How important are "labels" ?

[mikey3000]

I know labels aren't the end all to be all, but sometimes thet do serve a purpose, like to help identify others and yourself. What about sexual orientation labels? Gay, straight, bi? Do they hold any weight? Should they? What if a person intensionally represents themselves as something they're not?

I have another bi friend who constantly warns me to be cautious of other bi guys, saying that many are actually gay but pretending to be bi just to get close to a married masculine acting bi guy. Is that true? Should I really care?

[Darkside2009]

Why would this friend constantly warn you about Bi men? What harm does he think is going to befall you? If you are intent on having casual sex with men, it hardly matters if they are homosexual or bisexual. It would only matter if you intend to have an emotional relationship with the man in question. Then if they are homosexual, they might not want the competition for your affections provided by your wife. A bisexual man on the other hand might welcome your wife as an additional participant in the relationship.

Should you care? Only you can answer that. You might want to consider why your friend is constantly warning you, does he want you for himself with no other distractions? Or does he merely think you were too stupid to understand, and retain the information, the first time he told you?

[Realist]

Mikey, like Darkside, I thought that it seems your friend was trying to scare you away from anyone else...maybe wanting to ensure you were there, just for him.

Just what I perceived from the way you worded that.

You're smart, you'll figure it out.

[darkeyes]

Labels are important only insofar as they are descriptors which tell the world something about us in the most broad sense. For instance Mikey, you are a human being, male, Canadian, married and bisexual. Each merely describes in a very general way who and what you are. A label does not describe your personality, your interests, your proclivities, your beliefs, your morality or indeed very much about you. There is so much about you that no label can tell the world too much. I agree with Darkside and Realist about your friend. He does not seem to understand his own sexuality as much as anything else, or is he himself gay and knows what he is talking about and so casts doubt upon all of bisexuality.

[Cherokee_Mountaincat]

Labels arent important unless you're buying foods at the store. Cans are labled, jars too, and several different boxes, but People Shouldnt have to be.:rolleyes:
Cat

[Diva667]

Labels are important only insofar as they are descriptors which tell the world something about us in the most broad sense. For instance Mikey, you are a human being, male, Canadian, married and bisexual. Each merely describes in a very general way who and what you are. A label does not describe your personality, your interests, your proclivities, your beliefs, your morality or indeed very much about you. There is so much about you that no label can tell the world too much. I agree with Darkside and Realist about your friend. He does not seem to understand his own sexuality as much as anything else, or is he himself gay and knows what he is talking about and so casts doubt upon all of bisexuality.

QFT

The only reason to use labels as descriptors is to describe ourselves.

You don't have to trust others descriptions of themselves, but only they are really allowed to label themselves.

Some bi men may be more on the homosexual side of the fence, I dont know that it matters all that much, in the end.

[DuckiesDarling]

I hate labels, and quite honestly we mostly see labels used as epithets. But some people have to have them to shout to the world how they see themselves and others need to have them because it gives them a bit of stability in an uncertain world. One thing of rock solid value to them for them to cling to.

In this case it does appear that your friend has another agenda or maybe he just really has had a hard time with those that pretend to be what they aren't.