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Originally Posted by littletwink
I'm not comfortable with the idea of a person or group telling individuals what they must think or believe. Behavior and actions are separate from thoughts and beliefs, though. Are behaviors and actions usually predicated upon beliefs? Certainly, but while behaviors and actions can be mandated and enforced legally, thoughts and beliefs cannot.
You wish to mandate certain language when it comes to discussing the TG community, but language alone is not a guarantee or even a requisite for understanding and understanding is not a guarantee of societal acceptance. As a member of that community myself - albeit part-time, by some definitions - I am not bothered by another person's refusal of my self-identification.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by littletwink
When someone defines him or herself as one gender or the other, then I agree they have a right to consider themselves whatever they feel they are. I don't necessarily think that creates an obligation for anyone else to recognize a person's belief.
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I agree with you on the highlighted section.
It's ludicrous to expect society to control an individuals thoughts on something; like in this case the way a person feels inside about another person and their gender representation.
I think that we now split in our thoughts. - I feel it is always appropriate for everyone in society to interact with a trans-variance person, in such a way that reflects their adopted gender. If a person appears to have male background but their attire says female, treat them as female.
- Likewise for F2M's where they may have some female 'Tells' but are clearly representing themselves as male, then treat them, as male.
- For a person who is not easy to categorise such as gender-fuck, then a polite discrete question asking them how they wish to be addressed, seems reasonable.
That would seem to be both polite,cover all bases and not require anyone to compromise their internal views.
Stay bigoted, but don't be rude and show it.
Of course anyone with strong anti-trans views will never come on TLB to read this so I'm probably preaching to the converted.