What’s in a name?

[Shana A]

What's in a name?

November 18, 2010 by tashauk

http://tashauk.wordpress.com/2010/11/18/whats-in-a-name/

In the summer I was involved in a discussion panel at Norwich Pride on the topic "Labels are for Soup Cans" (every time I write or say this I have a Warhol flashback, but maybe that's just me). A diverse panel discussed language used to describe LGBT folk and also language that we use to describe ourselves. At one stage a panel member used language to describe trans people which I was uncomfortable with. I raised my concerns and he saw my point – a lot of "offensive" use of language is unintentional after all – and we moved on. It felt like a friendly and constructive discussion, and the audience was also very engaged and involved.

As I began to move towards transition, the "labels" people used about me, and I used about myself, began to change.