I was thinking about this post that tatjna did about the labels that other people give you, and came to the conclusion in the title of this post
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I agree with your thoughts. That post was actually sparked by someone applying the label 'pagan' to me and then making assumptions about me and acting as if those assumptoions were true. And it got me thinking about all the labels that could be applied and be at least partially true, in matters of religion.
Silly people and their desire to create order from chaos.
She has a near-unreadable prose style, but I recommend Judith Butler for an extensive treatment of the philosophical incoherence of labels regarding sex, sexuality and gender. Her Big Book is 'Gender Trouble', but actually I recommend 'Undoing Gender', which also covers some of those attitudes you mention WRT kinship - especially the essay "Is Kinship Always Already Heterosexual?" Oh, and 'Undoing Gender' is moving away from the near-unreadable prose style...
I think 'Why label yourself'? is rhetoric, a received opinion, a wordplay that disempowers something that is powerful to groups that have little power. Not enough intelligent people question it.
It's like not causing unnecessary offence, which is de-legitimised to otherwise reasonable people by calling it political correctness. Call an identity a label and no one wants it anymore.
If you're gay and you can't give it a name, that really impedes your ability to come out. Which is rather what a lot of stupid people want.
By the way, have you ever listened to the BBC radio 4 show heresy, that humerously questions all forms of received opinion? I think you'd really like it. See through the BBC website.
Yeah, I think the crucial thing is to go with what'll be true to your actual experience. Even though in some cases what will be true in one light will be false in another. As an example you might find it true to your experience to identify as "disabled" because you have one leg, even though you feel more able-bodied (fitter, healthier, faster) than people you'd identify as "not disabled" (having the correct number and type of body parts). But it would also suit to identify as "disabled" for political reasons - disabled people's rights etc
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Mental illness gets an equally bad rap from bigotsville. I was an ok employee who just needed a little 'motivating' until I revealed clinical depression, general anxiety disorder, and panic disorder to my employer nearly two years ago. Since then I've seen only discrimination (at least until I went to my union and complained).
A label of any kind can be very damaging. I don't even use the pagan / asatru one much anymore. I just 'am' You just 'are', and that's all there is to it.
As far as folk bringing up kids goes, the important thing is for them to be able to provide a loving environment in which to thrive. I've known all kinds of people who're good parents, and some who aren't. It didn't ride on any particular labels either way.
The only time I've run into problems with other people's labels is when they then make assumptions about me, then act as though those assumptions were true.
I will be reminding you of this post the next time we're discussing which movies you don't want to go see...
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Silly people and their desire to create order from chaos.
My label - I bring the shiny. That's it.
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Andrew.
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It's like not causing unnecessary offence, which is de-legitimised to otherwise reasonable people by calling it political correctness. Call an identity a label and no one wants it anymore.
If you're gay and you can't give it a name, that really impedes your ability to come out. Which is rather what a lot of stupid people want.
By the way, have you ever listened to the BBC radio 4 show heresy, that humerously questions all forms of received opinion? I think you'd really like it. See through the BBC website.
Reply
Reply
Mental illness gets an equally bad rap from bigotsville.
I was an ok employee who just needed a little 'motivating' until I revealed clinical depression, general anxiety disorder, and panic disorder to my employer nearly two years ago. Since then I've seen only discrimination (at least until I went to my union and complained).
A label of any kind can be very damaging.
I don't even use the pagan / asatru one much anymore. I just 'am'
You just 'are', and that's all there is to it.
As far as folk bringing up kids goes, the important thing is for them to be able to provide a loving environment in which to thrive. I've known all kinds of people who're good parents, and some who aren't. It didn't ride on any particular labels either way.
Reply
I will be reminding you of this post the next time we're discussing which movies you don't want to go see...
- PiaToR
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