Queer is the Q in LGBTQI*. Queer is a collective term for all gender identities and sexual orientations that do not fit into the binary system of heterosexuality.
The word, which originates from English, has undergone a change in meaning over the years. Originally it was translated as: peculiar, eccentric, crazy. It was used to speak disparagingly about homosexual people. In the course of the AIDS movement, queer activism emerged as a form of self-assertion. Gays, lesbians and trans people took care of each other and fought side by side for respect and tolerance. This made it possible to reclaim the term, as the English word reclaiming says, and to give it a positive connotation.
Source: Friedrich Ebert Foundation, 2025, https://www.fes.de/wissen/gender-glossar