Brilliantly written and really interesting. I will say I don't think the concept of intersectionalism is to blame - intersectionalism as written in its original political context wasn't about assigning labels, but was about pointing to how the labels other people assign us then affect how we are treated by the state and by communities. It didn't say you needed to claim that identity for yourself necessarily. But if the state deemed you to be disabled, you lacked the same legal protections in work as able-bodied peers. And, in particular, black women lacked the protections women were afforded, as well as lacking the protections black men were afforded, which is what led to the idea of intersectionality being created - to have a framework and a name for looking at that specific experience. I think the modern, hyper-individualistic need to list all your identifiers as a way of selling yourself is a perversion of actual intersectionality. It was supposed to give you a way of talking about your experiences as someone outside the boxes society deemed worth protecting, it wasn't supposed to be a way of assigning yourself a restrictive label you use to sell yourself with.
a great point! I think that speaks to how language gets degraded, both on accident and on purpose. And what starts as a political tool ends up as a tool of anti-politics.
I totally agree! We've abstracted lots of useful political ideas and now incorrectly use the labels for them - a very human thing to do and a very annoying one sometimes!
2. So many lines in this post hit me, esp this one: "There’s a reason that dark nights of the soul happen at night. It’s because no one wants to see all that."
brilliant piece, the fixation with labels and categorization is something i struggle with and it really stems from this idea that everything needs to be classified into uselessly esoteric terminology.
i remember watching chris fleming’s “am i a man?” and thinking what was the point, but the performance itself is the answer, identity is something we consciously act out. while introducing labels can certainly help to orient our search for identity, it will never be a definitive encapsulation of all a person is.
Sheer brilliance in every line of this, the Hot Topic bit especially. As a 90s kid I remember the pre-microgenre era, and I connect it to the failures or pitfalls of intersectionalism in precisely the same way. Thanks for articulating this so well, I'll check out that comedian. And congratulations on the bf, they're a very lucky person by the sounds of it.
Just a normal day, I'm scrolling Substack, out of fucking nowhere my parasocial internet friend whom if I were to meet would in all honesty actually be my friend Chris Fleming's image appears and I'm like whoa, cool, then wow! great article also; therefore I love you, and keep it up, and thanks. Peace emoji.
Dang, this is a banger. I would like to offer the author some affirmation:
> Kids are figuring all this out at age 14, and it took me twice as long
Are the kids figuring this all out? I think they're starting sooner. It always takes a long time, and frankly, identity-building should be a continuous life-long process. The world changes, why can't you? Another reason why these micro-declarations of self in X.com bios are so goofy.
I travelled to the States in spring 2024 (last time for the foreseeable future) specifically to see Chris Fleming and my husband said “so his thing is that he’s…. ???” And I was like that’s his thing. He’s just his own thing.
I don’t know you and I don’t know Chris Flemming but I loved this article and your writing! You went so deep and explored so many sides of identity that rang true to me (even as a boring stay at home mom lol!) I think, as artists, we all aim towards being “original”. And being “original” suggests doing something that’s never been done, or atleast, hasn’t been done in a while in our specific way. We all want to find our uniqueness. It can feel safe and cozy to hide behind a label or identity (for me it’s always career: sales person, yoga teacher, health coach). But feeling cozy is also a bit of a trap. If I’m one thing, I can’t be the other. Or if I fit with this group, I must do as the group does. I find it’s a lot more fun to experiment with different styles, genres, mediums, platforms, & voices. In a world full of labels, I just want to be “me,” as tacky as it sounds. Stories like this are an inspiration to me that I can be that and find that some day! thanks for a great article 🙌🩵🌀
I love Chris Fleming and this ode to him and congrats on continuing to evolve and explore your identity as you age! Sincerely, it’s never too late to feel more self-actualized, even if you don’t ascribe to a specific label!
Brilliantly written and really interesting. I will say I don't think the concept of intersectionalism is to blame - intersectionalism as written in its original political context wasn't about assigning labels, but was about pointing to how the labels other people assign us then affect how we are treated by the state and by communities. It didn't say you needed to claim that identity for yourself necessarily. But if the state deemed you to be disabled, you lacked the same legal protections in work as able-bodied peers. And, in particular, black women lacked the protections women were afforded, as well as lacking the protections black men were afforded, which is what led to the idea of intersectionality being created - to have a framework and a name for looking at that specific experience. I think the modern, hyper-individualistic need to list all your identifiers as a way of selling yourself is a perversion of actual intersectionality. It was supposed to give you a way of talking about your experiences as someone outside the boxes society deemed worth protecting, it wasn't supposed to be a way of assigning yourself a restrictive label you use to sell yourself with.
a great point! I think that speaks to how language gets degraded, both on accident and on purpose. And what starts as a political tool ends up as a tool of anti-politics.
I totally agree! We've abstracted lots of useful political ideas and now incorrectly use the labels for them - a very human thing to do and a very annoying one sometimes!
1. Chris Fleming forever
2. So many lines in this post hit me, esp this one: "There’s a reason that dark nights of the soul happen at night. It’s because no one wants to see all that."
brilliant piece, the fixation with labels and categorization is something i struggle with and it really stems from this idea that everything needs to be classified into uselessly esoteric terminology.
i remember watching chris fleming’s “am i a man?” and thinking what was the point, but the performance itself is the answer, identity is something we consciously act out. while introducing labels can certainly help to orient our search for identity, it will never be a definitive encapsulation of all a person is.
so anyway, hell yeah is what i’m trying to say
Sheer brilliance in every line of this, the Hot Topic bit especially. As a 90s kid I remember the pre-microgenre era, and I connect it to the failures or pitfalls of intersectionalism in precisely the same way. Thanks for articulating this so well, I'll check out that comedian. And congratulations on the bf, they're a very lucky person by the sounds of it.
Thanks bram! That’s so kind!
No problem. Nailed it.
Just a normal day, I'm scrolling Substack, out of fucking nowhere my parasocial internet friend whom if I were to meet would in all honesty actually be my friend Chris Fleming's image appears and I'm like whoa, cool, then wow! great article also; therefore I love you, and keep it up, and thanks. Peace emoji.
thanks, brother
"hyper-identity, a cannibalistic category that eats the notion of category itself" YEAH EXACTLY!!! loved this read sm
Dang, this is a banger. I would like to offer the author some affirmation:
> Kids are figuring all this out at age 14, and it took me twice as long
Are the kids figuring this all out? I think they're starting sooner. It always takes a long time, and frankly, identity-building should be a continuous life-long process. The world changes, why can't you? Another reason why these micro-declarations of self in X.com bios are so goofy.
love this piece, as a person who loves chris fleming and also as a person who gave up on self-labeling a good long while ago 🫶🏻
I travelled to the States in spring 2024 (last time for the foreseeable future) specifically to see Chris Fleming and my husband said “so his thing is that he’s…. ???” And I was like that’s his thing. He’s just his own thing.
AAAGH I LOVE HIM SO ahem sorry
I don’t know you and I don’t know Chris Flemming but I loved this article and your writing! You went so deep and explored so many sides of identity that rang true to me (even as a boring stay at home mom lol!) I think, as artists, we all aim towards being “original”. And being “original” suggests doing something that’s never been done, or atleast, hasn’t been done in a while in our specific way. We all want to find our uniqueness. It can feel safe and cozy to hide behind a label or identity (for me it’s always career: sales person, yoga teacher, health coach). But feeling cozy is also a bit of a trap. If I’m one thing, I can’t be the other. Or if I fit with this group, I must do as the group does. I find it’s a lot more fun to experiment with different styles, genres, mediums, platforms, & voices. In a world full of labels, I just want to be “me,” as tacky as it sounds. Stories like this are an inspiration to me that I can be that and find that some day! thanks for a great article 🙌🩵🌀
I love Chris Fleming and this ode to him and congrats on continuing to evolve and explore your identity as you age! Sincerely, it’s never too late to feel more self-actualized, even if you don’t ascribe to a specific label!