External Label

An external label is a term used from the outside for a person or group, meaning it was not necessarily chosen by the people concerned themselves. Such terms may be intended neutrally, may have developed historically, or may come from administrative, medical, academic, or everyday language.

External labels become problematic especially when people within the group being described reject them. Reasons may include derogatory use, a discriminatory historical context, colonial or medically pathologizing traditions, or an imprecise and paternalistic description. Even if someone does not intend a term to be hurtful, its impact on those affected can still be distressing or discriminatory.

Words rejected as external labels may nevertheless be used by individual members of a group as self-descriptions, for example as a form of reclamation or personal identification. This does not mean, however, that outsiders should use these terms freely. Respectful language means paying attention to self-descriptions, asking when appropriate, and avoiding terms that a group largely describes as hurtful or derogatory.