****ing hell, this ****ing mind-blowing I read everything by RD over and over. So it's me Roal Dahl that's made into the potty mouth I am today is it? We're getting ever closer to the Thought Police. Newspeak, is here.
If you never intended to give offence, then the thieving ****s have taken it without permission. It's my offence, and although I have plenty to go around, I'll choose who I give it to thank you very much.
Blokes can have them too these days, ya bigot. One of the many things that makes me laugh about all this nonsense, is that there's a fair few thinking that they're pushing the boundaries, when cross dressing and the like have gone on for years. Even the so called prudish Victorians had loads of it, and you only have to look at the songs from the 60's and 70's to see it was pretty much just accepted as a 'thing', without the need for all this fuss. Of course, there are exceptions such as flagged by Harvey Milk etc.
Is it helpful or unhelpful to use these pronoun terms? Simply I'd say no as it confuses the general public at its aimed at to inform If 2 years ago you asked most people to define a noun let alone a pronoun most would struggle, in essence we are asking what 'title' would you like to be referred as? Which itself is very reasonable. Also looking at the struggles history of the LGBTrans+++ community we as a society have been fairly awful - watch the Imitation Game for an example. Linguistically I've not read an article that supports it and in the community / people who choose these 'titles' there is not a homogeneous agreement on the use or preference for the 'pluralised' terms. For people who do choose I can't imagine the life or for some struggles /known mental health problems when gender terms don't reflect their reality. So is ( my opinion) the them / they term / title / pronoun helpful? = no, it does not communicate to people it's intended message (I still read as plural etc people) - I'd find something like 'Pan' more helpful, though I doubt no phrase will be agreed by all... Hopefully this will evolve into a word/s that help all
i recall using 'they' as a singular, mostly when much younger, and using it to mean a person of either gender (that's inviting trouble), such as when referring to a singular one in an instance where the person might be male of female (eg: tv show contestant) or one that i don't want to be more specific about. to the best of my knowledge, i've met only one trans person in my life (six decades and counting) and would try to use the pronouns the person preferred. however, those that have mentioned above that it's no big deal should be aware that some use invented words and there are more than SEVENTY sets of pronouns that people have claimed. there is a part of me that says nobody is addressed using third person pronouns, because we tend to use 'you' when talking to them, and if i'm talking about someone it's none of their effing business what i refer to them as. however, people may be in hearing range when mentioned or may be mentioned in the media. my other problem is that i believe the noise to be mostly political in nature and source. most people who change genders just want to quietly get on with being their new version. i abhor the relentless nastiness of the activists in attacking those that hold to a more scientific belief about what people have changed to. jk rowling is an example. the activists are nothing but nasty and authoritarian, and i despise all authoritarians. one thing that is a fact is that you can't change your chromosomes. as a final comment on 'misgendering', i was one of those toddlers whose mothers really really didn't want to cut their hair, so it was for a time longer than that of most little lads. this, i'm told, would frequently result in comments such as "isn't she bonny?", which my mother would correct. the effect on me has been absolutely zero and i think those that take offence or umbrage or whatever, should get over it and grow the **** up.
Just don’t choose to say or write something you know would upset someone. It’s nothing more complicated than that.
Simply put but if the Elephant Man came in here now with some lipstick on and a nice dress, and said ‘how do I look?’, would you say, Lynn, bearing in mind that he’s depressed and has got respiratory problems, would you say ‘take that blusher off, you ugly misshapen-headed elephant tranny?’ Lynn: No, I’d say, ‘you look very nice’. Alan: Exactly, you’re say ‘you look nice, John’.
If only it were that simple, if only some people didn't get choose to get 'upset' at the most ridiculous of things (like, say, facts). As said earlier, if only some people would just get on with their chosen massively minority lifestyle without expecting the rest of us to change in accordance with their 'needs'. That's the real issue (and yes, it is only some, but some of those some are very good at making noise about it, and they are foolishly given way too much oxygen, because that's how the media and social media work nowadays).
