(I don't normally post twice in one day, but considering it's been how many weeks now...? Double posting. Coming right up!)
"Hey! You're male!" "Hey! You're female!" "Hey...! You're... Gay! And you're... Lesbian! (Insert remark of disgust here.)" "Hey! You're straight!" "You asshole!" "Fucker!" "Ew, an Athiest!" (Think I've noted enough?)
All fracking day. Every fracking day. We just enjoy labelling each other, don't we? It's like we need these labels for everyday life, like we depend on them. Even I have noticed myself over these past few months using labels more than I'd like. I've never been one for calling somebody gay - not in my nature. Always been opposed to using said label. But calling someone an asshole? Ohhh yeah. All the time.
The problem is, we really have become reliant on these labels. They are our descriptors. Sometimes, it's not such a bad thing that they are used ("She's smart!"), but then there are times when they become dangerous - times like when a person uses a racial slur, or a homophobic term. That gets to people. It's called bullying, and it's why we have such a high suicide rate (especially amongst LGBTQ teens).
If you've walked the halls of a high school in the past ten years (I wouldn't recommend it, but hey, some of us have had to - or currently have to), you'd notice the sheer amount of language being thrown around - and I'm not talking Shakespeare being quoted either. I'm talking phrases like "What up, nigga?" and "That's so gay!" ... What the hell, gang? "Nigger" was a racial slur used to refer to African Americans some years ago, and is still an ugly term, yet I used to hear it being thrown around, all the time. A phrase I've always fought strongly was "That's so gay!" No. Is it happy? No? Then no, it's not 'gay'! Shut up.
As usual, the threat of labels does depend on the people involved. If it happens to be somebody who doesn't care, or knows how to brush them off, it's not going to matter... But if it's somebody who has heard it one too many times or is just tired of it, the offender might find their nose bent in ways it shouldn't be, or a couple of ribs misshapen.
I always feel a little sense of.... vengeful happiness when somebody who has hurt somebody else gets the hurt repaid to them more times over. I am not one to do much damage - I try my best not to - and I certainly don't like seeing somebody get hurt, but sometimes it's just too much and it feels like somebody needs to pay. It's those people, the ones that like to insult others with these ugly, painful labels, that need to get that repayment.
I'm getting off subject.
We need to watch our labels, in whatever walks of life. Maybe I'm biased, but it especially needs to be taken care of in the LGBT sections of reality. I've known - at least indirectly - two teenagers who have taken their own lives thanks to torment like this. What kind of shit is that? How is that... right? It isn't.
In the end though, what does it matter who you are, much less what others label you? A label is a generality placed on somebody because other people can't fathom the depths of the labeled person. It doesn't matter though what they're called. They are a PERSON. They are who they are. Nothing more, nothing less. It is not up to us to judge who that person is - there is nobody on this brown Earth that has the right to judge another person, much less state it.
Leave other people to be, and be yourself. If everybody were to do that, peace would actually be achievable...
(By the way, did you notice my minor Battlestar Galactica kick there earlier? I'm watching the series again... Be warned! Muahahahaha!)
Until next time.
Peace.
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