is it ethical to choose any identity one feels truly reflects one's self?

[KRU1996]

this question is one that underlies these current debates:
1) about GAY for PAY? or temporarily gay? expediently gay for profit? bi-sexual? tranny?
2) a White person of full European descent identifying as a Black person of full or partial African descent?
Is it ethical if one does this and does no harm to the group with which one feels the affinity?
Is it ethical if only if one does it to help the group with which one has an affinity?
Is any human free to cobble together any identity he/she feels allows her/him to live with herself/himself?
Paradox - Keep in mind this can extend to and include a religious sensibility and a political sensibility such as a woman wearing a burqa to show solidarity with Islamic women and at the same time showing that women have the absolute freedom to choose not to wear a burqa or to choose to wear a burqa as long as it is the woman's free choice?

 

[stowe1]

That woman in Washington is the child of two Caucasian parents and she has chosen to identify as black. Perhaps she wishes she were black but that doesn't make it so. I am a 73 year old gay, over weight man. I now choose to identify as a 23 year old slim well toned stud. That doesn't make me so. The whole thing is ridiculous and not worth the newspaper and tv and radio time spent on reporting about it.

 

[joeychuck2]

to be an officer of NAACP and be white but say you are black is nuts. BTW they still have colored people as part of their name now isn't "colored people" part of the old bigotry? In my mind it is. I'm Caucasian but it offends me. Everything goes these days. Why not have a well known Black person say they are White?

 

[Spartans987]

very well said

 

[joeychuck2]

thank you