Bear with me-- one thing about me is that when I write about things, I find what I mean to say as I go along. So this will likely be incomplete and rough around the edges, but I did want to try to get some of my thoughts down, if only so I can understand them more fully.

I have often heard people express the sentiment that labels are unnecessary. That labels do more harm than good. That labels actually create problems because they keep us all from realizing that we're all part of one race, ~the human race (oh, that chestnut).

I very much disagree. Labels, like practically anything, can do harm or good. But it depends how they're used. If they're used by people, knowingly or unknowingly, to box people in and limit them, then of course they're bad. When people use any tool to perpetuate oppression, it's bad.

( This gets long.Collapse )