The “born this way” trope seems to be something that the media pushes a lot, and it’s wrong. Being able frame queerness as being not-by-choice helps some people give themselves permission to be queer. Anyone who is gatekeeping your identity is not an ally. Your identity is yours to do with as you please. If you’ve always been ace and only now are realizing it, great, that’s yours to determine. If you’re deciding that your identity now is ace and previously was something else, it’s your prerogative. The ability to grow and change is powerful.
Yeah I’ve always taken issue with “born this way” rhetoric because it doesn’t align with how gender identity works, particularly with people who’s identity constantly changes, or for people who’s identity changes with time.
The rhetoric about being “born this way” or that it’s “in your genes” is very easy to abuse in order to claim someone is “faking their identity” or otherwise not valid. Which is unacceptable.
Side note: I do not think it is productive or good for people to engage in discussions or discourse about people faking gender identity or orientation. The idea of people faking identity or attraction is actually really reductive and stupid, and gives credence to the idea that some people aren’t valid. If someone identifies a certain way you should respect them by virtue of how they identify even if their presentation deviates from the norm greatly.
Also I’ve heard the “born this way” or “in your genes” arguments used to reinforce claims that someone is not the orientation they say they are. I’ve seen it used in bi-erasure to argue a bisexual person is gay. I’ve also seen (and experienced) it being used to say someone isn’t the gender identity they identify as. This one is especially shitty to experience, it is essentially intentional misgendering, under the guise of helping.
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The “born this way” trope seems to be something that the media pushes a lot, and it’s wrong. Being able frame queerness as being not-by-choice helps some people give themselves permission to be queer. Anyone who is gatekeeping your identity is not an ally. Your identity is yours to do with as you please. If you’ve always been ace and only now are realizing it, great, that’s yours to determine. If you’re deciding that your identity now is ace and previously was something else, it’s your prerogative. The ability to grow and change is powerful.
Yeah I’ve always taken issue with “born this way” rhetoric because it doesn’t align with how gender identity works, particularly with people who’s identity constantly changes, or for people who’s identity changes with time. The rhetoric about being “born this way” or that it’s “in your genes” is very easy to abuse in order to claim someone is “faking their identity” or otherwise not valid. Which is unacceptable.
Side note: I do not think it is productive or good for people to engage in discussions or discourse about people faking gender identity or orientation. The idea of people faking identity or attraction is actually really reductive and stupid, and gives credence to the idea that some people aren’t valid. If someone identifies a certain way you should respect them by virtue of how they identify even if their presentation deviates from the norm greatly.
Also I’ve heard the “born this way” or “in your genes” arguments used to reinforce claims that someone is not the orientation they say they are. I’ve seen it used in bi-erasure to argue a bisexual person is gay. I’ve also seen (and experienced) it being used to say someone isn’t the gender identity they identify as. This one is especially shitty to experience, it is essentially intentional misgendering, under the guise of helping.