queerplatonic
adjUS /ˌkwiɹ.pləˈtɔn.ɪk/
Etymology From queer (“transgress or reevaluate, especially in accordance with queer theory”) + platonic (“non-sexual and non-romantic”). Coined by Dreamwidth user Meloukhia in 2010 who further popularized it in 2011 through posts on WordPress and Tumblr and said it "describ[ed] relationships where an intense emotional connection transcend[s] what people usually think of as ‘friendship’ is present, but the relationship is not romantic in nature […] though [it] can be sexual".
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Neologism, Of a relationship Not romantic and (usually) not sexual, but sharing a stronger emotional bond than typical in a friendship.
- At the end of a tough day, “just friends” might simply hug, whereas a queerplatonic couple is more likely to crawl right into bed together without thinking twice. Think Hannah and Marnie from Girls rather than Rachel and Monica from Friends. The former pair's friendship is an excellent example of a queerplatonic relationship, even if they might not label it that.2012 November 15, Ashton Strait, “Beyond bffs: cozying up to queerplatonic relationships”, in Post, volume 14, number 8, Brown University, page 3:
- Outside the romantic paradigm, some people form what they’re calling “queerplatonic” relationships. The word indicates nothing about the gender of the participants, but speaks to the desire to “queer” our understandings of platonic friendships. These are relationships of care — “life partnerships” that go quite beyond what most of us consider ordinary friendship. Many sexually ambiguous literary or onscreen relationships — think Frodo and Sam, Holmes and Watson, Thelma and Louise — can also be read as queerplatonic.2013 February 14, Tracey Hickey, “Asexuality should be recognized as a legitimate sexual orientation”, in The Pitt News, University of Pittsburgh:
1 more example
- After feeling these concerns, I was happy to learn about squishes and queerplatonic partners (also known as zucchinis, for some reason unclear to me).2013 September, anonymous author, “The 'A' in LGBT”, in Counterpoint, volume 35, number 1, Wellesley College, page 8:
- Related terms
- quasiplatonic