Naming Sexuality: A Queer Exploration of Proliferating Labels and Playful “World”-Travelling

This thesis argues that the proliferation of sexuality labels, alongside a culture of playful self-labelling, should be endorsed if we are invested in improving queer lives. Recent years have seen a growing trend towards the invention of new terms that highlight diverse aspects of sexuality. This has been met with both enthusiasm and resistance: while many within queer communities affirm these emerging labels, leading to wider social and institutional recognition, others express concern that they generate conceptual confusion or lack legitimacy. Critics also raise ethical objections, including concerns about political consequences and the constraining nature of identity categories. Chapter One addresses the claim that new terms do not name real sexual orientations. Drawing on literature about the nature of sexual orientation, I show that the concept itself is highly contested, making it difficult to dismiss new categories as illegitimate by appeal to a fixed definition. Chapter Two responds to the criticism that emerging labels do not represent real sexual identities. Through engaging with the relevant literature I reveal four key dimensions of sexual identity: desire, identification, social position, and ways of being. I argue that sexual identity should be theorised as a cluster of distinct phenomena, rather than a unified concept. On this view, it is difficult to straightforwardly dismiss emerging labels as illegitimate. Chapter Three considers the ethical implications of label proliferation. While new terms can offer hermeneutic benefits, they also risk constraining individuals and undermining political progress. I draw on María Lugones’ concept of playful “world”-travelling to argue that we can navigate these risks while preserving the benefits. I conclude that both the proliferation of sexuality labels and a playful approach to self-labelling should be endorsed as valuable for the flourishing of queer lives.