Chapter 16: “Check All That Apply”: Identity, Choice, and Balance

Within this chapter, I attempt to share my perspectives and experiences as a gay Black man from a poor economic background, who is a recent father within a transracial family. While my journey into academia has been intriguing regarding issues of identity and work–life balance, often I have wondered how identity intersectionalities have affected my personal and professional life. I discuss some of the problematic demographic questions that surface on paper and in person that create personal and professional conflicts as well as different ways to address and manage these encounters.