Robin,
I'm going to admit I am having a really hard time getting my head around the whole gender identity thing, so if you're lurking on the board could you please help me to help you. Thanks.
This is the issue I'm having with the being in no doubt as to the gender of a person you are looking at as you mentioned in the article we are currently discussing.
If I see someone with a male voice, who obviously on physical appearance is a person of the male sex. How? how can I on just looking at them have no doubt as to their gender?
If gender is all about the feels, then how am I to know when the person with a full trolley rolls over my foot whilst at the checkout, wether to say excuse me sir? or Excuse me madam? could you move your trolley off my toes?
If the only thing this person is relying on is how they are dressed, still how do I know wether the person in front of me has a gender that matches their sex or not?
When I am standing there with my female voice, female body in jeans and tee shirt bought from the men's section of Sainsbury's with knackered nails, hair that hasn't seen a hairdressers in ten years, and make-up free, how do I work out wether the male voiced, male bodied person with killer nails in front of me has a female gender identity and would like to be addressed as madam? Or a male gender identity who just has slightly different style of dress from a large proportion of their peers and would like to be addressed as sir.
Because it can't surely all be about the fact that they are wearing clothes from the female section of Sainsburys that I am to use to gender them, whilst running the risk of misgendering them? which apparently is the most horrific, degrading, violent thing I can do.
BECAUSE THAT MAKES NO BLOODY SENSE
why don't I get this? What am I not understanding?
I know that no debate is the preferred option, but I think it really is time to sit down and have a debate.
Thanks
Boiled