Identity, Authenticity - Do they conflict?

Mister Bent · 01-05-2011, 02:48 PM

Excellent thread topic, thank you for starting this discussion, Nat.

I need to think on this a bit further, but I did have an immediate thought in response to the following:

"Do you feel the identity or identities you carry are barriers to authenticity or do you think of them as means of expressing your authenticity?"

It seems for me that the shedding of the desire to name/label myself has run a parallel course with an increased feeling of personal authenticity. In the last 5 years, identity labels have begun to feel increasingly restrictive to me, and more a source of division than cohesion.

JustLovelyJenn · 01-05-2011, 04:50 PM

This subject interests me a lot. It is also one I have done a great deal of research on, and a great deal of thinking.

I am lucky enough to be part of a group that presents a LGTB sensitivity Safe Space training at a local community college. Years ago when I was a student there I was privileged to help develop this training for the campus and have continued to be asked to present with the group 3 times a year. One of the topics we touch on is LGTB Identity Development, looking at research done by Alfred Kinsey, Fritz Klein, and Vivianne Cass. As well as looking at a non LGTB Identity development model by Hardiman and Jackson.

With all of that said... Its given me a very different view of Identity and Labels then I had when I first started coming out.

Identity labels are a social construct, not limited to any one person or groups of people. Each person in any given society is subject to the need to identify themselves with those around them, or in some cases, make the decision that they do NOT identify with the "norm" and decide what it is they do identify with.

These societal views of identity can serve to both unite and divide a community. Just like the fact that I identify as a queer lesbian alienates me from my religious family, it also gives me common ground within the Butch Femme community.

The biggest thing that came to my mind with this thread, as I read through the original post, and the responses to follow is the idea of Multiple dimensions of Identity. The idea that around ones core self orbits all of the Identity labels that we choose to use. In this case, for myself, I may include Mother, Musician, Daughter, Teacher, Lesbian, Queer, Person with Anxiety, Sister, Caucasian... among others. Each of these pieces of my identity move continually around my Core (authentic) self, contributing to it, but not changing it. Depending on the situation that I am in I may choose to keep some of these Identities at the back, guarded and unseen. As a Teacher I may feel comfortable showing that I am also a mother, but find it unnecessary and maybe even scary to reveal that I am Queer. For me this does not lessen the importance of any part of myself. By seeing this way, I have been able to develop many different aspects of myself with very little inner turmoil. I have embraced my many identities and used them to enhance my authentic, or core, self.

julieisafemme · 01-05-2011, 09:06 PM

Excellent thread!

At Butch Voices LA we had this same discussion in a workshop on feminism. One woman made the point that labels are what people apply to you and identity is how you see yourself. She said that the two are conflated sometimes and that is not good for people. She said that she wants to have an identity before someone applies a label to her. This is bad paraphrasing but that was the gist.

I feel the opposite of some here in that the more I have learned about myself the more I have been able to define myself with language. The words are powerful to me! I am a Jew, queer, a femme, neurodiverse. These are all words that I chose to define myself and they are hard won and precious to me.

I am more authentic now than in any other time in my life because I can define myself to myself and others. Maybe I have chosen the right words now instead of hiding behind the identity I had constructed for myself before.

01-05-2011, 02:48 PM	#1
Mister Bent Senior Member How Do You Identify?: . Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: . Posts: 2,905 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 4,151 Thanked 5,825 Times in 1,722 Posts Rep Power: 21474854	Subscribing! Excellent thread topic, thank you for starting this discussion, Nat. I need to think on this a bit further, but I did have an immediate thought in response to the following: "Do you feel the identity or identities you carry are barriers to authenticity or do you think of them as means of expressing your authenticity?" It seems for me that the shedding of the desire to name/label myself has run a parallel course with an increased feeling of personal authenticity. In the last 5 years, identity labels have begun to feel increasingly restrictive to me, and more a source of division than cohesion. __________________ Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats. - H. L. Mencken

01-05-2011, 04:50 PM	#2
JustLovelyJenn Senior Member How Do You Identify?: Femme Preferred Pronoun?: She/her Relationship Status: That's Need to Know Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Aberdeen, WA Posts: 4,478 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 12,464 Thanked 13,992 Times in 3,684 Posts Rep Power: 21474856	This subject interests me a lot. It is also one I have done a great deal of research on, and a great deal of thinking. I am lucky enough to be part of a group that presents a LGTB sensitivity Safe Space training at a local community college. Years ago when I was a student there I was privileged to help develop this training for the campus and have continued to be asked to present with the group 3 times a year. One of the topics we touch on is LGTB Identity Development, looking at research done by Alfred Kinsey, Fritz Klein, and Vivianne Cass. As well as looking at a non LGTB Identity development model by Hardiman and Jackson. With all of that said... Its given me a very different view of Identity and Labels then I had when I first started coming out. Identity labels are a social construct, not limited to any one person or groups of people. Each person in any given society is subject to the need to identify themselves with those around them, or in some cases, make the decision that they do NOT identify with the "norm" and decide what it is they do identify with. These societal views of identity can serve to both unite and divide a community. Just like the fact that I identify as a queer lesbian alienates me from my religious family, it also gives me common ground within the Butch Femme community. The biggest thing that came to my mind with this thread, as I read through the original post, and the responses to follow is the idea of Multiple dimensions of Identity. The idea that around ones core self orbits all of the Identity labels that we choose to use. In this case, for myself, I may include Mother, Musician, Daughter, Teacher, Lesbian, Queer, Person with Anxiety, Sister, Caucasian... among others. Each of these pieces of my identity move continually around my Core (authentic) self, contributing to it, but not changing it. Depending on the situation that I am in I may choose to keep some of these Identities at the back, guarded and unseen. As a Teacher I may feel comfortable showing that I am also a mother, but find it unnecessary and maybe even scary to reveal that I am Queer. For me this does not lessen the importance of any part of myself. By seeing this way, I have been able to develop many different aspects of myself with very little inner turmoil. I have embraced my many identities and used them to enhance my authentic, or core, self. __________________ --Jenn

01-05-2011, 09:06 PM	#3
julieisafemme Member How Do You Identify?: Femme Woman Preferred Pronoun?: She Relationship Status: Married to Greyson Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: In the present Posts: 828 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 3,156 Thanked 3,434 Times in 660 Posts Rep Power: 21474852	Excellent thread! At Butch Voices LA we had this same discussion in a workshop on feminism. One woman made the point that labels are what people apply to you and identity is how you see yourself. She said that the two are conflated sometimes and that is not good for people. She said that she wants to have an identity before someone applies a label to her. This is bad paraphrasing but that was the gist. I feel the opposite of some here in that the more I have learned about myself the more I have been able to define myself with language. The words are powerful to me! I am a Jew, queer, a femme, neurodiverse. These are all words that I chose to define myself and they are hard won and precious to me. I am more authentic now than in any other time in my life because I can define myself to myself and others. Maybe I have chosen the right words now instead of hiding behind the identity I had constructed for myself before.