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(New York City) The state of New York has banned Queers. Not the people. Just the name. And that has one queer man heading to the state's Supreme Court.
While Queer was a slur only a few years ago, it has become the name many members of the LGBT community prefer, especially among younger people.
But, the state will not permit a Manhattan paralegal to use the word in his business name. Christopher Barton Benecke attempted to license his non profit advocacy business as Queer Awareness and was rejected.
New York state claims the name is indecent and degrading and barred under Section301 of the Not-for-Profit Corporation Law, which restricts language deemed by the government to be obscene or intended to ridicule.
Benecke insists the term is neither indecent nor obscene, nor is it intended to mock the very people he intends to help. He says he's prepared to fight the issue in the state Supreme Court arguing the state is violating his rights under the First Amendment.
Queer Awareness is aimed at promoting "healthy image of nonheterosexual people through tasteful advertisements and other media in order to ameliorate prejudice," he tells New York Lawyer.
Calling the non profit Gay Awareness would not work Benecke says, because it is aimed at the larger community, not just gay men. Lesbian and Gay Awareness shortchanges bisexuals and the transgendered, and so on.
"Queer is all-encompassing. I use it to identify myself. I don't find it offensive at all."
Benecke is pursuing a master's degree in gender politics at New York University and working part-time as a paralegal at Levy & Halperin, which is representing him.
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