Taken from Wikipedia Encyclopedia, online, with annotations by Jere:
The pink triangle was originally used (in inverted form) to denote homosexual men as a Nazi concentration camp badge. It has since been reclaimed, and turned upright, as a symbol of queer (different, progressive) resistance, gay pride and gay rights (change is good).
Since it's emergence in the English language in the 16th century (related to the German quer, meaning across, at right angle, diagonally or transverse), queer has generally meant "strange", "unusual", or "out of alignment".
By the 1900's the term was already starting to gain it's implication of sexual deviance. Subsequently, for most of the 20th century, "queer" was frequently used as a derogatory term for effeminate and/or gay males, and others exhibiting untraditional gender behavior.
Because of the context in which it was reclaimed, queer has sociopolitical connotations, and is often preferred by those who are activists, by those who strongly reject distinct sexual identities such as gay, lesbian, bisexual and straight, and by those who see themselves who see themselves as oppressed by the heteronormativity of the larger culture. In this usage it retains the historical connotation of "outside the bounds of normal society" and can be construed as "breaking the rules for sex and gender. It can be preferred because of it's ambiguity, which allows "queer" identifying people to avoid the sometimes strict boundaries that surround other labels. In this context, it is not a synonym for LGBT as it creates a space for "queer" heterosexuals as well as "non-queer" (straight acting) homosexuals.
The First Amendment to the Constitution, allows for freedom of speech, and we stand firm on that freedom. It also allows for everyone to have their own opinion: However in Germany and most of Europe, there are laws, on the books, preventing "Hate" speech in areas that would cause disturbance in the public peace.
We're here
We're queer
We're now in the 21st century and perhaps we need to fully understand what the term means. If someone calls me QUEER (in a derogatory manner, or other wise), I take it as a compliment, and will reply, "Thank You, at least I'm not like you!".

I really appreciate the "Fidelity " movie. It is important for many citizens to see gay people getting married and to understand the fact that we have families just like everyone else. The movie is a great educational tool for that purpose. I am extremely concerned about the legal battle that will ensue as a result of Ken Starr's legal initiative. Who is building the civil rights case in favor of same sex marriages. We need a really great team of well funded lawyers to do all the work that needs to be done. How is that proceeding and who will take the case to the Supreme Court?