Label Maniacs

Today, I learned a new Social Justice term: “GSM people.” As in “Gender and Sexual Minorities.” Apparently, LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transsexual) is no longer adequate, nor is LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual and Queer).

GSM is, apparently, better than LGBTQIA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Queer, Intersex, Asexual), as well. And better than LGGBBTTQQIAAPP(Lesbian, Gay, Genderqueer, Bisexual, Bigender, Transgender, Trans, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Agender, Pansexual and Polyamorous). Because, apparently

The act of politically grouping all non-heterosexual and non-cisgender people into the acronym LGBT is an act of exclusion.”

And, apparently,

there is no clear reason for the order in which the gender and sexual minorities are listed in LGBTQIA.”

And, apparently

what all of these versions fail to do is provide an option for individuals who identify as gender fluid

So, GSM.

But wait, there’s more! Apparently, GSM may be too inclusive, because people who are merely into sexual fetishes would be included, and, apparently, mere fetishists do not deserve labels, either inclusive or exclusionary.

It seems one can be too inclusive. This is the crux of the matter, this is the tell-tale, this is the Wizard’s curtain. You don’t get to be “included” unless you have a worthy grievance or are of an approved minority group. The irony of the social justice movement the discriminatory nature of its non-discrimination and the exclusiveness of its inclusiveness. It seeks to make some more important than others, because it asserts that some have been made less important than others. Righting wrongs by imposing other wrongs isn’t a way to achieve harmony.

I’ve written in the past about the homogenizing of thought that is both the intent and the outcome of this acronym salad. I’ve also observed that true social justice enlightenment is a moving target and attempting to achieve its pinnacle is a Sisyphean task. As of the last time I researched this subject, the list of distinct genders has grown to sixty-three.

As a libertarian, I utterly respect every individual’s right to act and think as he (or she, or whichever pronoun is now correct) pleases, within the understanding that every other individual’s equally valid rights are not infringed. Call yourself what you want. Pursue your happiness in whichever way you think best. I encourage it, and you, in the full knowledge that happiness is hard, especially if you feel “different” than others. I have and will stand up for you against those who would deny it. You won’t find me or any other libertarian standing in your way, provided you respect everyone else’s right to do the same.

As a libertarian, however, I believe that the coercive and almost fascistic manner in which failure not only to accept as gospel the endlessly moving target that is the language and thinking of social justice but to actively chastise any who do not is incompatible with liberty and the wrong way to promote acceptance. You don’t convince when you coerce.

People who devote endless hours figuring out these acronyms, sorting people into identity groups, figuring out grievance hierarchies, and trying to decide if someone, somewhere, might find a way to take offense at things like the order of letters in an acronym or the inclusion of too many identity groups in the grievance spectrum do as more harm to the ultimate goal of an egalitarian and nondiscriminatory society than good. People who feel others need to be informed of twenty-five types of diversity are not going to make inroads with average Americans. In short, these folks are trying WAY too hard. Others, with neither the time nor the inclination to be part of this endless and ever-more-granular slicing, dicing and dissecting are more apt to tune them out than try to keep up. In overdoing things, they harm their movement and undermine their goals. In denigrating and slapping derogatory labels on anyone who is not 100% up to speed or on board with their lists, hierarchies, buzz words, acronyms and social justice phraseology, they induce people to push back. You don’t win people to your side by declaring them racists, sexists, misogynists or homophobes merely because they don’t think 100% as you do.

As a friend recently put it, “SJW culture in America has gone completely ’round the bend.”

And they wonder why America elected Trump.