Thomas' Response

My favorite post remains the first that I did, discussing the performance nature of identity.

I suppose the slave narrative that we read made me realize how much of our identities is determined by how we behave and act--and that in turn determines how people treat us. This has been especially relevant for me in thinking about my own identity, how much of it I perform and how much of it is intrinsic or socialized.

I think over all my questions will remain about how much of identity  is true or innate and how much of it is a social construction. I'd like to explore this question more and it's something I constantly think about when I use labels to define myself. Some labels seem to extend further than words (a rose by any name) while others seem totally dependent on social contexts.