The Confusing World of Labels

The Confusing World of Labels World of Labels

We live in a world where we are constantly being asked to define ourselves and it is no different when it comes to sexuality. Personally, I am an avid believer of sexuality being a spectrum (see the Kinsey Scale for more information) and find myself constantly trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Often, when people ask my sexuality, I hear myself saying: ‘Well if someone was holding a gun to my head asking right now, I would say bisexual’. So, why do I feel this need to fit under a certain label without a gun held to my head? Sexuality is fluid, and many people discover as they get older (if they don’t already know) that it’s less about the labels of a person and more about the person when it comes to love. I often feel as if I am in a battle between having a label and not having one. Labels come with great significance historically and when it comes to representation, it doesn’t work without some kind of label.

I believe that representation is so important as I grew up in an area that did not celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community, although I was brought up in a loving family who have always celebrated me and my identity (which is something that is a privilege). I never saw myself in any books, TV shows, films or in my daily life growing up to the extent that I didn’t know that bisexuality existed and have had to deal with a lot of internalised biphobia as a result of the world I grew up in. This is why I believe representation when done in a celebratory way is so crucial as to be seen is everyone’s dream. So, as a result, I worry that if I don’t label myself then I am not being that representation that people, especially young people, so desperately need. I worry that it is my internalised biphobia talking. However, the reality is that we live in a world where we have always had to define ourselves and, slowly but surely, we are moving away from that. So from now on, when people ask about my sexuality, I will simply say: I’m bi and I believe in the Kinsey scale.

By Kirsty Taylor. Kirsty is a 24-year-old student teacher and the founder of Continue The Voice. When she is not teaching or competing in triathlons, she is drinking wine, writing poetry or podcasting. You can check out her podcast here, and her poetry here.