So today I got called transphobic

I would imagine most Trans people would be quite taken a back by that response.

One my best mates is both Trans/gender fluid but totally relaxed in how others see him. I say him as that was how he was when I met him. Others have met him as a her and they call him she.

I asked him about it and his view (thankfully for me) was he couldn't care whether you call him a him or a her as he considers himself to be both and whatever people are comfortable with is fine by him.

I'm in my 40's and was quite surprised when I learned all this, apparently it has cost him friends in the past when he's told them.

My response to him was that he's a good laugh to be with and a decent mate, so if he wants to put a dress on and wear make-up that's his business.

I have said to him that I don't understand the need, but neither do I need to - it's done for him not anyone else.

Whichever persona he's in we talk about the same stuff anyway. It's not like if he's wearing a dress he suddenly wants to talk to me about make-up.

I think that, like anything else, acceptance and tolerance is a two way street.

That also means trans people accepting that those who aren't will find it difficult to understand and will occasionally slip up. I'm sure that if my mate told me that he wanted to be considered a woman full time there would be plenty of occasions when I would call him "him" or "fella" (a colloquialism I use often) - but I'm equally sure he wouldn't get militant about it either.

The reaction you got was someone who clearly wants attention to my mind.

 

I think I myself would be angry if I posted that something had happened, and then got accused of making it up.

And then was sought to be made the subject of ridicule about it, as you have done with your graph.

 

Fair enough, but was only meant to be a lighthearted joke. Seemed a strange thing to have a rant/ start a thread about when I first read it but each to their own.

 

I think it says more about non-trans/binary people to be honest. Another example of the woke generation attempting to take ownership of everything and speaking on behalf of everyone in an attempt at virtue signalling without truly going beneath the surface and being directly impacted by the issue at hand. I dont read @SuperTyke's post as 'mocking' trans people, nor is he responsible for the replies in the thread.

As for new-born babies, my first natural question is 'is it a boy or a girl'. If I had a child, I'd have no issue being asked that question myself. I don't see anything wrong with the question, and I imagine the large majority of trans people wouldn't be offended by hearing the question themselves. I think they have more pressing issues to deal with, as has been highlighted elsewhere.

 

I didn't see it as mocking or right wing either, just to clarify

 

Pretty impressive that you managed to get 'woke', 'speaking on behalf of' and 'virtue signalling' in the same sentence. I doff my cap.

 

Unfortunately the three often go hand-in-hand. In my opinion the world needs to wake up from wokeness and act like adults i.e. allow independent thought/voices again. And stop jumping on every bandwagon to self-aggrandise and force an opinion without having any regard for the alternate voice. We're in dangerous territory.

 

At work a not insignificant proportion of people have taken to putting their pronouns in the email signatures (he / him / his) (she / her / hers). This has been actively encouraged.

I’m all for those who get misgendered doing this. I think it’s great that there’s a much better understanding of these issues than there used to be. However, I’m really not sure about the proposal that everyone should be doing this, even those who are cisgender.

I have pretty liberal views generally. Live and let live. But where it becomes uncomfortable for me is where the most ‘progressive’ attitudes are forced upon everyone else in the name of inclusivity, which itself is illiberal. I think it’s the equivalent of labelling those who aren’t actively ‘anti racist’ as racists, or ‘white silence is violence’. It’s ‘progressive’ illiberalism, which is become more widespread, particularly on places like Twitter. Sadly I also think it does far more harm than good and those who champion it don’t realise it (or don’t care).

 

Damn right, before we know it the racists, misogynists and homophobes won't even have a voice anymore.

 

Completely agree.

 

The tri factor. Best thing about this thread!

 

yes where will the hard right go to express their opinions when communists like Rupert Murdoch and the Dacre brothers run the U.K. press.

 

Tell them to give themselves a bollocking for being lunatics, I bet the midwife couldn't get them out of the ward quick enough, embeciles

 

I thought the point of people who are clearly not going to get misgendered putting their pronouns in email signatures, is to let people who may, or feel they may be misgendered feel empowered to do so as well. Otherwise there really is no point. It's not being progressive, it's being supportive.

 

In order to change an opinion, a reasonable discourse needs to occur. That way you can question others' views in an open way and make racists, misogynists etc. see that perhaps their views are abhorrent, one-sided and unfair. By instantly closing down the conversation (a la Woke), the opportunity to change minds is lost. Open debate is sinking in a sea of virtue signalling that is in itself, ironically, abhorrent, one-sided and unfair. Nowadays everyone has to be one or the other; isn't life more complex? Shutting down debate instantly means these complexities and the way people think the way they do are less and less explored in my opinion. All this row in the same direction as us or get off the ship (and often be publicly shamed: cancel culture etc.) is completely damaging all-round and creates yet more division.

 

Misspelling 'imbeciles', my irony meter just exploded.

 

See my other post. I'm talking about every voice, you don't have to be hard right or left.

 

This one stuck in my head. Do we have to draw a line somewhere?

 

I find it more bizarre that You’re often told the weight... I have no idea what to do with that information.

I also don’t understand gender reveal parties...

 

I think you're misusing the term woke, but that's a whole new debate. However I agree that life is far more nuanced than black or white views permit. Perhaps your use of buzzwords and phrases in a way to stymie discussion is in a post-ironic manner, if so, genius.

Added in:
I'm not sure I could change the opinion of a racist/misogynist/homophobe. However, I would like to think I'd always point out the behaviour if I saw it. Is that virtue signalling?