Queer Maps and Mapping Queerly - Jack Swab, University of Kentucky

Queer Maps and Mapping Queerly
Jack Swab, University of Kentucky
Queer is both a noun and a verb. To queer something is to bring it into question, to challenge our conception of what is normative. As a noun, it has historically been considered a slur, but is increasingly being reclaimed as an inclusive term for all members of the LGBTQ+ community. So what does it mean to queer cartography? And what does it mean to map queerly? To answer these questions, I examine historical maps with queer subjects, asserting that it means a commitment to looking beyond the visual of the map itself and requires a recalibration of our conceptions of space and the practice of cartography itself.