Naming Your Identity

“For this is what the Lord says: I will bless those eunuchs...I will give them—within the walls of my house a memorial and a name far greater than sons and daughters could give.” (Isaiah 56:4-5 NLT) 

A friend of mine recently did something surprising. For the first time in her adult life, she went into a room full of people and pronounced her own name properly. Her last name is frequently mispronounced by those around her. For decades, she never corrected anyone. By the time she was in middle school, she started mispronouncing her own name--using the anglicized version that made others more comfortable. Until last week, she convinced herself that it made no difference what people called her. She said it felt good to claim her identity. She doesn’t expect everyone else to say her name correctly--but she does want to stop reinforcing the mislabeling.

In recent years, there has been a shift in the labels we use to describe marginalized groups of people. While there are some who dismiss these terms as mere political correctness, they are meant to convey empathy and respect. If a person mentions they are of a certain race or ethnic ancestry, I do not challenge their claim by their physical features. If a person asks to be referred to by a certain pronoun, I do not question their gender identity. If a person uses a term that I am unfamiliar with to describe themselves, I see it as a learning opportunity rather than being annoyed at having to change my mindset. I do this out of a desire to be kind, not to be seen as politically correct or virtuous. I believe that everyone, including those who are often pushed to the margins of society, deserves to be treated with dignity.