[Link]

Now, I have to state to begin with, that I am no expert nor am I well versed, experienced or familiar with, the 'Trans' community (I wouldn't even know if that's the correct nomenclature). I therefore apologise upfront for any offence or hurt caused by my remarks and welcome any learning opportunity. The title of thread to is just some wordplay for my own amusement, not some sort of political statement.

Was interesting to see however, if you click the above link to BBC sports website, that a 'Trans-woman' has had some swimming award removed from 'her' as some Mayor, or summink, has come to the unexpected conclusion that some bloke, who has enjoyed success in bloke's professional swimming, decided to become a bird, compete against birds, and spank them... but apparently won a few women's swimming competitions also, and this is just not cricket.. or swimming in this instance.

The whole thing still absolutely baffles me, I do wholeheartedly support people's freedom to live as they so choose but the idea that this is to be ignored as reality and actually all are supposed to collude in a denial of facts to indulge the psychology of somebody who chooses to be something other then they factually are, I do still find completely baffling.

For example, if Joe next door wants to be known as 'Joanna' and wear dresses, chop his c**k off and what have you, to live his life as he feels most comfortably then fine, no sweat off my back, but that is the reality. It is not that there has been some phenomenal series of errors which has mistakenly been made to the extent that 'Joanna' was biologically, accidentally born a man. J can choose how J wishes to live of course, but no J cannot change in the same dressing room or compete in a physical competition, which is segregated biologically, against my daughter. I'd even happily accept a separate Trans dressing room, as much as I wish to say I wouldn't.

Am I just backwards thinking? Or am I not the only one who is still so mentally fudged by this I can barely conceive it as a reality of the world?

I also see the apparent 'LGB' Alliance charity/movement/org. are getting flak now for challenging Trans ideologies. Good for them. Again I'd state I can quite easily accept the FACT that some people are homosexual, that's who they are and that's the end of it, but struggle to accept that some claim are something different to what... they are, as a FACT?!?!

Link to above paragraph -

[Tweet Link]

I, like many I suppose, often long for the simplicity of childhood when faced with the sometimes grim realities of being a fully grown adult. Should I choose to, I feel it's my right to be able to play all the children's games, buy an Action Man, dress in a juvenile way if I wish, but if I suddenly decided I have a legal and divine right to play against your son in a under-9's 7-a-side tournament would that be kosha? Of course it f**king wouldn't!

Now Zaha's got a bit of green grass ahead of him here... and finds Ambrose... not a bad effort!!!!

I do think some essentially, innately have an inescapable feeling that they're in the wrong body. As such we should keep to attribute a level of dignity to people whose experience would likely be an equivalent of us waking up tomorrow in a woman's body and people having a life long problem with us doing our best to remedy that conundrum, solely viewing us through that lens. Common sense has to factor in though, as when any issue gets drawn into a 'culture war' (which most people trans or otherwise likely do not want to be part of) it goes haywire in both directions, in terms of demonisation (of all trans people) or consideration to a ludicrous extent (remember by 384 pronouns or else..).

To my mind it's not particularly difficult to politely refer to people using respectful understood terms (male or female) depending on how they present, but not to the point of upending everything. I find the whole "trans women are women" thing a little absurd, because, well no, there are clear differences between trans women and women, and a denial of such of course gets into nonsensical situations where we have those with a male bone structure and to an extent muscle mass (even if they are now on T blocking drugs) fighting women, or running against them etc. I'm sorry that that is clearly a step too far and unworkable and I think it time it will be recognised as such as this is thrashed out.

The activist contingent definitely don't help matters as it's clearly not reasonable to expect people to learn a million pronouns or to demonise women who want to protect womens spaces and have very reasonable concerns about these issues (JK Rowling for instance). Activists and those baiting people into being horrified by trans people are two sides of the same coin really. Both groups essentially demand that we bundle individuals into one box and view them all in a certain, set light. For instance Caitlyn Jenner is against trans women in womens sport.

I can well understand why some LGB don't want gender to be arbitrarily bundled into issues of sexuality, because ultimately they are entirely different aspects of a person (who someone is attracted to vs how someone perceives their own gender). The former is intrinsically easier to get your head around and in mosts experience rather consistent through life, whereas gender seems to mean something different every other week depending on who you ask, and the vast majority are comfortable in their own skin so have no frame of reference for it. Also there are long term implications to decisions made at a young age that add to the gravity of gender related decisions.

Beyond taking a person as you find and not getting up in arms about how they dress or whatnot (as in, violent or hateful demands that a person dresses a certain way are a little taliban-like, even if we do find their appearance to be strange), I don't feel that we need to turn the world over this. Common sense will do. Anyone who doesn't expect me to have a qualification in their life prior to conversing with them, is largely alright by me.

Edited by BlueJay (23 Mar 2022 3.14pm)

I suppose would you would be an inappropriate question?

Red and Blue Army!

Yes, I think its important to not to see activist types as indicative of actual day to day people, and at the same time not to get drawn into disliking a group of people. That can be tricky within a culture where people routinely have their arms twisted into having a binary yay or nay answer to every societal question going.

Like with Eddie (Izzard), I can't quite keep up with the gender side, but ultimately there's a lot more to a person than that (charitable, funny, hilariously always backing the wrong horse politically) so I try to factor that in, in terms of forming an overall view.

Best just ignore the pronouns and go for it.

Red and Blue Army!

I thought it was going to be about Vlad the Impaler

“That’s a joke son, I say, that’s a joke.” “Nice boy, but he’s sharp as a throw pillow.” “He’s so dumb he thinks a Mexican border pays rent” “ “Son… I say, son, some people are so narrow minded they can look through a keyhole with both eyes.”__ Forhorn Leghorn