Butler's attempt to redefine
heterosexual and homosexual attitudes in her essay, “Imitation and
Gender Insubordination" was a daunting read. What I take away
from her analysis is that it's true, language does fail us at times.
We end up labeling people and using these labels to grope for
meaning. I'm sure there are those in the disabled community that do
not appreciate being called disabled. That term does not get at who
they are as people anymore than saying someone is gay or straight
gets at the heart of that person. That said, I can see how “coming
out” could give a person peace of mind and in that way it's
important. Butler makes the argument that by coming out one is just
reentering the closet. Well, that's how Butler feels about it. Maybe
someone else will feel liberated. I say this because I have met
people who are happier now that they are out. Overall, I would say
sending the message that staying closeted is better than coming out
is untrue. There is an important awareness of self that develops when
you can really be honest about who you are. I feel like coming out is
not really about those around you who do not understand you. It's
more about you and those around you who accept you and do understand
you.
I think happiness comes from realizing and embracing your identity regardless of fitting a classification.
ReplyDeleteSure but the classification can help you when you're young and confused about who you are. It can help you realize who you are or are not and maybe you don't identify with it after a time once you've grown or adjusted. The classification can help you realize you don't fit it's mold just as well as it can give some insight into who you are. If everyone could embrace identity in the way you say imagine how much cooler the world would be! You'd have naked poets crying in the streets, fire-breathers on your lawn, people just totally embracing who they are in public for all to see!
ReplyDeleteI think maybe we could reframe this to say that community is helpful to people moreso than classification. Belonging is key to who we are as human beings and I think being part of a group - in this case like PFLAG or something - can definitely be beneficial to people. I don't think Butler would at all disagree with that or that people need support. I think what she's saying is that defining yourself as anything - heterosexual, homosexual, man, woman, transgender - has a cost. It presumes a certain "way" to be something or someone and that's always gonna be a problem. What does it look like to be a straight man or a gay woman? Our society is steeped in stereotypes for both that include everything from dress and speech to ideas about commitment and family. I think Butler wants us to just question all of it and to realize that there is no original or right way to be -- only copies and mimicry and performance.
ReplyDeleteThomas,
ReplyDeleteI think the whole idea of labeling oneself is intriguing. I remember reading an interview with performance artist Laurie Anderson, who created an androgynous persona for her work. She said something like, “I see myself first as an artist, second as a New Yorker, and third as a woman.” (I might have gotten that mixed up a bit, but seeing herself as a woman was not first.)
That really resonated with me. I believe there is often a disconnect between how people view themselves and how they are viewed by others. I knew a woman who was struggling about coming out as a lesbian, and her mother told her, “If you come out, then people will see you foremost as a lesbian and then as a person.” Of course, this isn’t true, but I think it speaks to a basic human need to categorize those around us.
Also, I liked what Jen said about labeling oneself as a means to feel accepted by a particular group. Quite true.
Hayley