Last week in class, I brought up the idea of labeling in pornography, and I questioned if it was healthy. While I focused mainly on that area of media, I failed to really emphasize that my focus was on the idea of labeling. While reading this week's materials, I remembered what first caught my attention.
It is no doubt important to be heard, to be considered important, or to even be acknowledged. But it also can lead to negativity. When one person embraces their background or identification, another may comment on it and come up with any type of negative slur. This is a way to negatively group individuals together. I wonder if that same idea can be applied to terminology.
Of course, there are many negative terms for anyone who is queer, just as there is negative terms for almost any other personal choice. But by separating someone who is queer into the label of "queer," is it harming or helping? Does instituting these labels of identification allow for pride in representation or isolation? Or does it create both?
I am not against labels. I just have been internally working through this idea for a while now, and I wonder if anyone else has any thoughts on it.
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