Formed in March 1990, Queer Nation is an activist organization founded in New York City by four men, all of whom had been victims of anti-gay violence. Its goal was to be a grass-roots, direct-action response to the invisibility of homosexuality in American culture and expressions of homophobic prejudice, using tactics proven effective by the AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP). It espoused the idea of "outing" persons whose homosexuality was not public knowledge, a concept whose radical nature drew objections from more moderate gay rights organizations. Even its name reflected a defiantly marginal identity, reclaiming a common epithet and reworking it into a newly proud badge, most visible in its trademark slogan of "We're here, we're queer, get used to it."

Further Reading:

Slagle, R. Anthony. "In Defense of Queer Nation: From Identity Politics to a Politics of Difference." Western Journal of Communication. Vol. 59, spring 1995, 85-102.