Queerplatonic is typically considered a close relationship equivalent in depth and commitment to those conventionally based on sex/romance. Queer refers to things outside the heteronormative relationship dynamics, often but not always same-sex partnerships, and including a wide variety of alternative orientations such as asexual and aromantic ones. Platonic means the bond is based in friendship or one of the types of love outside sex/romance.
Some famous literary relationships are sometimes cast in this light, when people aren't interpreting them as gay: Kirk and Spock, Holmes and Watson, Sam and Frodo, etc. One canonically queerplatonic relationship is Kethry (who is heterosexual) and Tarma (who is asexual) as she'enedra.
Note that some relationship frameworks, such as Boston marriage, are difficult if not impossible to distinguish from the outside whether they are queerplatonic, lesbian, or something else.
Mainstream culture actually does know of a few relationships that are very tight but more often platonic than sexual/romantic. These include war buddies, beat partners, and dance partners. In professions that require deep trust and long hours, it is not always feasible to maintain outside relationships based on sex/romance, so sometimes people's primary relationship is platonic even if they are heterosexual.
Another related concept is the "identified" tag. It's seen most often in the feminist and lesbian communities as "woman-identified" but there are other variations like "queer-identified." It's not actually about how you identify yourself, but rather, what group you identify with to the point of preferring to associate with those people over others. Someone woman-identified will seek close relationships among women. So a heterosexual feminist might choose a queerplatonic relationship with another woman and simply pick up men when she gets horny without trying to have a relationship with them.
Just in case it needs saying: you can have whatever kind of relationships you and other people want to have. It doesn't matter if anyone else understands it, or even if you understand it, so long as everyone involved finds it agreeable.
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Re: Well ...
Date: 2021-02-17 10:34 am (UTC)Some famous literary relationships are sometimes cast in this light, when people aren't interpreting them as gay: Kirk and Spock, Holmes and Watson, Sam and Frodo, etc. One canonically queerplatonic relationship is Kethry (who is heterosexual) and Tarma (who is asexual) as she'enedra.
Note that some relationship frameworks, such as Boston marriage, are difficult if not impossible to distinguish from the outside whether they are queerplatonic, lesbian, or something else.
Mainstream culture actually does know of a few relationships that are very tight but more often platonic than sexual/romantic. These include war buddies, beat partners, and dance partners. In professions that require deep trust and long hours, it is not always feasible to maintain outside relationships based on sex/romance, so sometimes people's primary relationship is platonic even if they are heterosexual.
Another related concept is the "identified" tag. It's seen most often in the feminist and lesbian communities as "woman-identified" but there are other variations like "queer-identified." It's not actually about how you identify yourself, but rather, what group you identify with to the point of preferring to associate with those people over others. Someone woman-identified will seek close relationships among women. So a heterosexual feminist might choose a queerplatonic relationship with another woman and simply pick up men when she gets horny without trying to have a relationship with them.
Among the better resources:
https://aromantic.wikia.org/wiki/Queerplatonic_Relationship
https://lgbta.wikia.org/wiki/Queerplatonic_Relationship
http://wiki.asexuality.org/Queerplatonic
https://writingfromfactorx.wordpress.com/2011/07/11/my-thoughts-on-the-word-zucchini/
Just in case it needs saying: you can have whatever kind of relationships you and other people want to have. It doesn't matter if anyone else understands it, or even if you understand it, so long as everyone involved finds it agreeable.
I hope this helps.