Geeks and Gay: anyone else?

[Y_B]

Didn't think they would be to you. Hence why this convo is now cut short.

[Abersloth]

Didn't think they would be to you. Hence why this convo is now cut short.

 

In my experience, most people who are geeky are not socially deficient losers who do nothing but geek out all day long. Geek is a descriptor, like tall, or blonde, or gay. It does not define a person. It is you that is labeling them, and out of ignorance I might add.

[Y_B]

In my experience, most people who are geeky are not socially deficient losers who do nothing but geek out all day long.

 

Nowhere in my posts would you find that I had believed so. I highlighted that particular word you used because this was something I mentioned earlier. Being "geeky" is entirely different from being "a geek", at least to me. I'm geeky in my own way, I won't claim otherwise, but that isn't to say I want to own up to a term that is more derogatory than objectively descriptive. "Geeks" can have just as much social ability as anyone else. "Jocks" can be just as well-read as the next guy, but in my views, if you're owning up to that specific word, you've cut yourself short and are basically telling us "don't give me the benefit of the doubt". The label is placed on the word, not the person. I don't have to label people if they've already labeled themselves.

[Abersloth]

I am a geek. Any assumptions you make about my personality based on that alone (other than a fondness for Jean Luc Picard) are not my problem, but yours. Once again, geek is a descriptor, just the same as tall, blonde, and gay, and is in no way limiting. I know jocks who are also geeks. They are also many other things. Your assumption is that by calling myself a geek I am confining myself to a set of characteristics that you presume to be a part of being a geek. And once again, that is your problem, not mine. Geek describes part of me very well, even a significant part of me. It is a good word for me to use. I'm allowed to say "I am a geek, but I'm also a musician and a mountain climber and a rum connoisseur." You are cutting yourself short by making dumb assumptions about a person based on them calling themselves a geek, and are basically telling me "Hi, I'm judgmental."

[Y_B]

I am a geek.

 

Nuff said then.

[Abersloth]

Nuff said then.

 

You prove my point here. If you stop paying attention at "I am a geek," you miss out on "...and a musician and a mountain climber and a rum connoisseur." Your loss. Snap judgments are the height of ignorance.

[Y_B]

No, I paid attention, and it wasn't a snap judgement or ignorance. I get your a musician and climber and drinker, but they'd have been more interesting if you didn't undermine those things by imposing a self labeling mask.

 

I basically told you what a good ammunition would be, and you then handed me a gun.

 

*shrug*

[K.C.]

I am a geek, but that’s not all that I am. I excelled in most subjects in school, but I also could hold my own in sports too. Most of my friends are of a wide range of different backgrounds. I have never liked or disliked someone based on them being smart, dumb, rich or poor. I usually like most people until they give me a reason not to like them.

[Abersloth]

No, I paid attention, and it wasn't a snap judgement or ignorance. I get your a musician and climber and drinker, but they'd have been more interesting if you didn't undermine those things by imposing a self labeling mask.

 

I basically told you what a good ammunition would be, and you then handed me a gun.

 

*shrug*

 

Once again, it is not a label any more than tall or blonde. You choose to see it as a label. That's your own closed mindedness biting you in the ass.

[Y_B]

If it wasn't a label, this whole thread would never have started.

[Abersloth]

If it wasn't a label, this whole thread would never have started.

 

Well, then, I'm making it not a label.

[W_L]

Wow, I didn't know one small description would start us down into a flame war, seriously guys.

 

I guess this all goes back to identity and understanding, I like living in as many worlds as I can, despite my predilections to certain things. I can drink, but I have the "Asian" disease of alcohol allergy. I can watch sports and like it, but my vision makes me a horrible player. I can watch and play musical instruments, but I just don't have the attention to finer details that most musicians or even hobbyist have.

 

I mean, I do like to live my life as I try out new things, even if I can't really do it. I feel like the label is not something to frown on, if you live your life true to yourself and who you are.

 

A lot of gay guys have self-hatred, but they're still gay inside and I sympathize with them (DK will probably blast me a new one for saying this), because underneath my own acceptance, I also know how it feels to hold onto the fear of a word and concept. I know if circumstances and things were different I can become one of them.

 

A label is only a description, don't let it define your life. I might say that now, and be a hypocrite about it later, but I think we can live for who we are, not who we think we are.

[Billy Martin]

I am who I am, not what I am.

[Graeme]

** Digs in my closet, trying to find my moderator hat... ... Nice, but that's my old Anthology Coordinator hat. Note to self - must remember to send it over to Renee...

 

Ah ha! Found it... **

 

Play nicely people

 

** takes off his moderator hat **

 

Labels are important to allow us to talk about subjects, but we must never forget that they do not describe a person, but are merely a loose covering that may or may not complete cover a person.

 

My favourite example is someone I once met who was the stereotypical laid-back Aussie surfer... who happened to have a strong interest in Salvador Dali art. If you imagine a stereotypical Aussie surfer, then that was him - blonde, sexy, lazy smile... the lot. But that wasn't everything he was.

 

Similarly, the labels "gay" and "geek" are loose coverings that don't describe a person. Taking things personally, I give myself the label gay - but I'm happily married to a wonderful woman and I'm the father of two wonderful boys. The label "gay" fits me better than anything else (including the label "bisexual"), but it doesn't completely describe who I am.

 

Am I a geek? Probably not, despite the fact that I'm an IT consultant who hates physical activity (and love playing Pokemon games). There are too many areas where I don't meet the profile (I'm not a techno-phile - technology is a tool for me, not an end in itself, which is the case with a lot of geeks).

 

But even if I were a geek, it would only be part of who I am. Even being gay doesn't define me. The one label that describes me better than anything else is Dad but that's still only part of who I am.

 

Despite all of that, we all use labels. Sometimes we accept the labels (like I accept the label gay despite the fact that it's imperfect in describing my situation), and sometime we don't. But labels don't define us - they are maps that give others a frame of reference to help them understand us. Sometimes that map is more accurate than others, but we must never forget that they never, ever define a person.

Edited February 4, 2012 by Graeme

[wildone]

I am a geek. Any assumptions you make about my personality based on that alone (other than a fondness for Jean Luc Picard) are not my problem, but yours. Once again, geek is a descriptor, just the same as tall, blonde, and gay, and is in no way limiting. I know jocks who are also geeks. They are also many other things. Your assumption is that by calling myself a geek I am confining myself to a set of characteristics that you presume to be a part of being a geek. And once again, that is your problem, not mine. Geek describes part of me very well, even a significant part of me. It is a good word for me to use. I'm allowed to say "I am a geek, but I'm also a musician and a mountain climber and a rum connoisseur." You are cutting yourself short by making dumb assumptions about a person based on them calling themselves a geek, and are basically telling me "Hi, I'm judgmental."

 

You better not be a rum connoisseur at your age in your state

 

We might have to add criminal to your descriptive words

 

j/k

[Merlin]

I love watching virtual fights.

 

But back on topic, I dunno if I was much of a geek myself, but I think it can be really cute.

[harcallard]

Here is a new concept... how about a geek who is gay? Now this is what I am talking about.

[comicfan]

Going through school I was on the debate team, the school newspaper, drama club, and was in the honor classes. I volunteered in the writing lab to help people use the computer. Then ended up running a restaurant for ten years. Then college where I was the Valedictorian, was part of the drama club, the writing club, was English Honor Student, Speech Honor Student, and part of the multicultural club. I hung out with people from all over in every area and just had fun. and that was between 27-30. Today I hang with friends from college years and writing all.

[Abersloth]

You better not be a rum connoisseur at your age in your state

 

We might have to add criminal to your descriptive words

 

j/k

 

There are worse fates than rum connoisseur Most of my friends are cheap-as-piss beer connoisseurs.

[MidnightMan]

<--- A geek... A gay geek! I'm other things as well. We all are more than any label put on us I suppose. I could probably get contacts and not let anyone see me reading my latest selection in books, but contacts cost money... and I refuse to buy a kindle. You can't dog-ear a kindle.

[comicfan]

<--- A geek... A gay geek! I'm other things as well. We all are more than any label put on us I suppose. I could probably get contacts and not let anyone see me reading my latest selection in books, but contacts cost money... and I refuse to buy a kindle. You can't dog-ear a kindle.

 

I might work around electronics but nothing will ever touch a book in my world.

[Erebus]

My bf calls me a geek at times for lols, wasn't a geek at high school tough, i was nice between being a jock and having good grades

 

I guess i'm a geek seeing as i'm a physics student ?

[comicfan]

lets see;

 

first computer was a commodore 64 (tape drive)

first version of windows was 3.1, running on dos

ive used mac's back when you had to mount a disk

ive used linux without a gui (yuck!)

i remember netscape!

 

ive been to bletchley & kennedy space center

 

i train IT, have various MS certifications, training certifications, & qualifications in accounting

 

oh, & i have an IQ of 132 (98th percentile)

[Atypical Autism / PDD-NOS]

 

 

 

 

(where are all the gay&geek stories, why are so many stories about 'jocks'?)

 

Um, there are a few about the cute awkward geek even here on this site. Sometimes they even get the studly football player.

[AnimalMorph]

Ooooh ooooh! Me me! I'm a geek!

I rarely do sports. I'm kinda skinny. I play online games all the time. And I might be GAY lol?

 

I know I know... Y'all think I'm weird right?

 

But I'm proud to be a geek. It's really kinda cool!

We know certain things that most people don't! U wanna know what it is? NAH! Not gonna tell! *chuckle* just kidding... Maybe.

 

But seriously, what is up with people and labels? I could never understand. Oh well, not that I care so much. All I know is that I'm proud of who I am.

[K.C.]

<--- A geek... A gay geek! I'm other things as well. We all are more than any label put on us I suppose. I could probably get contacts and not let anyone see me reading my latest selection in books, but contacts cost money... and I refuse to buy a kindle. You can't dog-ear a kindle.

 

I love books and didn't think I would like any electronic book, but I got a Sony e-book (before the kindle came out) and It dog-ears the page when you want to turn if off. So flipping cute! I still have a weakness for buying books because I love them but downloading books and taking them with me is so easy. I have almost 1,000 on my ebook...can't carry a thousand paperback in my backpack