Labels and roles are silly

So I've been getting into conversations with different people about how silly labeling is...whether it be race, gender, sexual orientation, religion...etc.

Oh, I'm white, you're black. I'm female, you're male. I'm straight, you're gay. Because in all reality, I see so much of myself in every role that exists. I have very masculine qualities, yet, I have female parts. I know males that are more female than some females I know. Although *most* people might label me as heterosexual, there is a part of me that is homosexual. And race...an issue that even MORE silly to me...we are all people...with different skin pigments big deal.

It seems like all these lines are so blurred lately, for me at least. I love men who are a little feminine, or at least have feminine qualities...would one say that I'm homosexual because of this reason? Or a guy who is attracted to me...I'm quite androgenous in both looks and personality, does that make him gay?

See, everything is so blurred...it gets to the point where it doesn't even matter anymore...where societal labels are almost worthless...

Discuss.

 

What you speak of is the end of racism and prejudice. As long as we label and see people as different races and genders there will be inequality, and we all know the types of things that leads to.

Stop seeing black people, white people, gay people, Jewish people, and so on, and just start seeing people. I think we'd all be amazed at what we'd find and how much more peaceful and productive the world would really be.

 

I think it's important to acknowledge race/orientation/gender and all that shit, in some cases, because it adds to a person's individuality and personality, whether we are objective enough to see it or not. We all have our differences, and I think it's important to identify those differences, so long as you don't judge or criticize a person because of those differences. Different aspects of individuality are what make the world interesting. If we chose not to acknowledge the different qualities people embody, then the world would be a boring ass place where individuality and self-respect don't exist, because how can we respect ourselves if we are no different than everyone else?

 

Race orientation and gender don't make us who we are. What we think, what we say, and how we act make us who we are regardless of physicality. If everybody acted the same and looked different, would we be individuals still?

 

But think about it... some women are proud to be women because they've given birth to children and the like..... Some people of certain races are proud to be that race because of where they are from and their history. I do see tns's point... certain differences should be recognized but that doesn't mean people should be treated differently- every person should be treated as a human.

 

I don't see where the color of your skin matters in recognizing heritage, accomplishments, or milestones in life

 

Many people are proud of the culture that they came from though.

 

culture and skin color are not synonymous, they're usually good indicators of each other, but taking away a label does not take away heritage.

 

True enough but you at least see my point? I do see your point also.

 

I do understand what you're saying, but I must admit I am failing to find the significance. Is a flower any less beautiful when you don't have a name for it?

 

I know some people are going to think that I'm just being stubborn on this, so here's my question:

What is one thing that can be taken away from a person if they no longer have a racial title?

 

No, but it would be more interesting if it had a name, a genus, a species, a plant-family order, and a traceable lineage :H


Hotwater

 

Their racial pride. Many people have a lot of pride, regarding their race/ethnicity, because of the struggles their race or ethnicity has had to face in the past and also because of what they still have to face today. The same goes for gender and sexual orientation.

It goes both ways, really. A person may be criticized because of their race and they may be judged by their sexual orientation or gender and it may cause them a lot of hardships, but they still wouldn't trade it for the world because then the hardships they or their ancestors have faced and the adversity they have overcome will have been for nothing.

It seems that the only people that have no pride in their race are us white folk, because we have always been the "bad guy". All other races have had to endure a lot of cruelty and hard times because of white people and the "majority", and it would be a shame to disregard all of that shit because then they would have gone through all of that shit for nothing, as a race or as a certain sexual orientation.

That's how I feel. It may sound insanely ignorant, as I am quite intoxicated, at the moment. hahaha

 

Racial pride just screams KKK...I hate that idea.

 

A title does not define who you are...and doesn't make you who you are. Experiences might make who you are...and some of those experiences may be because of your race, gender, or sexual preferance.

Therefore, I agree with you

 

Speaking as an african american, I've never held any animosity towards you caucasus mountain dwelling troglodytes - slavery or not.


Hotwater

 

Hotwater: Does a rose no longer have it's lineage because it no longer has a title?

TNS: When it comes to racial minorities, have those such as MLK Jr not fought for equality of races? What do you get when you have no race? You have no racial discrimination. Would people magically negate his work and social achievements if you stopped calling a black man, black? Would their black ancestors be any less important to them? How do you lose pride in your history by losing a label? When I take the label off of my mountain dew it tastes just as good. If I didn't know that race ever existed I'd be just as proud of my grandfather as I am today. I'd still know he saved two lives during the second world war. I'd still know that he raised several successful, open-minded children. I'd still love the memories of him and the things we did together. If I didn't know that race ever existed I'd still cry for my Native American ancestors and feel sorrow for their trials and tribulations.

These are all things that know no boundary. No race, gender, sexual preference etc can take away from what those before us did in their life time. If I wasn't labeled a white man, my family tree would still be in tact, would it not? I have always and will always fail to see the significance of separating people by race, gender, and preference(of any kind). To me it is of no importance in either people I've met, people I look up to, people I respect, people I fear, and so on.

"A rose, by any other name, is just as sweet" - not to mention it can still be gentically traced and linked to other flowers.

 

hahaha

Whether animosity is present or not, we have still always been the bad guys. MOST of the violent racial tension, at least in the US, has been at the fault of white folks. Like I said, it seems that the only people who aren't proud of their race are the white people, because a lot of us feel guilty for what our ancestors have done or participated in, in regards to demeaning, degrading, and actually harming or killing people because of their race. I'm not ashamed to be white, necessarily, but I am ashamed that some white people claim to be superior, simply because they are white, and I don't want to be associated with them in any way. It saddens me....the ignorance and the hate. You don't see alot of that from other races, because they know what it feels like to be discriminated against. Sure, some people of other races are racist too, but it's nowhere near as prominant as it is with white people.

 

Dude, I'm not talking about equality. I believe we are all equal and there should be no separation based on race or anything else related to individuality, but that doesn't mean a person shouldn't feel pride for their race, sexual orientation, or gender. All of that stuff may not be what defines us a people, but it is still a part of what/who we are, even if it's just a little bit, and it should be recognized.



I know if I was black/asian/hispanic, I'd be proud of it. If I was homosexual, I'd be proud of it. If I was a female, I'd be proud of it. Every aspect of our existance has some influence on who we are as people.

 

If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

The answer to both questions is no :H


Hotwater