Unleashing the Power of Excellence: A Journey of Identity and AspirationRead Niza's Journey of Identity and Aspiration
by Niza Jay
03-07-2023 16:35
in LGBTQIA+
Unleashing the Power of Excellence: A Journey of Identity and Aspiration
Image by Unsplash
For a long time, excelling was my shield against the challenges I faced as a gay man. As I've navigated different arenas in life and contended with various ideals around success , I have reclaimed excellence as a manifestation of my true self, and a way to make a meaningful contribution to the world.
--
Striving for Excellence in the Face of Inequality In a world marked by inequality, the pursuit of excellence shines as a beacon of hope. For marginalised people, striving for excellence takes on a profound significance. As a gay man at the intersection of various minority groups, including being black and gender non-conforming, I understand the weight this carries and its impact on my life decisions. In this article, I trace the roots of my desire to excel and its connection to my identity as a gay man. My aim is to foster a healthier relationship with my aspirations, allowing them to be pure goals that I actively strive towards, rather than a means to escape the oppression tied to my complex identity.
ALSO READ: Catholic Church ponders women's roles to LGBTQ inclusion
The Intersection of Identity and Aspiration During my formative years, excelling became a defining characteristic by which I was identified. This was before I found the language to express my sexual orientation. I was known as the smart boy' or the talented boy.' This label became ingrained in my psyche, creating a default setting. Failing in any area felt like a betrayal of myself. As I transitioned to a racially diverse school and embraced my attraction to men, I faced a new reality. People started identifying me differently, but my exceptionalism still preceded any other aspect of my identity. I became known as the smart, talented, gay boy.' However, as puberty hit, my academic interests started to wane. People associated me less with my abilities and more with my sexual orientation. An incident at school made this shift painfully clear to me.
--
Shifting the significance of Exceptionalism I once got into trouble for damaging a classmate's books, and my mother explicitly told me that she believed all the trouble I was getting into were the consequences of me being gay. She then advised me to focus on my academics and the aspects that made me who I am. This incident fundamentally changed my relationship with excellence. It was no longer the primary marker of my identity that I had strayed from during puberty and needed to reclaim. Instead, it became a way for me to justify my complex identity to myself and others. Since then, I have strived to excel in every aspect of my life. By achieving exceptional results, I sought to counter prejudice directed at my sexual orientation.
ALSO READ: Mariah Carey belonged to LA Pride this past Saturday!
Excelling as a way for queer people to Counter to Prejudice Immersed in queer culture, I discovered I was not alone in this pursuit. Many individuals couple their queer identity with a fervent desire to be remarkable and to embody queer excellence. I believe that very often, exceptionalism provides queer people with confidence to counter any maligning. That said, excelling does not shield one from feelings of inadequacy or protect against societal ill-treatment. However, many of us from marginalised groups utilize our favourable qualities to attain whatever power we can.
--
Harnessing Exceptionalism to Inspire Change In a time of constant attacks against minorities, knowledge, positive action, and reflection become powerful tools to dismantle internalised oppression. They serve as our resistance and contribution. Each of us possesses inherent value and plays an integral role in shaping our collective reality. Reflecting on my journey, from the boy who damaged another's books to who I am today, I realise that my pursuit of excellence remains entwined with my gay identity. However, I am committed to cultivating a healthier perspective, where excellence is a manifestation of my authentic self, independent of societal expectations. In this evolution lies the potential for genuine growth, liberated from the need to prove my worth and driven by a sincere desire to make a meaningful impact on the world.
ALSO READ: Misgendering people is ignorant and disrespectful.
BOOK QUIZ: WIN one of three R500 Exclusive Books vouchers. Click here to ENTER
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
02/06/2024
AE add 3D motion to still photographs
Brie Clayton June 2, 2024
0 Comments
AE add 3D motion to still photographs
May 30, 2024COW Featured Resume: Pa...
02/06/2024
Weather forecasters in Taiwan had their hair blown back when they saw a typhoon up close, created on a computer that slashed the time and energy needed for the ...
01/06/2024
Dustee Jenkins, Chief Public Affairs Officer, Spotify
With billions of people from over 50 countries heading to the polls to cast their vote, 2024 is shaping u...
01/06/2024
Busy this week catching up from the Memorial Day holiday? Our TV Tech weekly wrap-up of all our coverage of new products, services and deployments will get you ...
01/06/2024
Young Sherlock, with Guy Ritchie directing and executive producing, is a go at Prime Video. Hero Fiennes Tiffin plays Sherlock. Prime Video calls it the origin...
01/06/2024
The Los Angeles Sparks-Indiana Fever game on Friday featuring the top two WNBA draft picks, Caitlin Clark and Cameron Brink, was the most watched WNBA game on I...
01/06/2024
Lionsgate, which increased its majority stake in 3 Arts Entertainment in January, said it named Brian Weinstein co-CEO of 3 Arts....
01/06/2024
Netflix is launching four video games based on unscripted series this year. They...
01/06/2024
ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox affiliates switched from their regular programming to carry live coverage of the verdicts in the porn star hush-money trial of former Pres...
31/05/2024
A U.S. Marine fires an FIM-92 Stinger missile during a training exercise in Yuma...
31/05/2024
NEW YORK The global body that sets technical standards for digital advertising h...
31/05/2024
In a new analysis of what services might make up a good bundle and what services might benefit the most from bundling, Antenna has released new data that highli...
31/05/2024
Global SVOD revenues will increase by $116.6 billion by 2031, a growth rate of 13.3% per year over the next eight years, according to a new report from MIDiA Re...
31/05/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. The FCC Media Bureau has announced that effective August 1, 2024 the Commission's TVStudy software will incorporate the most recent U.S. Ce...
31/05/2024
NBCUniversal has announced that its FAST channel TNBC will be rebranding to NBC Comedy Vault on June 1 and that the free streaming service will officially launc...
31/05/2024
PARIS Ateme has announced that the Indonesian public broadcaster TVRI is making the transition to 4K UHD OTT streaming using Ateme technologies....
31/05/2024
The proposal had received support from James Cameron, Andy Serkis, Paul Greengrass, Richard Curtis, and Jeremy Irons
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: May 31, 2...
31/05/2024
According to multiple reports, the new bid from Skydance offers a better deal to Paramounts Class B shareholders, who were said to be unhappy with the companys ...
31/05/2024
The awards recognise women and companies who are stand-out performers, innovators and leaders in the broadcast media technology industry
By Matthew Corrigan
...
31/05/2024
NEW YORK The global body that sets technical standards for digital advertising has expanded the reach of its measurement software development kit to include Sam...
31/05/2024
The rise of digital platforms is fundamentally changing the broadcast newsroom and its investment in technology according to Jon Roberts, director of technology...
31/05/2024
In a new analysis of what services might make up a good bundle and what services might benefit the most from bundling, Antenna has released new data that highli...
31/05/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. Fifty state broadcasters associations, including the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, have sent a letter to Congressio...
31/05/2024
EVS has announced the appointment of Richard Katz as senior vice president of operations for the North and Latin American (NALA) region. This appointment is par...
31/05/2024
CommScope has announced that it was selected by Casa Systems, Inc. as the highest to acquire Casa's cable business assets and that the two companies have en...
31/05/2024
Robert De Niro won't be receiving the Service to America Leadership Award from the NAB Leadership Foundation after all....
31/05/2024
Viant Technology said it formed an integration with Google Cloud's BigQuery data clean rooms...
31/05/2024
The CW said it will broadcast the 2024 Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop Last year, The CW aired the game when it was called Bar...
31/05/2024
Allen Media Group said it made a deal with Amazon's Fire TV Channel that will make content from several of Allen's outlet available via Fire TV and Echo...
31/05/2024
Robert De Niro, announced as the winner of the NAB's Leadership Foundation's Service to America Leadership Award on May 28, will not get the award. The ...
31/05/2024
Comcast Technology Solutions was selected by AccuWeather to create, manage and distribute linear and over-the-top video channels....
31/05/2024
Connected TV is becoming a bigger deal for consumers and advertisers, according to a new report from TVision....
31/05/2024
By Craig Anderton
Let's get right to what this sounds like. It's not quite feedback or tape reverse, it's well, listen to what it does in this blue...
31/05/2024
31 May 2024
VEON discloses April YTD trading update at its AGM Amsterdam, 31 May 2024 07:00 CEST -
VEON April YTD 2024 Highlights
Total revenue of USD 1,278 ...
31/05/2024
31 May 2024
VEON Announces Its New Board, Names Founder Augie Fabela as Chairman Amsterdam, 31 May 2024, 16.00 CET: VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON, Euronext Amsterdam...
31/05/2024
May 31st, 2024
TRIBECA FESTIVAL AND OPEN AI ANNOUNCE SORA SHORTS'
Five Commissioned Short Films Created Using Sora Debut at 2024 Tribeca Festival
New ...
31/05/2024
In-Venue Technology Wrap-Up: How 4K, IP, and More are Changing the Game Pres Gam...
31/05/2024
UEFA Champions League Final 2024: The host broadcast facts and figures for Real ...
31/05/2024
UEFA Europa Conference League Final 2024: Bringing the broadcast to global TV sc...
31/05/2024
Willow Offers Free 2024 ICC T20 Cricket World Cup Preview via DirecTV, Verizon, ...
31/05/2024
Women's College World Series: ESPN Brings Live Drone, Two-Point Cabled, and ...
31/05/2024
SVG College Summit Brings Video-Production Industry Together in Atlanta in the M...
31/05/2024
UEFA Champions League Final 2024: CBS Sports' UCL Today Studio Show Is Pitch...
31/05/2024
Back to All News
Master of the House' Unveils a Scandalous Tale of Power and Greed on July 18
Entertainment
31 May 2024
GlobalThailand
Link copied to ...
31/05/2024
Back to All News
JEEtu Bhaiya is Back: Kota Factory' Season 3 Arrives on Netflix June 20
Entertainment
31 May 2024
GlobalIndia
Link copied to clipboar...
31/05/2024
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
With around 9,000 employees, Ground Transportation Systems is a global leader in Rail Signaling and Train Control Systems, Telec...
31/05/2024
RT 2FM is the home of music this summer, entertaining listeners across the day and night, with the best music, chat and interviews providing the soundtrack to ...
Unleashing the Power of Excellence: A Journey of Identity and AspirationRead Niza's Journey of Identity and Aspiration
