Soulqueer

Soulqueer (also known as almaqueer) is a term to describe queerness of the soul. It is a queer identity beyond the realms of queer sexuality and gender identity. It describes when the deepest parts of one’s soul, who one is, is intrinsically queer. It describes one who is queer through and through, like queerness is embedded in the very foundation of one's soul, one's bones, and everything about oneself.

It is a term to describe how one is queer in one's gender and one's sexuality, but that queerness also shapes everything about oneself - queerness radiates from the very core of who one is and explains the way one sees the world. It is an identity and a worldview of queerness, of viewing one's interactions, one's beliefs, one's passions, one's core philosophy, through a lens of queerness planted intrinsically within oneself - queer describes one's heart, who one is, and is a fundamental tenet of the way in which one views the world in a sense of passionately queer defiance of conformance.

This may be different for everyone, as queerness is different for everyone - but it’s when one's soul itself seems queer and that in turn queers the lens through which one gazes at life such that everything about who one is is best interpreted as queerness and queer identity in all forms of societal liberation, not just gender identity and sexuality. It is not inherently a religious term, but it can be for those who interpret their identities and queerness through the lens of their religion.

The term may only be used by individuals who are queer in some way.

History
Soulqueer was coined by Tumblr user mogai-sunflowers, August 19th, 2021.

In the coining post of soulqueer, the coiner noted, in reference to the term: "This term is the culmination of everything I’ve been discovering about myself. It makes me deeply happy and feel whole in a way I’ve never felt from any label, and I hope it can be helpful to other queer people too."

Flags and Symbols
The soulqueer flag was created by Tumblr user mogai-sunflowers, August 19th, 2021. The soulqueer flag's color meanings are as follows:


 * Overall, the color theme represents pride and joy and full vibrance of the self.
 * Top stripe- red pink: the beauty of humanity.
 * 2nd stripe- orange: independence from and defiance of standards; the audacity of autonomy.
 * 3rd stripe- golden yellow: hope and the burning, blazing fire of passion for justice and peace.
 * 4th stripe- pale yellow: often pale yellow is associated with innocence and childhood, and the state of internal bliss that comes from total independence from stress. that’s what it means in this situation- the internal balance that comes from a childlike state of peace and calm with inner self.
 * 5th stripe- white: unity, kindness, diversity, and the unity of the queer community.
 * 6th stripe- grey mint-green: a metaphor for the natural self and being in harmony with your queerness as the natural root and blossom of your identity.
 * 7th stripe- medium blue-grey: often, disillusionment with paradigms of happiness can come from pain, grief, depression, or other forms of mental obstacles, often seen as stormy (blue and grey)- this stripe represents internal conflicts with emotions, mental health, and its effects on one’s queerness.
 * 8th stripe- medium grey-purple: sovereignty of queer identity.
 * 9th (bottom) stripe- medium grey-pink/purple: POC whose queer identity is soulqueer and also tied into how they experience their culture and cultural identity.

The soulqueer symbol was created by the same user, August 20th, 2021. The coiner stated, in reference to the symbol: "My thought process with this was that, to me, I view queer love and community as something that is so diversely beautiful that it can accommodate different layers of connection and experience, but all are equally connected, important, beautiful, and natural, like how the symbol forms flowers interconnected and yet separate yet each beautiful and working together, with the sun representing our light and the strength of our community."

The soulqueer flag with the soulqueer symbol was created by the same user August 22nd, 2021.