• Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    7 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.

    • theherk@lemmy.world
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      7 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
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        7 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
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          7 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
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            7 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
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              7 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
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                7 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
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                  7 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
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                    7 months ago

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