Okay okay okay, I had to come back to point out just one thing; I've been wanting to make this point for yonks and you've reminded me.
Yet somehow, Saturday assistants will have the confidence and assurance to challenge someone, knowing full well they will be accused of being phobic
Ten, twenty, fifty years ago, before transgenderism was widely known about, a young sales assistant sees a "woman" in the changing room with excess facial hair. She assumes either this is a man in the wrong room, or a man up to no good. They're behaving respectfully and there's no reason to be suspicious so she simply asks if they're in the right room. They say they are; perhaps they're unhappy to have been asked, but everyone knows it was an understandable question with good intentions. End of story.
Fast forward to post self-id. Store assistant sees hairy "woman" in changing room. Suspects they xy but they're just minding their own business, whatever. What makes you think that she would be scared to ask that person if they were in the right room? Perhaps it will be seen as rude if she's wrong, but if she genuinely thinks there's a chance they're in the wrong room, why wouldn't she ask? You say because she's scared of being labelled transphobic?
Please tell me why you think all trans people are litigious narcissists who would clearly jump at the chance to nail her to a cross? Why? Why would she even be scared of that? In the past she might have been worried about causing offence, but now she's worried about going to jail??
Where would she get this idea that "normal" people would draw the line at being a bit pissed off, but terrible terrible trans people would accuse her of hate crimes?
That's nuts! And it's actual transphobia. Telling people that if you offend a non-trans person that's one thing, but everyone knows if you ask a simple question with good reason to a trans person they'll sue you. That's what they're like you know, those trans.
Threads like many of FWR which perpetuate this hateful myth don't help.