Quote:
Originally Posted by ila
You are both missing my point. I have simply said that if one wants respect one must also give respect. Giving respect means that one should respect the way others dress and act even if it is different than what one likes. I respect the fact that Limegirl wants to be treated as a woman. If I ever met her I would treat as her as a woman. It is not fair however, to denigrate other people who want to be crossdressers, or who work in the sex trade, or who apply their makeup in a different manner. I'm sure all these people would also like to be respected for who they are.
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Actually, Ila, I'm not missing your point at all.
But I don't agree with all of it.
Do I think people should be given respect for "who" they are? In general, I would say yes. On a basic level, we are all human beings and that acts as a starting point. So, I would agree that if someone acts a bit different or dresses a bit different than me, that's fine -- that's the diversity of life. Some people like to hold hands in public, some don't. Some people like to sit at the front of a movie theater, some in the back. Some people like orchestral music, others like rap. Hey, to each their own.
But I'm going to harp on a notion I brought up above. There's a BIG difference between dressing a bit different or having certain personality quirks (and being accepted for those things) and being someone who works hard each day, who is trying to be themselves, who is looking for acceptance by the world at large...
...Versus those who have fallen into a lifestyle that society, as a whole, isn't so quick to embrace.
Case in point, look at what you just said:
"I respect the fact that Limegirl wants to be treated as a woman. If I ever met her I would treat as her as a woman. It is not fair however, to denigrate other people who want to be crossdressers, or who work in the sex trade, or who apply their makeup in a different manner."
Okay, let's go over that list. Respect Limegirl for her feelings and treat her as a woman? Check. Don't denigrate cross-dressers and let them be who they are? Check. Don't denigrate those who apply their makeup in a different manner? No prob, check again. It's not fair to denigrate those who work in the sex trade--
Huh? Wait a minute. How did THAT get tossed in the pile? And I love how you put it right smack in the middle of things you were rattling off. You know, you have a great career ahead of you in politics. That's the textbook way of slipping one past the voters, where a politician runs on and on detailing a long list of things you're in favor of, but then suddenly your ear catches something and you say to yourself, "Wait, did he just say what I think he said?" But by the time you caught it, he's already moved on to other things, so you forget about it, too.
Look, that's a WHOLE OTHER topic to discuss -- namely, how each and every one of us feels about the sex trade and sex workers. That's a WHOLE other topic for debate about whether you think the sex trade should be legit or not, and certainly if you feel "sex workers" are deserving of full respect. I mean, just off the top of my head, I'd say that's a "yes" AND a "no" question. If someone HAD to resort to being a sex worker to get by...they HAD to do something to find some way, any way, to have shelter that night or to put some food into their stomach, I don't know if they'd have my respect, but they'd certainly have my sympathy and compassion and pity. Again, because I don't think anyone should HAVE to be a sex worker to survive. That's about as dark a side of humanity as you can get.
Now on the other hand, if someone CHOOSES to be a sex worker -- if they feel they can make a shitload of money by dressing sexy and flaunting their sexual status and they're just in it for the cash...gee, sorry, but that one's not really gonna get my respect. I'm not really looking to give the Blue Ribbon Seal of Approval to sex workers today. But again, that's a whole other topic on the sex trade as a whole -- so if you want to go down THAT road, fine. We can now have THAT debate as well. But right now it seems...to me at least...that you're suddenly mixing apples and oranges in a debate about "personal respect."