Re: Identity...?

"They ignore the elephant in the room and deny their own identity." Perhaps denying the existence of their own sexual desires, but identity is something else. An identity is how you see yourself. It's a story we tell ourselves about who we are. If they don't see themselves as "MAPs," then it's simply not their identity. It's not a factual thing inside them like an attraction is. I realize it must be tempting to try to piggy-back on the narrative of the moment, but identity politics is the tool of those who have already achieved some measure of wider social acceptance or else that tool would have no impact. It is an outcome of legitimacy, not a precursor. And we will not be legitimate until we either persuade a wider segment of the public that we are not a threat to other mythical identitarian constructs like "innocence" or "masculinity" which the public relies upon to weave their narrative of harm.