Profile: Carol
You can call me… Carol.
I identify as… human, academic, artist, friend, food taster/experimenter, androgynous alien with an equally masculine and feminine erotic power.
As far as third-person pronouns go, … you can call me rock, cloud, water bottle, IT, whatever you’d like. I’m over being anthropocentric. No pronoun shapes me.
I’m attracted to… new knowledge.
When people talk about me, I want them to… to take note that I’m just trying my absolute best to be a good life form and spread lightness/goodness. Also, I’d like my humor to be admired.
I want people to understand… that all life forms (from bacteria to whales to ancient trees) on earth are related and interconnected.
About Carol
subtle-ceiling.blogspot.com
» Define yourself. «
Category: profiles 7 comments »
April 17th, 2013 at 4:26 pm |
I just fell in love with you and want to know what you are studying.
keep being so chill.
radical beauty,
radical/rebel
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April 19th, 2013 at 10:14 pm |
hey! that is super sweet and thoughtful. I study anthropology but mostly practice making/performing art as an occupation and lifestyle.
keep being you! woooo-hoooo!
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April 20th, 2013 at 10:12 pm |
I find comments like your comment about pronouns really harmful at times to those of us who do have pronoun preferences. Like we’re “less evolved” because the pronouns that others use for us do matter to us. Just something to think about.
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radical/rebel replied:
April 21st, 2013 at 8:55 am
and as a trans person, I find the emphasis on pronouns, and the idea that somehow pronouns are all there is to my gender, really harmful and upsetting.
so I find Carol’s comment about pronouns validating and refreshing. but I don’t want to see anyone getting hurt or feeling trampled on. pronouns are important for some, and not so significant for others. I hope that we can work out a world where that’s OK and no one is invalidated on either end.
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April 23rd, 2013 at 2:07 pm |
hey, I’m glad you addressed your issues with my statement on the use of pronouns – I think that’s what makes this such a safe and awesome platform for discussion. in no way am I undermining the power that language and pronouns have for self-definition and towards personal empowerment. you bring up a seriously valid point. but, in my statements defense, I have the agency to have my own stance on the power I choose to let pronouns have in my life. the fact that I choose not to let pronouns ‘shape me’ is very personal and specific to my own experience. in no way do i assume my experience to be ‘more evolved’ than those who do actively use pronouns–let me make that as clear as possible. I am aware of the emotional weight that pronouns can have on so many people. language is very powerful, as i’m sure we can both agree. but on the same token, it is as valid for someone to choose not to let pronouns affect their identity formation. i’m grateful for you raising this concern, it definitely made me think in a productive way. hope this is clear? :)
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April 23rd, 2013 at 10:46 pm |
Thanks for responding. I am glad you clarified yourself. However, I still feel like your word choice is problematic re: not letting pronouns shape you or affect your identity formation. That implies that those of us who use mandatory pronoun sets (one or two or however many) are somehow giving into some unradical mindset, and also that we’re even shaping our identities around them in the first place. I don’t even know how that is possible for me, since I use they/them/their. The majority of people who use a non-normative pronoun set or more than one pronoun set would probably look at you like “Huh?” in response to that. I’m sure that is a thing for people who use she/her or he/him, but otherwise? Not so much. I feel like you may be projecting here. I don’t think about my pronouns in relation to my gender, since they/them/their allows for a lot of gender possibilities, so I pretty much feel free to be myself. Feel free to elaborate if I’ve completely misunderstood you.
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May 9th, 2013 at 9:43 pm |
I like your profile, I dig your values and interests, I love your articulate comments, and I hope one day we have the good fortune to meet and have a long conversation.
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