The Queeriodic Table

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You’ve found us. Now can you find yourself?

The Queeriodic Table gives you an opportunity to ponder identity (your own and that of others), gender, sexuality, politics and science. You are encouraged to rediscover what you think you already know and to consider what is present, and what is not.

Check the link categories above to get to the individual elements and their (your?) definitions.

What are your thoughts about the Table? Please share your ideas and read comments from others below and under each element.

Purchase the Table as a 12×18 inches poster.
Purchase the Table as a 8×5 feet vinyl banner.

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Posted by QT at 4:12 pm
  • http://poisonraina.blogspot.com Raina

    Where’s Pansexual, or Heteroflexible!?
    I Identified as queer for years because I didn’t fit regular gay or straight or even bi boxes. Then I found Pansexual and have happily identified as such since. And Heteroflexible should be in allies.

    • Queeriodic

      Thanks for your suggestions. Heteroflexible is number 95, in Slang. It’s not online yet, but will be once we create the new set of buttons.

      One of the challenges of the table is that each group has a fixed number of elements so to put Heteroflexible into Allies would mean removing something that’s currently there. In fact, it was in Allies in the first iteration but we wanted to add Intersex and that fit better in Allies, and Heteroflexible is slang.

      That’s why it is how it is, but this is an iterative project so we welcome any suggestions for change, whether we act upon them or not. (JC)

      • http://twitter.com/danny_waters Daniel Waters

        Again, why are intersex and trans people listed as allies?

        • Jen Crothers

          The simple answer is that we messed up. We’re creating a new iteration for July 2011 and it will incorporate gender better. The longer answer is that I (because I take responsibility for it being my fail) wanted to make the point that gender and sexuality are two different things and should not be conflated. My understanding/definition of the word queer was not the same as many of the people who have offered critiques. Neither Kona or myself were particularly happy with the word Allies but under deadline we couldn’t come up with anything better.

          We were wrong. We admit it. It’s going to change.

          We are very thankful for the feedback that people have given us and certainly welcome more.

          • http://twitter.com/danny_waters Daniel Waters

            Thank you for your response!

      • http://www.facebook.com/LadyKona Kona Katranya

        Kona here. I’m one of the co-creators of this piece of art. I’d like to add to Jen’s comment. “Allies” is a term that has caused discomfort from the beginning. There are a pile of reasons why it remained in the second version. I, personally, have no problem admitting to FAIL in this area without defending the choices and circumstances which led to the configuration of version 2.

        Because the Table is iterative, and because e are ACTUALLY listening to those who are interacting with our art, the “category” of Allies will likely disappear from the third iteration or undergo a serious renovation. We’ve had some great suggestions about how to make the category more relevant if it stay (PFLAG, GSA) and suggestions around how to rename the category completely.

        Which means YOU get to be part of the solution. Each and everyone of ya.

        • http://www.facebook.com/guntergreg Greg Gunter

          I have over-liked way too much of these comments. Kudos to you both.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_M5TQI3RLS4HMNCAM35XJTQ4TBI ShowMeGuy

      *Heteroflexible* can be found in a frat house. LOL

  • mophead

    Where can I access a larger version to see online?

    • Queeriodic

      You can’t just yet. This version is to give you a sense of the project. It’s on our list of things to do. (JC)

    • http://www.facebook.com/LadyKona Kona Katranya

      Kona here. I’m one of the co-creators. You can hover over the individual elements on the table above to see the detail. There is no larger version available unless you use the accessibility tools available through your browser. Better viewing can be had if you own a poster (which you can order above) or by being present at a public viewing. This summer, if you are in Vancouver, you can see it at the Pride in Art Festival and during Out on Screen.

  • http://angeladavisfegan.com Angela

    I love this. Keep up the good work.

  • Passionatefruit

    what about feygelah , same gender loving,asexual, and pansexual

    • Anonymous

      Thanks for the suggestions! I’ve never heard of feygelah before.

      • GlenGary

        Feygelah is yiddish for faggot.

  • Anonymous

    t-shirts?

    • Anonymous

      It’s something we’re definitely considering.

  • http://twitter.com/Lovetherain77 rain

    definitions?

    • http://www.facebook.com/LadyKona Kona Katranya

      Hi Rain!

      I’m Kona, one of the co-creators. There is a menu bar at the top of the page which lists the current categories. From there you can get a list of the elements that we’ve had a chance to load to date. Some of the elements have “Reflective Descriptions” which are curated from community input – if you find one that is blank, please submit something! Additionally, there is comment space to leave your thoughts.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Frankie-Murphy/107701724 Frankie Murphy

    I’m totally yestergay! I am bisexual, but fell in love with an amazing man and still support my gay community avidly.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_M5TQI3RLS4HMNCAM35XJTQ4TBI ShowMeGuy

      A gay woman in a heterosexual relationship is a *Lesbigone*.

      • http://www.facebook.com/LadyKona Kona Katranya

        LOL!

        Kona here. Im one of the co-creators. Part of what the project includes is a collection of suggestions. We track what people want added and we track what people are busting our shit about. We’ll be adding Lesbigone to the list of changes to consider for the next iteration!

        !Kona
        co-creator, Queeriodic Table

      • bluemoonbaby

        no, a hasbian!

  • Guest

    This is a fun and interesting concept. Seeing all these things in one place, I ran across a few terms I hadn’t heard before, and a bunch I’m used to. However, it got me wondering, do any different terms representing physically disabled members of the GLBTQ community even exist? It seems as though we don’t even register, to be perfectly honest, anywhere in the overall social consciousness of the “Gay Community.”

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_M5TQI3RLS4HMNCAM35XJTQ4TBI ShowMeGuy

      Since a wheelchair doesn’t make a person a person…..maybe being *gay* is what matters. Or better yet, maybe what makes you matter is your pulse.

      • Guest

        If being *gay* was really the thing that mattered so much, if the thing that makes people matter most in the gay community really was just their pulse… then maybe the disabled members within the GLBTQ community wouldn’t be so largely ignored.

        • http://www.facebook.com/LadyKona Kona Katranya

          !Kona here. I’m one of the co-creators. IS there a word for a queer person who is differently-abled? I have friends that use “gimp” and “crip” but it is seems that these terms are have a focus that is about being differently-abled. They are unlike words like Papi or Zami that speak to an intersection of race AND orientation. Is there a word/s. I’d like to add it to the list for consideration for the next version!

          • http://www.facebook.com/guntergreg Greg Gunter

            I’ve used the word, grip . . . but gimp is NOT a differently abled moniker and applies to a specialized aspect of BD/SM. So make sure that ‘don’t’ get in there in reference to us. You are really up against a monolith of identity but kudos for taking a crack at it!

          • r g

            Yes, “gimp” also applies to an aspect of bdsm, but for many of us gimps, it is indeed a reclaimed disability moniker. Especially fun and true for some of us kinky gimps.

          • r g

            as a queer trans gimp, ive often used the term (and seen it used by many other queer gimps) “BENT”, because it encapsulates both my gimp experience and queer experience. :)

  • http://twitter.com/danny_waters Daniel Waters

    I just have a question, I am not trying to be instigatory. Why are us trans people listed as allies? I (we) are Queer too.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_M5TQI3RLS4HMNCAM35XJTQ4TBI ShowMeGuy

      Well, *Queer* was one of them. I know a girl who was born a boy. Her girlfriend was his girlfriend first. Gender identity and sexual orientation are two completely different things. It is possible for a *Trans* individual to be a Heterosexual……which means they are not gay. So Trans people get to be included in several of the categories. You can be “one of us” and be ” a friend” at the same time. That makes you super special…..now quit being instigatory; for the love of Cher, and get PROUD. It is LGBTTQQFFAA Pride Month after all.

      • http://twitter.com/danny_waters Daniel Waters

        Gay =/= queer.

        • Violet

          Trans = / = queer either.

          not all trans folks identify as queer. my cis-gendered, female-identified, queer best friend just married the straightest trans man in the world. he identifies as straight. he is heterosexual through and through. he has no interest in living in the queer world. it is not internalized transphobia or shame. he is, was, and always has been a man. his only interest in the queer community is as an ally.

          some trans folks are queer and embrace it. others have never been queer. just like cis-folks, there’s no common trans experience, and that includes a relationship to queerness. i think jen and kona were being particularlily sensitive to the fact that your gender and who you like to fuck are not conditionally linked. they meant no offence, they’re not being transphobic, they’re just acknowledging the difference.

          this is one hell of a project – keep up the good work!

          • Shaed Greenwood

            Not all gay folks identify as queer. Hell, the word was pretty much originally reclaimed to distinguish the assimilationists from the unapologetically gender-trangressive (“Not gay as in happy but queer as in fuck you.”), but now those same assimilationists police the boundaries of a term that was never about them and want to tell us what it means (it sure as hell isn’t “not about gender”), acting like they have our best interests at heart.

      • http://twitter.com/danny_waters Daniel Waters

        Also, where do you get off being cissexist and telling me to be quiet? I wasn’t being instigatory, and I even preficed that it wasn’t my intent to be. It’s LGB history month, asshole, I don’t exactly see transgender people like myself represented that well amongst the community, that’s why I commented on this thing listing us as allies which yet again sets up that it is an LGB community, not an LGBT community. The creators were kind enough to answer my response, but you? You, jackamo, take a take for douchebaggery.

    • r g

      One person’s opinion: Not all trans people are queer, and many trans people who are not queer don’t take kindly to being non-consensually labeled queer simply because of their trans status. It can often be de- and mis-gendering, disrespectful and presumptuous, and steeped in cissexism/ciscentrism, however “well-intended” it may be.

  • demian

    why are trans and genderqueer in “allies?” that doesn’t make sense

    • Jen Crothers

      I answered this below, but just in case you don’t see that:

      The simple answer is that we messed up. We’re creating a new iteration for July 2011 and it will incorporate gender better. The longer answer is that I (because I take responsibility for it being my fail) wanted to make the point that gender and sexuality are two different things and should not be conflated. My understanding/definition of the word queer was not the same as many of the people who have offered critiques. Neither Kona or myself were particularly happy with the word Allies but under deadline we couldn’t come up with anything better.

      We were wrong. We admit it. It’s going to change.

      We are very thankful for the feedback that people have given us and certainly welcome more.

      • demian

        I definitely appreciate your response. Thank you.

  • Al

    Hi there, love the idea. I agree with a couple of other commenters, though, that it’s weird how trans and genderqueer folks are included as “allies”.

  • gina morvay

    Hate to break it to you, but on a per capita basis, way more heterosexual-ID’d trans women are murdered than any other group in LGBTQ. Trans women (and to a less degree trans men) encounter more job discrimination than other groups in LGBTQ. The suicide rate for trans teens is higher than for any other group in LGBT. The unemployment rate is higher than for any other group in LGBTQ. Trans women prisoners are way worse off than any other minority in prisons. And our health care issues are more complex and oppressive than other groups in LGBTQ (including the large percentage of trans AIDS patients). And you place “trans” as allies? Who the hell do you think started historic political activism at Cooper’s Doughnuts in 1959, Dewey’s Cafeteria in 1966, and Compton’s Cafeteria in 1966? Those were spearheaded by trans women who were attracted to men. Maybe it’s intended as humor, but this chart comes off as very trans ignorant.

    • Jen Crothers

      You’re right. It is trans ignorant. I take responsibility for that fail. I was trying to make the point that gender and sexuality should not be conflated. I see it all the time and I think it is all round ignorant and disrespectful . (For example, if you can bear it, see this article http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2011/06/01/jonathan-kay-take-it-from-me-%E2%80%94-gender-free-parenting-doesnt-work/).

      Kona and I were never fully comfortable with the term Allies but under a fierce deadline we couldn’t come up with a better word.

      That’s an explanation of why it is how it is. The point is, we made a mistake and we’re going to change it. Keep an eye out for the next iteration in July 2011.

      Further feedback is very welcome.

      • gina morvay

        I do truly appreciate that you’re trying to listen anyway.

        • http://www.facebook.com/guntergreg Greg Gunter

          I really love this discussion and Gina’s open minded response. I’m sure there are more vitriolic ones . . . but rock on Gina, our heroine, for pointing out some very critical milestones. Brava!

  • Roger Rabbit

    LOL, to say the least, IF you are going to put Old Guard, shouldn’t you also put New Guard? AB? Power Exchange?

    • Anonymous

      What does AB mean? There’s a whole other table of BDSM/kink terms that could be created and we could only fit a few in. But if we go with the concept of isotopes we might be able to fit a few more in. Thanks for the suggestions and keep them coming!

  • Horacio

    This website is stupid..

  • MD

    I like the idea behind this, but as a trans person, i see myself as part of the community because of my trans identity. This table is not inclusive of trans/intersex bodies, or other kinds of kink (in the activities section) that would be considered queer. Queer is not just gay and lesbian, and when we understand that, we can really help all of the people in our community, not just the gay and lesbian ones.

    • Anonymous

      Yeah, we screwed up on the Allies section and gender will be better incorporated in the next iteration due in July 2011.

      We’ve had lots of conversations with people about how you could do a whole table of BDSM/Kink terms! One of the issues is trying to fit everything in. One new idea that some people have suggested is to utilize the concept of isotopes for words that have very similar meanings. We hope to include more terms on the website through this concept.

      Thanks for your feedback. If you have specific suggestions for terms/words/concepts that we’ve missed we’re very happy to hear them.

  • Socjon

    Would it be possible to rearrange the elements to mirror more of the real periodic table? I know the first things I looked for was what would be in Carbons and Francium being the foundation of organic life here on Earth and the most volatile Alkali metal, respectively. I could understand that Hope would be the foundation but then rimming being the most volatile over fisting? Not exactly what I would consider, and I enjoy fisting.

    Then the semi metals being classified under “mostly male” doesn’t make a lick of sense. Why not put trans, intersex, queer, etc there? It would make more sense on both levels. Then to deal with the diatoms and noble gases (being something irrefutable about gay culture) with the smattering of smaller scientific classifications. Well that is my two cents.

    • Anonymous

      We’ve tried as much as possible to keep true to the nature of the Periodic Table but some things just aren’t possible. A meaningful relationship between the concepts of the groups of the Periodic Table and the Queeriodic Table was something we considered but weren’t able to make work for the whole table.

      I love having discussions about the table with science nerds and seeing if there are more in-jokes that we can wring out of it so thanks very much for the suggestions.

  • http://www.facebook.com/philemon.vanderbeck Philemon Vanderbeck

    I would totally buy this if it was put on a t-shirt!

  • Kade

    In addition to doing some serious changing up of the gender section (why not just make an ally button?), I would also suggest possibly a “Switch” button. I know “versatile” is on there, but at least personally, I never liked the word…it seems like it could apply much more to just sexual behavior.

  • Anthony

    It’s kind of a neat idea, but trying to categorize everything like this….
    I’m not trying to be mean spirited or anything, but it’s stuff like this that makes me want to totally disassociate myself from anything gay. That fisting, slurs, and promiscuity should be part of the “gay” identity just doesn’t do it for me. Why does being gay HAVE to include rebelling against every social norm?

    I don’t want to step on anyone who identifies with these things, more power to you, but those things shouldn’t be synonymous with homosexuality.

  • http://www.facebook.com/guntergreg Greg Gunter

    Sorry one more: gaybled. I’ve used that as well. Neither grip or that are in the mainstream.

  • draconismoi

    No reference to asexuals?

  • Dice2468p

    I was wondering why paypal wont let me check out. It keeps saying that its a problem with the merchant, so I didn’t know if it was able to be fixed because there are three buttons that I’m after! :) Thanks for any help!

    • http://queeriodictable.com jen@queeriodictable.com

      Oh no! Thanks for letting us know. I’ll check it out. In the meantime you can email me at jen@queeriodictable.com and let me know which buttons you want and we’ll sort something out.

    • Jen

      Fixed now. Hope you’ve received the buttons. Email me if you have any problems.

  • Toplianajmg

    This is the most pointless gay-related site I’ve ever stumbled. Dumb, dumb, dumb idea. Try spending your time on something more useful like, I don’t know, anything else.

    • Guest

      perhaps you could spend your time on something more useful than surfing the net, insulting strangers.

  • guest

    I love this! So fun. Please bring back “Friend of Dorothy”! Also another vote for Feygele – a great yiddish word that literally translates “little bird”. Also looking forward to the version that includes trans folk in the queer elements.

  • Anon

    Excellent display at the Queer Arts Festival in Vancouver. Saw the work yesterday, and considered it one of the most intriguing pieces of the show.

  • Anon

    A piece of display critique for you:

    Have you considered changing the way that this displays on internet browsers? The roving mouse idea, where the magnification is centred around wherever the curser is is very difficult to use, because you have to centre the tile in the window in order to be able to read it properly.

    Alternatively, if you were to do an full-tile highlight and expansion (think of the way a key on the iPhone keyboard expands entirely when you have it selected) it would be much easier to read, and scrolling through would be that much easier to accomplish as the entire tile would expand as long as the curser was on the tile, not depending on where the curser IS.

    Another way you could make this easier to read would be to make the Table ‘clickable’ with the first click creating a magnified view of the tile, and a second click on that tile taking you to a wikipedia article (or other suitable source) in a new tab or window that would allow you to read up on the meaning of the ‘element’ in the tile.

    Just some suggestions, the project itself looks great. It’s just a shame you can’t enjoy it more easily online.

  • http://twitter.com/TheGoochMonkey Reginald S. Golds

    Is “Foamer” an Element, or is it a Compound? Either way, I feel that the Foam Party crowd is under represented here. Otherwise, this is a fantastic beginning to a quirky teaching tool, and I will be linking my vanilla brethren at first chance.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Al-Falafal/1632276826 Al Falafal

    Brilliant! Especially appreciate what I see by the comments from trans-people below & your responses – your willingness to admit making mistakes & correcting them. Wow! With that lack of attitude, QT, you don’t sound very gay! Keep up the good queer work.

  • r g

    Also, a southern friend of mine recently told me about one of the terms they knew for queer down there, particularly but not exclusively younger queers: Biscuit. So adorable!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Al-Falafal/1632276826 Al Falafal

    Under Classic or Old School am I missing “Gay Lib” or liberation. Some of us pine for the days of gay liberation. It was so much better than the Gay Assimilation that’s been going on in recent years.

  • Shaed Greenwood

    Promise change, never follow through when you say you will. You guys could be president!

  • Brynn

    No gender fluid? Or trans man or trans woman?

  • myname

    Perhaps put girlfag and guydyke on there?

  • Easton

    I love this chart! It’s an awesome fun idea. Obviously it is hard to make everyone happy! I can understand why Trans/Genderqueer is in the “allies” section. I am a Transguy and I only identify as Queer b/c I am attracted to both girls and guys. If I was only attracted to woman I would consider myself Hetro. Many trans people I know consider themselves straight and don’t want to be called queer etc…
    Good luck with the next edition and I want to buy a T-Shirt too!

  • Asexual Visibility

    You should add asexual for asexual people!

  • Violett

    My sexual orientation is submissive. I am attracted to people, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation, who are dominant to me. It is never listed anywhere and isn’t here either. I’m not bisexual, or heteroflexible, or anything else.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=551137797 Brian Edwards

    Was the new one ever created?

    • http://twitter.com/jencrothers Jen Crothers

      We haven’t done it yet! But we had an installation last week — the first in a year — and were inspired to get back on the horse and make the changes that we wanted to make. Life got really busy…

  • http://www.facebook.com/dusk.todawn.9 Dusk Todawn

    Really like the magnifying function on here. Yeah!!! Even saw a few terms I don’t know…. wow!

  • http://www.facebook.com/dusk.todawn.9 Dusk Todawn

    Very unique… sorry I am so late to the TABLE… hehe, but love the concept.

  • http://www.dyketionary.com/ Hbalagh

    Love this :)

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