For those readers confused by claims, often emanating from Gen Z, of identity with a group with which they are either evidently, or admittedly, not, here’s Katherine Dee on Default Wisdom:
… as acceptance of minority sexual orientations and gender identity have grown, these categories have become much more nebulous. Rather than being guided by physical experience, one’s sexuality and gender identity are now determined by something much harder to define: feelings. The YouTuber Contrapoints may have put it best in a now-deleted tweet: “Gen Z people are hard to figure out. They’re like, ‘I’m an asexual slut that loves sex! You don’t have to be trans to be trans. Casual reminder that your heterosexuality doesn’t make your gayness any less valid!”
But to our hypothetical Gen Z member, though, I’d have to reply, Sorry, dearie, but you’re not thinking clearly.
Here’s the situation: there’s an assumption that some bundle of feelings or vibes is inseparable from the group to which it’s associated, be it gays, lesbians, or the asexual.
But this assumption has some hidden troubles. Feelings and vibes are not spontaneously existing things that are independent and unaffected by the surrounding societal context. Consider a comparison of two pairs of men. Each pair is bonded. One pair is living in 1950 in New York City, and, for simplicity, the location of the other pair is also New York City, but in 2020.
The former pair, on average, daren’t reveal their quasi-married status and devotion to each other, except to a few close friends, due to strong societal disapproval, such as losing their jobs or even their lives. The gentlemen of 2020, on the other hand, may have had 200 guests at their wedding, and, if they lose their jobs because they’re gay, they have a solid legal basis for compensation.
These highly differences, in key ways, of society’s reaction will undoubtedly strongly influence the feelings of these men of self, towards their partners, and towards society.
To suggest that feelings/vibes and group identity are inseparable is a difficult, even impossible, proposition to defend in view of the fact they change so easily.
Take it another step: are the feelings and vibes originating from belonging to one group broadly unique? Why would they be? Is it possible that, in the years from the above example, a lesbian pair would feel quite similar?
I think so. The pair of a status and a society, and its mapping to a vibe or feeling portfolio, can hardly be considered to generate a unique such portfolio. Just as dread can occur when faced with a wild tiger or the loss of a job, so can the feelings of being part of some group.
So when I suggest our Gen Z member isn’t thinking clearly, I’m specifically referencing the logical error Affirming the Consequent, in which a system supporting the assertion if (a) then (b), and then b is observed (to be true), and thus a fallacious conclusion of (a) is drawn. That is, just because you feel like you’re gay, asexual, or whatever, you’re not unless you substantially follow the physical practices of said group.
I shan’t speculate on the motivations between such poor reasoning, as none of the conclusions are pleasant; I’ll just suggest that a class in rhetoric may be in order.
