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davidbowieslovechild
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Name: Hungry
Country: United States
State: Pennsylvania
Metro: York
Birthday: 7/25/1985
Gender: Female
Interests: Eating, video games, wasting time
Expertise: Being lazy, growing hair
Occupation: Artist
Industry: Textiles
Message: message me
Member Since:
3/25/2004
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| I am posting so that this site is not removed.
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| So this is my view of labels, which I have neglected to write for awhile, even though it's been in my head, because there are many people I fear that might think I'm talking about them, when really I don't want to point fingers. It's just a trend I see of people avoiding labels, which is fine on the surface, but I want to argue for the benefit of labels.
What I've learned in anthropology is the way human behavior is categorized, and from that have seen the benefit of such categorization. We, especially in Western society, naturally categorize, naturally dichotomize. Obviously, one possibly arbitrary categorization is sexual identity, which our culture has made far from aribitrary. The problem is that often in Western society, dichotomy easily becomes tied to moral judgment and this, I think, becomes a reason why people avoid labelling their behavior. However, this leads to more moral problems.
Sexual identity is expressed through behavior and also private thoughts. When others become aware of a person's behavior and any thought they might share, they categorize such people, unless instructed not to. I believe that such instruction not to categorize people is an unintentional insult to those who do take on the "shameful" label. I've noticed people resist taking on a bisexual label, probably because bisexuals face pressure from both the homosexual and heterosexual worlds. However, avoidance of labelling oneself as such, to me, seems to be an attempt to place one above the troubles of bisexuals. If one is bisexual in thought and action but does not take the label, it is a method of separation from those who have dared to take what is, as I understand, a very troublesome label to take.
If someone is attracted to both genders, would date both genders, and would sleep with both genders, as I see it, that person is bisexual. To refuse to take the label is to spit in the face of those who have, to try to set yourself above them. When people refuse to take the label, they reinforce the fact that it is a supposedly "shameful" label to take. The only way we can make "shameful" labels less stigmatized is to accept them. Those unwilling to do so are not taking any kind of stand if favor of those so stigmatized. Unless, of course, we make a society where no one need label their sexual behavior. Until then, in my opinion, labelling helps, because I don't see Western society being so careless about sexuality for a long time.
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| I hardly feel qualified to speak for the "homosexual community" at large, but I had to say something when I saw this. Someone I know wrote that the homosexual community hates ex-gays because they prove change is possible and sexuality isn't all genetic. I have to respond to this because of several fallacies.
One is that the homosexual community doesn't hate ex-gays. We pity you. Not to sound condescending, but it's true. We do hate the assholes who make you think it's possible to become straight, but we feel so bad for you for struggling so hard through something we know is futile. No one wants to be gay at first and pretty much everyone goes through a period of denial. The difference is you thought you were given a way out, and you haven't been able to move on into acceptance.
The thing that gets me about ex-gay is that they're so inconsistent. Some of them claim to have become straight, others just claim that they have left the "lifestyle." In the former case, I feel those are the people who have locked themselves up in the closet the tightest. They have learned to pretend and that's all they do. For the latter case, they are clearly still homosexual. Not acting on your natural impulses does not change your sexual identity. And ignoring them will not make them disappear. It's healthier to deal with it and accept it. As you learn to accept yourself, the shame society has thrust onto you will disappear. There are religious organizations that can support you as well.
Secondly, we know not all sexuality is genetic. There is no "gay gene." What we are fairly certain of is that there is a genetic predisposition that is triggered early, irrevocably, and not by anything that can be prevented. Most likely, is it caused by hormones the fetus is exposed to in the womb. Attempts to search out a root for homosexuality, through trauma with peers or opposite-sex adult influence in life, will not show why homosexuality happens. The causes are far deeper. So many people experience trauma in family or adolescence and they are not gay. I had my share of teasing, but I never eroticized it. Your search for your root, while therapeutic for you to deal with in general, is as futile as your attempt to hide from your own sexual identity. I can almost guarantee that all your hiding is hurting you far more than than acceptance would. All of these ex-gay blogs make me terribly sad and terribly pissed. I hope that all of you figure out who you are and learn to accept it because, cliche as it is, you're stuck with it.
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| So my school went crazy Thursday when a "suspicious package" was
dropped off in front of Wright Hall, which is a building mostly full of
professor's offices with a few classrooms in the basement. They put
yellow tape closing off a big part of the campus so I had to take a
really round-about way to the library (since we were still open with
bomb threats on campus, even though classes were cancelled?! Seriously the library is a really populated
building, they should have closed it and searched it for bombs!).
Anyway, so no one knew what was going on eventually an email was sent out telling us that it was just a box of papers. But they didn't tell everything.
What happened was that a member of ROTC saw a dark-skinned man driving a decaled car with out of state license plates drive up and drop off a box by the the trash can. The kid got scared and called security.
However, this man "appearing to be of Middle-Eastern descent" was Kazim Ali, actually a professor at this university, a creative writing professor. And he's not even Middle Eastern, he's Indian. Yes, his white Beetle has New York plates, but it also has a bright blue Faculty parking sticker on it (that the ROTC kid claimed not to see), and the decals on his car are flowers. To top it off, his office is on the second floor of Wright Hall, the same floor that ROTC is on!
I heard this from Dr. VE, who figured out from the description the Provost gave her of Kazim and the car that it was him and tried to tell the police that it was just a box of poetry from a recent poetry contest (one that Danielle worked on for her internship with Kazim and Marie and I helped with, oddly enough). The police didn't listen to her at all.
A better account of the story can be seen on Kazim's website. I recommend everybody read it. Maybe what the ROTC kid did makes sense to you, but at the same time, it is still absurd. If any other professor had recycled in such a way, it would be no problem. But he was singled out because of his race. It's entirely unfair to make such assumptions about people and perpetuate a culture of fear.
The University is being really quiet about the race thing, but I want everybody to know. Plus the whole situation was handled poorly. A nearby residence hall was evacuated, but Wright Hall was not. I dunno. I just find it infuriating. Also, they were going to blow up the box of poems anyway as a "precautionary measure" but were convinced not to. What the hell?
Sometimes, people are stupid.
 | Currently Watching
Clerks
By Kenneth Clark, Walter Flanagan, Leslie Hope, Grace Smith, Virginia Smith
see related |
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| Our Cultural Studies class went to see Sonia Sanchez read her poetry last night, even though she had nothing to do with goth. And it was truly amazing. I wish I could properly describe the way her voice sounded, the way it was gentle but somehow so powerful, and the way she read with rhythm, and how it was performance, not just reading, but truly an extremely artful performance. She is a tiny, 72-year-old woman with long, gray dredlocks, but her voice and her poetry were so capitivating that I barely missed a single word.
Afterwards, Danielle bought both of us a copy of her book Does Your House Have Lions? and we went to get them signed. She wrote in mine, "To Sister Margaret--EBE YIYE!!! (it'll get better!). Walk beautifully in love/strength/peace. Sonia Sanchez 3/20/07." She gave us both hugs and gave us her phone number, which both of us were unable to copy down. She had ended her reading by telling all of us to try to go a week without saying anything terrible about anyone else. She asked Danielle and I again to try it and told us to call her if we were having trouble, if we needed to talk.
I can't explain it, but the way this woman was just got to me somehow. I felt awed at her presence. I wish I'd managed to copy down her number. I have this absurd feeling that I could tell her anything, everything, and she would have all the answers. That she would tell me the things that I need to hear but am too afraid to think. But that it would be freeing, and that I could learn to love myself more by listening to her. I don't know. It's entirely absurd. But, despite my crazy belief in her wisdom, she was still an absolutely amazing woman. I'm glad I got to meet her for a few minutes.
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