thoughts on contradictory labels
Published:03/27/24
A super braindead take I often see floating around on social media- especially Twitter and Tumblr- has to do with defining lesbianism. A lot of people online define lesbians as "non-men loving non-men," and gay men as "non-women loving non-women." You may be thinking: "But, Star, that is technically true-!"
....What about bigender people? What about nonbinary people? What about genderfluid people? What about [the list goes on and on.] The thing is, we create a whole new binary when we use terms like men vs. nonmen. The whole POINT of being non-binary is... not being in the binary. Get it?
It is absolutely essential to accept "weird queer people" such as those who use contradictory labels, neopronouns, xenogenders, it/its pronouns, non-dysphoric trans people, and all those in between. "Oh, but they're weird. I don't understand them, so obviously they're faking it! They're making us an easier target for bullying and harrassment, we already get faced with enough."
..Bigots don't care if you're 'just' a gay man, 'just' a lesbian, 'just' transgender. Yeah, you're on their side when it comes to 'weird' identities, but what happens when there are no 'weird' identities to bully, huhhh? Seems like keeping company with bigots won't do you good in the long run, right?
Being a "safe" queer person won't make the bigots like you, won't make the transphobes tolerate you, won't get them to see you as more than a target. The sooner you realize that and get over yourself, the sooner WE CAN CHANGE THINGS!! You think that when the stonewall riots were going on, butch lesbians gave a fuck what gay men were calling themselves? You think before the internet, they sat and debated what pronouns were or were not okay to use? What labels were or were not "non-controversial?" NO, of fucking-course-not! They were fighting just to be respected, fighting just to fucking survive, as we still are. OPEN YOUR EYES.
- "But a transgender man calling himself a lesbian is transphobic to himself!" ...He isn't forcing every transgender man to call themself a lesbian.
- "He/Him lesbians don't make sense!" ..Pronouns don't equal gender.
Honestly, why does it matter? Why do you give a singular shit?? Nobody is forcing you to call yourself something you don't want to, so... just, respect them?
At the end of the day, gender, pronouns, and sexuality are all things we made up. Labels are tools, not rules. Use what makes you feel comfy.
Peace (✿◡‿◡)