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Foucault would be rolling in his grave at tumblr and the rush to enumerate identities. Identity politics isn't per se a bad thing, in that done right theres something important to be gained in giving oppressed minorities some visibility and voice. The Gay community pioneered this poo poo with the idea of being IN YOUR FACE with alternative sexual and gender identities as a precursor to wider society chilling the gently caress out and actually engaging constructively. Still not a finished struggle (gay marriage, whacko homophobe churches, etc) but the tide is flowing neatly in the right way. But the urge to enumerate identities is complex. Part of where foucault was going with much of his analysis is that identity is not something essential to who people are but rather part of the social arangements they live in. Theres nothing "essentially" gay about a gay dude, other than a tendency to prefer dudes romantically/sexually, but all the other stuff, the lisps and foppish fashion awareness and other traits many people consider to be "gay" are simple social agreements that have been made and people adopt or are tagged with. Thus identity isn't part of who you are, but rather a constantly shifting and evolving set of power relationships that shape a persons subjectivity and are historical and contingent on whats going on. A variation of this is an idea from feminism of "performing" identies, as if they where a sort of character role. To put it bluntly, identities aren't real and reification of the power structures hidden behind these identities is not without consequence. This is not to necessarily say its a bad thing all the time. People can find joy in their identity and find community in them. But its important to understand that they also are part of the same complex system that ALSO oppresses us that has constructed little badges to enscribe on ourselves and if we *really* wanted to be free we might consider loving them off all together. It begs the question then, what exactly is an "identities" value if its a miserable existance as a disempowered tumblr moaner. Does it even make sense to say "I am multiple" when on some level everyone is, most people just aren't fortifying themselves in that bleak little foxhole. Its important to recognize that being gay, being black, being woman are important designations of who people feel they are and what about themselves they wish respected. And it should be respected in the interest of not being a fuckhead and affording other people respect and dignity. But when it comes to being an "otherkin transasian otter" , I cant help feeling what we are really seeing is the jibbering lunatic consequences of the whole system of identity. duck monster fucked around with this message at 15:22 on Jun 19, 2014 |
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Jun 19, 2014 15:19
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