There's always someone asking you to underline one piece of yourself - whether it's Black, woman, mother, dyke, teacher, etc. - because that's the piece that they need to key in to. They want to dismiss everything else.

Summary

This quote highlights the tendency of certain people to focus solely on one aspect of an individual's identity, disregarding the rest. Whether it is race, gender, sexuality, profession, or other characteristics, individuals are often reduced to one label that others feel is most important. This narrow focus allows others to ignore or dismiss all the other dimensions and complexity of a person. The quote sheds light on the significant impact this has on people's experiences as they are constantly pressured to conform to a particular identity, while the rest of their being is overlooked or devalued.

Topics