Labels

Contributor: LicentiouslyYours LicentiouslyYours
Labels are a double-edged sword. They can be both useful in identifying something and somehow make understanding what you've identified infinitely more complicated.

This is particularly true in the labeling of gender and sexual identity.

The days of male and female or straight and gay have given way to a seemingly infinite variety of choices for gender or sexual identity that allow people to choose what seems to be most applicable to them as individuals.

Which labels do you use and why?
03/25/2010
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Contributor: ToyGeek ToyGeek
Quote:
Originally posted by LicentiouslyYours
Labels are a double-edged sword. They can be both useful in identifying something and somehow make understanding what you've identified infinitely more complicated.

This is particularly true in the labeling of gender and sexual ... more
In keeping with the mores of fandom, my LiveJournal profile reads, "heteroflexible cisgendered female."

The people who simply check "female" are labeled heteronormative, homophobic, and gender-privileged, which I think is a tad unfair when the form offers only male, female, and choose not to answer. But there was an uproar, and all the cool kids switched their checkbox to choose not to answer, and then typed a more acceptable answer in the body of their profile, making it impossible for LJ to use gender to target ads, and thus setting in motion the next big battle between the company that owns LiveJournal, and LJ users.
03/25/2010
Contributor: sarahbear sarahbear
Quote:
Originally posted by ToyGeek
In keeping with the mores of fandom, my LiveJournal profile reads, "heteroflexible cisgendered female."

The people who simply check "female" are labeled heteronormative, homophobic, and gender-privileged, which I think is ... more
It seems kind of ridiculous that they could gather that someone was homophobic, gender-privileged and heteronormative by the fact that they chose to label themselves with a single word. People who assume those sort of things are labeled asses to me because that's what you turn into when you try to make such broad, sweeping generalizations about a person based on such minimal information.

For myself, straight female. Other people get to be whatever they choose to be labeled. If they don't have a preference I choose whatever feels like the most appropriate.
03/25/2010
Contributor: ToyGeek ToyGeek
Quote:
Originally posted by sarahbear
It seems kind of ridiculous that they could gather that someone was homophobic, gender-privileged and heteronormative by the fact that they chose to label themselves with a single word. People who assume those sort of things are labeled asses to me ... more
Yeah, well, fandom's been hypersensitive and bizarrely judgmental in recent months. Usually these things start with a legitimate complaint and spiral into absurdity as people get paranoid and riled up.
03/25/2010
Contributor: El-Jaro El-Jaro
wow...I have a hard time taking this person's point seriously.

If someone asks if a person is a lesbian/gay/free/wanna gettacuppacoffee, they aren't asking for your life story, they just are hoping for a straight answer they don't have to look up online.

I like the idea of people not offending anyone, life's better like that. At what point then do we go "Ok, that's TMI".

Does anyone remember the movie "L.A. Story" with Steve Martin? Sarah Jessica Parker has a part in it. Her character's name is SaRaH* or something to that effect. They just referred to her character as "sara".
03/25/2010
Contributor: Carrie Ann Carrie Ann
Quote:
Originally posted by El-Jaro
wow...I have a hard time taking this person's point seriously.

If someone asks if a person is a lesbian/gay/free/wanna gettacuppacoffee, they aren't asking for your life story, they just are hoping for a straight answer they don't ... more
That sara bit made my day!
03/25/2010
Contributor: El-Jaro El-Jaro
I was in the middle of editing that, CA!

I was going to finish with:
If I have to have a label, I'm going with "bi-curious". I've only been with women, never been with a guy, and I wouldn't turn a guy down if my sig. other ok'd it and he was cute.
03/25/2010