Unlabeled

Unlabeled is an emerging term.Unlabeled is a term that has recently emerged. Although the term may be growing in usage, and is significant and well-sourced enough to warrant inclusion on this wiki, it may still be relatively unknown outside of the platform or community where it originated. The exact definition and name may not have stabilized, and may change significantly as more people identify with it.

## Related terms

### Different from

* Genderqueer
* Graygender
* Questioning
* Pomosexual
* Non-binary

**Unlabeled**, also known as "no label" or "non-labeled", is a term used by individuals who do not wish to label their identity with more specific terms, such as lesbian, bisexual, agender, and so on. People can have many personal reasons for wanting to forego labeling themselves, such as feeling that current labels do not fit how they feel, or just not wanting to label themselves for the time being. Note that some people who could be 'labeled' as unlabeled may not necessarily use the actual term itself.

## Etymology

The prefix "un-" is defined as "not".

In general, a label is a word or phrase that is used to describe someone, such as what categories a person belongs to. In the context of the LGBTQIA+ community, this would generally mean describing a person's gender or sexuality. Thus, an unlabeled person in this context is someone who has chosen to not label their gender or sexuality.

## Community

### History

The term unlabeled was originally used specifically by lesbians who did not want to label themselves with terms such as femme or butch. From there, its use has been expanded to be used for sexuality in general, and then also gender in more recent usage.

### Flag

There is a flag design most commonly associated with the term unlabeled. It has four horizontal stripes which are, from top to bottom: pale green, white, pale blue, and pale orange. The meanings for these colors are usually cited as follows: pale green for freedom, white for understanding, pale blue for acceptance, and pale orange for flexibility. This flag design has been used for unlabeled with these color meanings since at least December 11, 2020.

### Distinction

#### Genderqueer

Main article: Genderqueer
Genderqueer is a gender identity that can have various definitions. Some people may define it as a gender other than male or female, a combination of the two binary genders, a gender that is on a spectrum between the binary genders, or an identity that queers gender in some way. It is similar to unlabeled in that it can be seen as not a specific gender, but instead a general umbrella term or concept. However, it is a label meant specifically for gender identity, while unlabeled can also be used for a person's sexuality.

#### Graygender

Main article: Graygender
**Graygender** is a term used by individuals who do not care about their own gender, or otherwise that they feel a weak connection to gender in general. It is similar to unlabeled in its first definition, though used only for gender.

#### Non-binary

Main article: Non-binary
Non-binary is a term used to describe genders which do not exclusively fall into one of the two the binary genders, similar to genderqueer. It can also be used as an umbrella term to refer to many specific gender identities. Hence, the difference is that non-binary is a non-specific term for gender in particular, instead of being used also for orientation like with unlabeled.

#### Pomosexual

Main article: Pomosexual
Pomosexuality is a label used by those who refuse, avoid, or otherwise see themselves as not fitting any sexual orientation label in terms of conventional labels or classifications. This has similar usage to unlabeled, although the major different between the two is that pomosexual is a label specifically meant for sexual orientation. Meanwhile, unlabeled in more recent usage can be used for sexual orientation as well as gender.

#### Questioning

Main article: Questioning
The term questioning is used by individuals who are exploring, learning, or experimenting with their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. In contrast, an unlabeled person may not be actively exploring or experimenting with their identity, or at least may not be publicly doing so.

### Controversy

There have been some controversies related to people using "unlabeled" for themselves. In particular, some people may claim that it is queerbaiting for certain people to refuse to label their sexuality or gender. In essence, an unlabeled person may or may not be straight, and some people may interpret this as that person being "definitely" not straight. In some cases, this may be seen as a straight person "hiding" their identity in order to have a better reputation with the LGBTQIA+ community. Such discussions may lead to people coming out just to stop speculation and accusations of being not queer.

An example of this was with the actor Kit Connor, who starred as Nick Nelson in the Netflix show *Heartstopper*. He had originally chosen to not use specific labels for himself while working on the show. However, this resulted in speculation about his sexuality at the time, as well as viewers accusing the show of queerbaiting by letting presumably non-queer actors play in queer roles. After a certain point of these discussions, Connor felt forced to come out, and did so via social media.

There is also controversy in forcibly labeling people, especially celebrities, as "unlabeled", which ironically forces a label of sorts onto them.

### Perceptions and discrimination

*This section focuses more on the specific kinds of discrimination and oppression that these people may face. Examples would be mentioning systematic transphobia and non-binary erasure on the page for agender, mentioning rates of mental health issues in this group, etc.*

## Media

### Music

* Harry Styles
* Ariana Grande
* Noodle from Gorillaz (Fictional virtual band member)

## Resources

*Here you can place useful resources relevant for the described topic.*

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Amanda Chatel: "Why I Refuse to Label My Sexuality" (2021-08-04). shape.com. Shape.com. (Archived on March 3, 2022).
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Jasxciii: ""NO LABEL" - LGBT TERMINOLOGY" (2020-06-24) [Video]. youtube.com. (Archived on January 29, 2022).
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Kuncan Dastner: "Unpacking the 'Unlabeled' Label" (2022-05-19) [Video]. youtube.com. (Archived on June 6, 2022).
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Clare Lemke: "Thinking Otherwise: Exploring Narratives of Women who Shifted from a Heterosexual to a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Queer, and/or Unlabeled Identity" (2015). rave.ohiolink.edu. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, Bowling Green State University.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Sawyer D. Piwetz, Katricia D.F. Stewart, Yanna J. Weisberg, Tanya L. Tompkins: "Non-binary Living in a Binary World: The Unlabeled Experience (Infographic)". digitalcommons.linfield.edu. Linfield College. (Archived on March 22, 2020).
6. ↑ "Un". *Dictionary.com*. (Archived on June 7, 2022).
7. ↑ "Label". *Dictionary.com*. (Archived on June 10, 2022).
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 "Unlabeled". *Dictionary.com*. (Archived on October 21, 2022).
9. ↑ Thomas M. Hubbard: "The Meaning Of Queer: An Inclusive Label For The LGBTQIA+ Community" (2022-10-07). sdlgbtn.com. San Diego Gay & Lesbian News. (Archived on July 18, 2023).
10. ↑ Yanna Weisberg, Tanya Tompkins: "Identity, Orientation, and Relationships: How Fluidity in Self-Concept and Sexuality Translates into Relationships" (2015). digitalcommons.linfield.edu. Linfield University. (Archived on June 21, 2022).
11. ↑ Sawyer D. Piwetz, Katricia D.F. Stewart, Yanna J. Weisberg, Tanya L. Tompkins: "Non-binary Living in a Binary World: The Unlabeled Experience" (2015). digitalcommons.linfield.edu. Linfield University. (Archived on May 25, 2021).
12. ↑ Barron, Victoria. *Perfectly Queer: An Illustrated Introduction*. Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2023. ISBN 9781839974083.
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Understanding "Unlabeled"" (2022-06-20). ellofelicia.com. (Archived on June 21, 2022).
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Unlabeled Pride Flag, People with No Label and their Symbol" (2023-09-11). genderisnothing.com. (Archived on October 28, 2023).
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Unlabeled Pride Flag Tweet" (2020-12-11). twitter.com. (Archived on August 2, 2022).
16. ↑ "Genderqueer Definition & Meaning". dictionary.com.
17. ↑ Boskey, Elizabeth (PhD.): "What Does It Mean to Be Genderqueer or Have a Nonbinary Gender?" (2017-06-21). *Verywell Mind*.
18. ↑ "68 Terms That Describe Gender Identity and Expression". healthline.com.
19. ↑ Hardell, Ash. *The ABC's of LGBT+*. Mango Media Inc., 2016. ISBN 9781633534087.
20. ↑ Ash Hardell: "What is Greygender?" (2016-12-17) [Video]. youtube.com.
21. ↑ GLAAD: "Glossary of Terms - Transgender". *GLAAD Media Reference Guide - 10th Edition*. (Archived on October 22, 2021).
22. ↑ Abrams, Mere: "What Does It Mean to Identify as Nonbinary?". *Healthline*.
23. ↑ "Pomosexual". identiversity.org.
24. ↑ "What does pomosexual mean?". definitions.net.
25. ↑ Chidananda Sastry, Patruni: "Pomosexuality: Finding a term that fits" (2021-10-28). archermagazine.com.au. Archer Magazine.
26. ↑ PFLAG: "Explaining the Q". pflag.org. (Archived on October 19, 2021).
27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 "Kit Connor, Star of “Heartstopper,” Came Out as Bi. He Shouldn’t Have Had To" (2022-11-01). teenvogue.com. Teen Vogue.
28. ↑ Brittney McNamara: "Harry Styles Says He Doesn't Label His Sexuality" (2017-05-15). teenvogue.com. Teen Vogue. (Archived on March 24, 2022).
29. ↑ Ariana Grande: "i haven’t before and still don’t feel the need to now 🖤🧚🏼‍♂️ which is okay". twitter.com. (Archived version). (Archived on December 23, 2021).
30. ↑ "Screenshot of reply from the official Gorillaz account, on a Q&A video from YouTube". twitter.com. "in this day and age i find it limiting to place any tags on myself. I like everyone ! Noodle" (Archived on August 15, 2021).