What is a Gatormouse?
Another important aspect of my life is the identities I claim for myself. To me it’s important how I define the identities and which ones I claim more than how others define the identity. For instance, I was raised Mormon and still consider myself one, though a very, very liberal one now with a far deeper understanding of Mormon theology than I think most Mormons even have inklings of. So I don’t drink alcohol or smoke or do any drugs beyond prescription medicine and caffeine. The Mormon bit becomes quite interesting when it intersects, and for a while seemed to clash, with an identity I only recently, in the last two years, came around to accept. I’m gay. Today these two identities fit together quite well I think and I’m content with them, though unfortunately many other people aren’t. Because of these parts of my life though, I’ve done a lot of studying into sexual orientation, LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) history and theories, and Mormon theology. I’ve written a good number of papers in school that tie into these topics and sometimes I have mixed them all together. I can also throw on top of those identities being a gamer, role-playing one to be specific, which is another odd mix I think with those. So I’m a role-playing, gay Mormon gamer. Life definitely isn’t boring for me.
I happen to like symbolism a whole lot (it’s the English major in me), including animal symbolism. So I choose to identify with and use the nickname Mouse or names associated with mice (NOT Mickey though), like Fievel from An American Tail. Hence I applied the term Gatormouse to show a mixing of my identity as a UF student and being a mouse. I hope that helps to explain the site’s name as well as the mouse icon that shows up in the corner a bit.
Here’s a small list of a few identities I claim as important in my life:
- Male (Gender is an identity after all)
- Gay (Sexual orientation)
- Mormon (Religious identity)
- Gamer (A hobby-based identity)
- Uncle (A family fact)
- English Major (It’s in my blood)
- Furry (Another hobby-based identity, with a link that helps explain it I think)