#micro labels

ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴛᴇʀᴍꜱ:

ᴍɪᴄʀᴏʟᴀʙᴇʟᴇꜱ:

A microlabel is a label for some form of gender identity or sexual orientation that falls under, or otherwise overlaps with, a broader term. Microlabels tend to be described as "hyperspecific", meaning that they describe a very specific experience of a gender/sexuality/etc.

ᴜᴍʙʀᴇʟʟᴀ ᴛᴇʀᴍ:

An umbrella term is a word or a phrase that covers a broad range of related things instead of just one. The terms covered by the umbrella are distinct but related.

ɴᴇᴏᴘʀᴏɴᴜɴꜱ:

Neopronouns are personal pronouns coined as an alternative to existing third-person singular pronouns, such as "they/them". Neopronouns tend to be gender neutral. They can be used by anyone of any gender, but some people use neopronouns specifically to express that they are non-binary or transgender.

ɢᴇɴᴜꜱ:

A taxonomic rank used to group closely related species.

ꜱᴛɪɢᴍᴀ:

A set of negative and unfair beliefs that a society or group of people have about something.

ᴘʀᴇᴊᴜᴅɪᴄᴇ:

An irrational attitude of hostility directed against an individual, a group, a race, or their supposed characteristics

ꜱᴄᴀᴘᴇɢᴏᴀᴛ:

a: one that bears the blame for others

b: one that is the object of irrational hostility

₊‧.°.⋆✮⋆.°.‧₊ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ₊‧.°.⋆✮⋆.°.‧₊ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ₊‧.°.⋆✮⋆.°.‧₊ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ₊‧.°.

ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪꜱᴄᴏɴᴄᴇᴘᴛɪᴏɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴀᴜꜱᴇꜱ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴅᴇʙᴀᴛᴇ.

Despite the previous version of this post, which was well intentioned yet held many incorrect ideas, umbrella terms are not as easy to understand as you may imagine. In fact, most umbrella terms are likely words you have not heard of if you aren’t deep into online discussion over similar topics. Umbrella terms are things like multisexual or monosexual, broad defining terms that help classify everything under them. The problem in the discussion is people's lack of understanding that all their sexualities or gender identities are indeed microlabels of something else. To give an outside example, think of a genus. In biology, an oddly related topic to these discussions, a genus functions as the broad label for a new species. Take the genus Panthera, it is the larger term for animals like lions, tigers, and jaguars just as multisexual is the larger term for gay, lesbain; and straight. Just as a genus, an umbrella term is broad, large, and can be all encapsulating..

Now, when I wrote the original version of this post I neglected to acknowledge my own lack of indepth knowledge on this topic. At the time, I believed that microlabels were the labels that were able to fit under more widely accepted and known identities. Like how I had the incorrect idea of bisexual not being a microlabel because labels like omnisexual or pansexual could fit under it when in truth, bisexual is a microlabel as well. It seems as though many members of the LGBTQ+ community hold this idea even though it is untrue. Trusted creators are the ones who taught me this but within 5 minutes of my own reading, I came to understand it wasn’t as simple.

The problem isn’t microlabels or umbrella terms, it's the spread of short form content and a reliance on AI overviews over proper research. Since people want the short version instead of the long version, they miss out on the nuances that exist in the discussion. Like how despite being misled in the basis idea of my last post, I still believe bisexual is still an umbrella term for omnisexual and pansexual despite it also being a microlabel. The one true misconception of this entire debate is that an umbrella term can have a microlabel that is also an umbrella term.

ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛɪɢᴍᴀ ɪɴ ᴍɪᴄʀᴏʟᴀʙᴇʟꜱ

Microlabels come with a stigma, in fact I wouldn’t be surprised if someone only skimmed the first half of this post and got offended over being equated to a microlabel. Perhaps this theoretical person would leave a nasty comment or DM but you have to ask yourself why? Well the, ‘Why’ is both simple and difficult to answer depending on the aspect of the stigma you are having to acknowledge.

There are two stigmas that, in this post, I will be acknowledging. The first of the two is the blatant negative feelings of people who use xeno or neopronouns which are the two mainly acknowledge microlabels. Now, let’s begin with a major clarification! Xeno and neopronouns are not new, in fact those in the 19th century found issue with the he/she binary of the time. They wanted another pronoun to use but found that they/them was too unspecific and tended to cause issues in understanding between people. People like Francis August Brewster invented a third kind of pronouns, originally intended for the third biological sex aka intersex people. He proposed the use of the pronoun set E/Es/Em. This provable fact shows that pronouns outside of he/she/they/it are not new nor something invented during covid like some malinformed individuals, terfs usually, seem to propose. So why, if not new, do people always feel the need to drag xeno and neopronouns? Well, firstly it comes down to my original sentiment that people don't understand what microlabels actually are. They just think that microlabels are the smaller communities and therefore who cares about them. A second idea could be that the LGBTQ is normalizing terf behavior.

Sadly, the second idea is the one that holds the most weight in a vast majority of discussions. People naturally follow the leader and once a creator gets tired of being bullied by terfs they can turn on the trans community as a whole. To excuse their blatant transphobia they pretend like it's only xenos and neos that they have an issue with. The people watching the creators tend to be sheeple and instead of realizing that their favorite creator is transphobic they choose to normalize it by repeating the same ideas. In truth, those who hate xeno and neopronouns are terfs and abelsit. The first reason for the stigma of microlabels is simply people lacking the ability to think freely and refusing to do their own research.

The secondary stigma that haunts microlabels is that blatant elitism of the community. The best, most talked about, example is how bisexual people tend to be treated. Not everyone who is bisexual just claims to be bisexual because it's ‘trendy’ and yet the stigma against bisexual people is that they are not truly attracted to the same sex or that they must choose to either be a homosexual or straight. As I have said before, specifically in the first section, all sexualities and gender identities are microlabels, yet the bigger identities do not want to be even acknowledged as the microlabels that they factually are. This could come from a mixture of two things. That they believe that because the word ‘micro’ is in ‘microlabels’ that it must be about smaller communities/groups or the excusing transphobia that I mentioned above.

For some reason, a smaller minority of the already small groups have asserted themselves as the ‘correct’ way to be into the same sex. Elitism is a constant issue within the community because it comes from a place of fear. The president is a baby eating racist nazi who would rather have us dead than to allow our differences. I believe the elitism against microlabels comes from a place of, “Who can we throw under the bus to save ourselves?”. Maybe I’m reaching a conclusion that is nonexistent but this fear has embedded itself in the way we act with each other. We are no longer a community but instead groups of very scared people

pretending to be confident.

ᴡʜʏ ᴅᴏ ᴍɪᴄʀᴏʟᴀʙᴇʟꜱ ᴇxɪꜱᴛ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇɢɪɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ?

Humans crave belonging, understanding, and support from others within the species. The LGBTQ has the support but not everyone feels as they belong or are understood because of their differences. Sometimes we need to have a smaller cozy community to be able to be seen in and to have like minded individuals around us.

Another reason for microlabels are neurodivergent people, who notoriously experience life differently from neurotypical individuals. This applies to both sexuality and gender identity, I am an example of this. I have ADHD and I choose to use microlabels because using a broader label doesn’t mean people will understand me. If I used aromantic, people may not understand that I do feel attraction but I can’t identify it but those who are also nubelaromantic would understand that I can't tell the difference between platonic or romantic attraction. Many people choose these hyperspecific sexualities because it feels nice to for once in our lives be looked at as something other than a freak.

Microlables aren’t just for neurodivergent people! I’m sure neurotypical people also use them. These labels help create specification within such a large community where people who use them can become lost in the sea of people. Sometimes, when they try to use bigger labels, they can be bullied out of it. It’s hard to explain being omnisexual with a preference for one gender to the extent of being repulsed, most of the time, to the one of those genders but berrisexual or almondesexual people would understand. Microlabes create a sense of belonging to those considered nonvalid because of tiny differences.

ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴠᴀʟɪᴅ?

Yes, if you somehow read all of this and couldn’t figure that out then I am mainly concerned for your reading comprehension or how far in propagandized prejudice you may have fallen.

ᴇɴᴅ ᴅʀᴀʙʙʟᴇ