• Flying Squid@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    45
    arrow-down
    4
    ·
    6 months ago

    Oh my god, so what if they were? Why do they care? Let people be who they want to be. If you tell me, “I’m not a woman, I’m an autumn,” I might think that’s silly, but if that’s what you want me to call you, fine. It doesn’t hurt anyone, it doesn’t exploit anyone, there’s no harm in it at all.

    • SoleInvictus@lemmy.blahaj.zone
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      21
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      6 months ago

      I’d love to know if anyone who actually cares about this feels similarly about horoscopes or Meyers-Briggs assessments, two other completely fabricated ways of classifying people.

      My Trumper father used to complain about things like choosing your gender being made up. It’s all made up, dad! We literally make everything up, just some dipshits gatekeep what make believe is acceptable or not.

        • SoleInvictus@lemmy.blahaj.zone
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          6 months ago

          Was it ever really common, though? I grew up in a pretty conservative state and the only people who received common courtesy are those who were in the in group, specifically white, heterosexual, social norm abiding Christians. I happened to either not be one of those or questionable as to which I belonged, so I wasn’t the recipient of common courtesy until I moved somewhere more progressive.

    • theherk@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      6 months ago

      Why categorize anything at all or even have adjectives? The point is that we categorize things for the sake of clarity. I’m or course not mad about miscategorization, but it can have an impact on understanding. Something isn’t true just by saying it.

      The case of gender identity isn’t a matter of letting them be what they want to be; it is letting them be what the are.

      Of course nothing is really happening here, but even if it were, it would be fine to complain about people identifying as something absurd. Those people are usually mocking gender non-conformity so fuck that.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        edit-2
        6 months ago

        If people misunderstand how you identify yourself, it’s not hard to correct them. If they keep doing it intentionally, they’re being malicious.

        It’s funny that you ask “why categorize anything at all or even have adjectives” over people putting themselves in a certain category. I don’t understand the question.

        • theherk@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          6 months ago

          You asked why do they care? I’m saying, if it were true, people might care because categorization depends on some degree of truth. So it is reasonable to care if people are categorizing truthfully. Conflating flippant categorization and actual identity I don’t think is helpful.

          Again, this case is bullshit, but it smacks of the “attack helicopter” garbage where the implication is that trans individuals are just claiming to be something they aren’t, which isn’t true. And when somebody says “who cares if somebody identifies as a park bench” or similar, it doesn’t help. We care because one situation isn’t the truth, and the other is an honest telling of one’s identity.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            4
            ·
            6 months ago

            categorization depends on some degree of truth

            Since when? People categorize themselves in ways that aren’t true all the time. Like people insisting they aren’t fat when they are.

            • theherk@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              edit-2
              6 months ago

              I am concerned I’m getting wrapped into a discussion not in good faith, but this can’t be a serious question. If your friend tells you to come over. “It’s the blue 2 story house on the corner. Come on in.” But they really live in the brownstone next door… do you see the value of speaking the truth to one another?

              Upon entering a hospital to see a loved one with very little time remaining you recall the text from your brother said “you need to talk to the tall doctor with brown spiky hair. I can’t recall his name.”

              Can it be harmless, like me claiming to be slim and handsome? Yeah, but that doesn’t change that it would be better, in my view, to be candid and clear.

              And also I’ll add, not to imply that claiming one is a season is somehow on equal footing as somebody correctly identifying their own gender.

              • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                6 months ago

                But if someone really believes that they identify as autumn, don’t they think they are being candid and clear? Who are you to say they aren’t?

                • theherk@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  2
                  ·
                  6 months ago

                  Then they are mistaken, and I am a caring companion letting them know they should reevaluate their assessment and maybe see somebody. It really undercuts the message of the trans community to imply that identify ones gender is the same as stating something categorically false.

                  Self identity doesn’t make truth, it only asserts it.

                  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
                    link
                    fedilink
                    arrow-up
                    3
                    ·
                    6 months ago

                    This sounds very similar to claims that trans people are mistaken. Why do you get to be the arbiter of that?