How do you feel about labels?

Labels can be useful in that they give us tools with which to communicate. They are not, however, always entirely accurate, and can sometimes be misused. I suppose I view them as analogous to rounding numbers. You can say 3.2 is 3. You wouldn't be lying, and it gives people a general sense of what you're talking about, but you'd be unwise to use it when trying to calculate a missile trajectory.

To add to this, I've decided to settle with Queer as a sexuality because it's something of an anti-label. I'm not forced to explain or confront the intricacies of my sexuality, whilst still being out. As for gender, that's a little fuzzy too. I just go with 'guy' mostly.

 

I dont like labels.

 

Not really lol i just personally dont like them too much.

 

It was quite difficult for me up until about just over a year ago because labels are something that people in general are so used to using and everyone seems to almost need labels, especially when it comes to sexuality and gender stuff, maybe so they can know what it is and understand it better? I don't know.

But because it took me a while of working out what my sexuality was and for a while I didn't fit the label of what I'd thought I was and that was very confusing for me. I wanted a label, just for my benefit, so that I knew what I could say when I was asked (when I decided to tell people, that is). The problem is I think that sexuality and gender are so fluid, it's not like shoe size or height or something like that where you're a particular number, and I think when you're trying to work out what you are or what you like, having such strict labels can be very hard especially if you know you don't fit completely into the label you think you should be, if that makes sense?

I know for some people it's easy, they just know that they're gay or straight or gender fluid or whatever and that's that. But for the rest of us it's not so. And although I would definitely now say that I am gay and I know that I would probably not want to date a guy, aside from the fact that I'm still, for the most part, in the closet, I'm still reluctant to actually say "I'm gay, I like girls, just girls" because what if I'm not? What if however many years from now I end up with a guy and like it just as much as if I were with a girl?
As unlikely as I think that is, and while I stick with gay, because that is what I feel I am now, I still have that nagging in the back of my mind "what if I'm not" kind of thing. And maybe it's just because I was so confused for such a long time and it took me years to realise what I like and I've only really properly known for a few months, and maybe I'm still tentative about it.

I think for the purposes of explaining to other people in simple terms, or for those who definitely know what they are and what they like, labels aren't a bad thing necessarily. But for those of us who aren't sure, it can be very confusing. And in fact, once you label someone as gay or lesbian or trans, there are certain stereotypes and stigmas that come along with those labels that can be very difficult to shake off, so I don't know really, I'm a bit on the fence about things like that

 

I have to agree with Hexagon.

I personally don't care, but seriously, I'm not automatically gay just because I'm a guy who likes other guys. >>

 

I agree completely. I have similar worries, as well. I've been having a lot of angst over labels and what to call myself. There are those of us who feel a little less solid in our preferences, and for me I'm trying to just be content with saying "I like girls." It's a confusing space to be in, when, like for me, you see 1 guy you find attractive for every say 10-20 women.

 

I don't mind labels as much as people would think. I just say "I'm gay" because I know that it's 100% true that I would only want to have a relationship, find attractive, sleep with, and have sex with a guy. But I feel as if the common person, well...at least people with whom I'm associated, don't know about "pansexual, homoerotic, etc." and I feel that labels shouldn't be used in this case in order to avoid mislabeling. You are your own person and you should have a label that suits you. You create it and inform people on it.

 

They're awesome!!! It makes things so much easier alot of the time

 

All the labels that accurately describe what I am sound ridiculous and nobody has ever heard of them. Lately I've been tempted to just say queer.

 

I like labels as convenient gateways to a sense of solid identity and belonging. Employing particular terms to describe oneself is a concise means of conveying who or what one is.

That being said, I prefer adjectival statements such as "I like girls." This, to me, sounds much more real than simply "I am a lesbian."

 

Labels can be good when you're confused and you're still trying to figure out who you are. But the way I see them, they are only templates- ideas to work off from that you can customize and bling up to suit you because we're unique and how we love, who feel we are and how we express ourselves are completely ours to name.

 

I like labels for me it works , I don't want men hitting on me or thinking they have a chance with me that's why I use the label lesbian because I'm only into women , I don't want anything to do with men maybe friendship but nothing else .
So that's why I use them .

 

Labels in general are nothing bad but speaking for myself I don't like them.
I identify as gay yea. But I don't need a box to be put in that others can put me there and that's it. I am the label and they see me as that.
I like girls. And I'm lesbian. Right. But that's only a part of me. I'm not only lesbian and I think that's the danger of some labels. I mean, that others only see you as your label.

 

I don't like them and I'd rather not have to spend hours in my head worrying about how people are gonna label me down the line. The only label I want is 'me'.

 

This thread makes me think maybe most people in the lgbt community are mulitsexual

 

Personally I like labels because I like having a word for what I feel and it's nice to feel like I fit in somewhere, but I understand if some people don't like them.

 

That may be, though monosexuals tend to be more represented. I'd imagine you're right that labels are less well-thought of among multisexulas, but particularly among those with asexual tendencies, or confusing romantic orientations. Also, probably among those who are nearly monosexual, but don't want to confine themselves. For those who do fit simple labels like 'gay' or 'straight', I'd imagine they're quite convenient.