This is (usually) the result of years of not being to openly label yourself, hiding who you are, and feeling alone and not part of a broader community.
Just like a compressed spring will then expand after being let go before returning to a more balanced state, when society slowly gave queer people the space to at least exist openly, people started looking really deeply at “who they are” and “what communities do I belong to” and “how do I find what I want in a sea of diversity” which in turn gave rise to surprisingly specific microlabeling.
The tendency is for this to tone down, with broader categories. But who knows, we can’t really predict language and societal change like that.
That would explain why hbt -> hbtq -> htbqi -> hbtqi+ (and probably more that I don’t know about).
I was very confused when this started early on, when trying to do right and using the correct label/word, just to learn there was a new letter to the acronym.
You are who you are, whether you publicly label yourself as it or not. Others recognizing how I feel, and what I want, has nothing to do with whether it is legitimate or not.
Man, I never understood the need to microlabel yourself. Just seems weird.
This is (usually) the result of years of not being to openly label yourself, hiding who you are, and feeling alone and not part of a broader community.
Just like a compressed spring will then expand after being let go before returning to a more balanced state, when society slowly gave queer people the space to at least exist openly, people started looking really deeply at “who they are” and “what communities do I belong to” and “how do I find what I want in a sea of diversity” which in turn gave rise to surprisingly specific microlabeling.
The tendency is for this to tone down, with broader categories. But who knows, we can’t really predict language and societal change like that.
I saw that in myself actually. I used to look for a very specific label to describe myself with, now I just go with “mostly man I guess”
That would explain why hbt -> hbtq -> htbqi -> hbtqi+ (and probably more that I don’t know about).
I was very confused when this started early on, when trying to do right and using the correct label/word, just to learn there was a new letter to the acronym.
Hbt?
Homophobic, biphobic, transphobic
That makes sense, thanks.
Labeling yourself is not being who you are. And, gender nor sexuality are a community.
It’s a part of it, and they can be.
You are who you are, whether you publicly label yourself as it or not. Others recognizing how I feel, and what I want, has nothing to do with whether it is legitimate or not.
How so?
Labeling myself helps me understand myself better and finding others like me.
People coming together for a shared cause/feeling/purpose is a community. That’s like saying knitting isn’t a community.
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Yes
I never understood the need to label yourself at all but I mean if it helps that’s great I guess
Why would you not want to be placed in the smallest possible box?
/s