You're alive? Whoa.

Awww! I'm so happy for them both :)

My mom: "Why does your apartment smell like cigarettes?"

I know I've seen that face before...

Your opinion is duly noted and engraved in the annals of history, madam.

Frankly, who cares who is on a bullshit list from a failing print magazine industry? After "all of us" or "you" made the list one year, I'm pretty sure we gave up on this as a thing.

I think the part I would want to poke is designating political leanings, since we don't have control over those as much as we like to try. When I mean political, I don't mean where you fall in a conservative/progressive spectrum, but how you negotiate and are negotiated within power rhetorics. Although I would say…

I'm not sure I understand the question, frankly. Is it that identities can be separated from the political? That's an interesting the thought experiment, but my guess is no, they cannot. Even your explanation of the pillow queen (which thank you! That makes sense) is still rife with political power, and forces outside…

I am sorry if that's how it came off, but I had no intention of mocking; rather, I have a problem with identity politics, no matter what group it comes with. And my problem is not that it happens, per se, but that it happens unquestioningly, and that when it is critiqued, the answer is always "you aren't part of the…

which part of that makes me an outsider, then?

I said i was bi. Is that no longer queer

I know what all those labels mean too - I am bi, although I think the gold star was taught to me via the L Word... which all right. I get most of these, and I understand the inclination it in other subcultures too (sub and dom and all the other signifiers in the BDSM community, etc). It makes sense in terms of dating…

I remember you made a point awhile ago about a porn star within the queer community and who described herself as a "woodsy artfag" among other labels. Was the problem the inclusion of the word fag, and the woody art part an identifier in some way?

It makes sense to me. I'm bisexual, but I tend to be attracted to people who have a (socially constructed) masculinity, although there have been a few times where I have been attracted (and been with) classically female persons, so. Shrug.

Yeah, agreed with that re: the age thing. Perhaps the real thesis from this is I am too old for this kind of thing.

That does make sense, but I feel like more often than not, you see a twisted reflection of a fun-house, not necessarily yourself, staring back.

Thank you! You're exactly right. It feels "twee".

I REFUSE TO PLAY YOU. EVEN ON VACATION WITH MY PARENTS.

Also, the carebear one? What does that mean? Is that an identity? I also don't get grown people choosing their identities off of products lines made popular in the 80's with a current resurgence, but whatever. Everyone does everyone.

And that's fine. I'm all for respecting how people want to identify themselves, and realize that's a political act in itself. I do think it gets a little bat-shit after awhile. Pillow Princess, which I had to look up, has to do with receiving but not giving oral sex. That's cool, you do you, but that's hardly a…