015 when we got marriage equality and just like the way the media,

...