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Saturday 20 January 2018

Adult gender confusion

Cafes are interesting places, good for people-watching and who doesn’t enjoy a spot of that every now and then? For example, the other day Mrs H encountered a chap in the ladies toilets – presumably a man who identified as female. At least that was what Mrs H assumed from his clothes and physical appearance - she has a sharp eye for these things.

Identified? An intensely fashionable but strange use of the word ‘identified’ I always think. Although the toilet lurker seemed to be a chap who identified as female, Mrs H identified him as male. A rather more correct identification I suspect. From her account of his appearance most women would have made the same identification – most real women that is.

The trouble is, although one may wish to be fashionably accommodating, it is not obvious why we should identify people incorrectly merely on their say-so. Children do it when playing their games of make-believe, but adults are supposedly made of sterner stuff. Not all adults obviously.

There is a politeness angle of course. If one knows such a person personally then it may be polite to go along with their self-adjusted gender but apart from that I don’t see why the rest of us should join in political games of let’s pretend. We do enough of that as it is.

4 comments:

The English Painter said...

DNA will reveal all...

Sam Vega said...

Excellent points there. Just a few years ago, a man found in the ladies' toilets would have been arrested. Now, even remarking on the fact that a man is in the ladies' toilets would probably lead to one's own arrest.

I am determined to hold the line on people not having the right to be referred to in the way they choose. In the first place, it could lead to me claiming the right to be called "White master-race boss", or somesuch. And why not? It's my right, surely? More importantly, although I reluctantly accept proscriptions on what I am allowed to say (Shouting "Fire!" in the proverbial crowded theatre, and all that) accepting prescriptions is a step too far. As Jordan Peterson argues, other people telling us what to say is the same as them telling us what to think.

Mind you, it's easy for me to say I will resist this nonsense. It's those poor bastards whose livelihood depends on compliance that I feel really sorry for.

wiggiatlarge said...

Mrs H would not that long ago have rushed outside and claimed a "pervert" was in the ladies toilet, of course nothing has changed except the sudden emergence of endless droves of people claiming genders that only exist in their mind.
This seemingly gives them the right to ride roughshod over normal decencies and invade ladies toilets with the knowing that the law or what is perceived to be the law will back up their perverse lifestyle as being the new norm.
What has to be asked with this issue and many similar is why is the elected representative caving in to all and sundry for no good reason.

A K Haart said...

EP - and that can't be changed.

Sam - and those poor bastards whose livelihood depends on compliance help keep the show on the road.

Wiggia - to my mind the hopelessly craven BBC should take much of the blame.