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We love labels. We hate labels. It makes us look good and it make us look bad too. We always have this love-hate affair with label. We like Prada, Ferragamo, and Hermes on us. But think again, it could be bad to have Prada from head to toe when you are at a charity carwash event for the poor. In this case, Old Navy is more suitable. Better if you get them from Salvation Army.
Gay, straight, Bi, Transgender, pre-op, post-op, butch, femme, lipstick, jock, twink, bear, rice queen, potato queen, top, bottom, muscular, thin, fat, Asian, Latino, Caucasian, versatile and the list goes on and on. Some would argue that aren't Asian, Latino etc are races? Yes they are! But if you ever been in the gay dating or pickup circuit, you would agree with me that concept of race can be a label!
Of course, at time an individual can carry multiple labels at the same time. It is like the washing instructions on your clothes: Do not bleach, wash with like color, and tumble-dry only! Often, you are able to change some of your labels depending on the circumstances, but often, you can't change all of your labels. For instance, my label reads: Gay, Asian, top, butch and potato queen. I can take off my top and potato queen label under certain circumstances. But I can never change the fact that I am a Gay Asian male. Does this situation pose challenge or threat in life? Of course it does.
In Washington DC, or most U.S. cities, some of the best label reads: White, muscular, versatile, butch, rich and live in Chevy Chase. Some of the worst read: fat, poor, gay, versatile, ugly and live in Southeast DC. Certain labels repeat itself in both class of guy. But they work very differently. Will the second guy be happier if he is straight as it is a less body conscious community? Will be first guy be put in a homophobic community and still be happy?
In a nutshell, there are labels that are beneficial regardless where you are. But there are labels that are situational beneficial base upon the surrounding. People try so hard to label themselves and change label that are given to them. I reckon, no one is ever happy with all his labels all the times.
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