A label is a piece of paper, cloth, or sticker attached to something that gives information about it, such as its name, contents, or instructions.
From Old French *label* or *labeau*, meaning a strip of cloth or ribbon. It first referred to decorative or identifying tags before taking on its modern informational sense.
*Label* is used both for physical tags on objects and for the mental tags we put on people and ideas. That double use hints at how powerful labels can be: once something is tagged, we tend to treat it as if the label were the whole truth.
Labels have been used to enforce gender norms (e.g., ‘hysterical,’ ‘tomboy,’ ‘effeminate’) and to pathologize gender-nonconforming people. At the same time, self-chosen labels have been important for feminist and LGBTQ+ identity and solidarity.
Be cautious with labels applied to people; prioritize self-identification and avoid gendered or pathologizing labels without consent.
["describe","name","categorize (for things)"]
Acknowledge how women and gender-diverse people have resisted harmful labels and created empowering ones for their identities and movements.
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