Loca is a reclaimed Spanish slur word used to describe extremely feminine and flamboyant non-heterosexual men and transfeminine people in Hispanic America and Spain. [1] It is comparable to words like queen, fairy, or more offensively f*g and poof.
In Spanish, similar terms include: musculoca, cola, locaza, loquita, locaza desatada, loquero (Venezuela), loquísima (Cuba), loca de atar (Peru), loca desbaratada (Colombia), loca desplumada (Cuba), loca fuerte (Miami, Chile), loca sucia (Miami, Rep. Dominicana, El Salvador, Honduras, Peru, Puerto Rico, Venezuela) and loca desmetecada (Mexico).
Origins & History
The word literally translates as "crazy, insane, or mad woman" [2] [3] implying that feminine men and transgender women act in such a way that's not mentally sound.
The term can be found as a synonim for feminine homosexuals since at least the early 70s [4]. Although it can probably be found earlier than that.
The loca flag was updated on August 11, 2021 by Fandom user IMakeFlags upon request from user Hiddn.haydn. [5]
Reclaiming
It is not uncommon to hear from queer men who jokingly approppriate and reclaim the slur to take away its power.[6] [7]