Gender stuff gone mad ....

I have filled in several forms recently which asked what gender I considered myself to be.
It used to just be F or M.

It doesn’t bother or affect me but if it is important to others then I shall use whatever pro noun they are comfortable with.

I was just writing a letter which i find the need to do very rarely and I started dear Sir or Madam in the usual way and just stopped to think for a mo. Perhaps I should use 'To whom it may concern'. I don't know at all what would be the right address.

Oh no! That must have absolutely ruined your whole day, hope you are ok!

Doodledog

But my attitude hasn't shifted. I still think there are two sexes, and that you can't opt out of one and into another.

My attitude has shifted.
How many of you had a man come to your home to tell your mother they loved your father, I did.
How many saw a cross dresser walk up the our road every night, I did.
This was all in the 50s in east London a spit away from the Royal group of docks.
Nobody spoke about it, it was just what it was, ( I’ve just remembered my mothers lesbian friend) people just got on with their lives.
But now, no, everyone has to sign up to something.
My attitude has changed because if someone keeps trying to ram something down my throat, I’ll bite, and hard.

Moonwatcher how do you know the gender of that person.?Could be a false beard. Anyway, does it matter - as long as they are happy with the way they dress and look

.Yes, older people are so resistant to this sort of change in thinking. But, then odler people ahve ALWAYS (right back to Socrates) thought that the younger generation was stupid, degenerate, rude, disrespectful, etc. etc.

I find it weird that people on here actually seem to find their own ignorance on this matter funny. I find it rather sad!!!!

Just looked up Gender in Wikipedia and it says this.
"Gender includes the social, psychological, cultural and behavioral aspects of being a man, woman, or other gender identity"
These other aspects of gender may not be the same as your biological gender. You may be female in one aspect and male in another.

We were in our local supermarket the other week and my DH nudged and nodded in the direction of a person in front of us. I thought what the @~*&. A lovely long summer frock with trainers and a summery hat on the head of a man with a big ginger beard. I didn't know whether to think he, she, they, them but whatever they wanted to be they were still male.

But my attitude hasn't shifted. I still think there are two sexes, and that you can't opt out of one and into another.

Marmin

I didn' t say it was the same as an ipad. I said our attitude to change in society shifts as we get older.

It certainly does.
Who would have believed that the police are no longer necessarily the bastions of public protection.
Who would have believed that banks are not always to be trusted?

Who would have believed that our knowledge of biological truth would be challenged by humans, particularly males, claiming they can change sex and cheating, lying and offering violence to those who maintain biological truth.

Allsorts

Staceanne if I see one of those bags I will get it. Its like living in la la land a lot of the time.

She got it from Oxfam - onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk/rainbow-pride-tote-bag-pride-collection/product/HN505267

Hope they don start that rubbish here is all I can add.

Happy to change with society where needed. But some of the stuff is flying in the face of science/biology and I hate the confusion it sets up in my GCs' minds, especially the one who wishes to change gender - life is very tough for him/her/them. I hate to see that totally unnecessary suffering.

I also think that people are writing these things (on name badges/signatures) because it is company policy and they might lose their jobs if they don't - that is pretty scary to me. Big Brother on the prowl.

Some organisations insist employees list their preferred pronouns even if they don’t want to.

Marmin

I didn' t say it was the same as an ipad. I said our attitude to change in society shifts as we get older.

And I didn't say you did . I said that gender ideology is not about getting used to something in the way that one gets used to using technology, which is what you were suggesting.

This is often presented as something that older people find difficult, when it isn't. Plenty of young people think it is insidious too, but if their jobs depend on going along with the ideology I can understand why they let themselves be blackmailed. It's not fair, but it's understandable.

Luckygirl3 I had an email signed like that.As it need to a reply I put woman after my name. The reply I received just had the woman's name no she/ her.

I didn' t say it was the same as an ipad. I said our attitude to change in society shifts as we get older.

Staceanne if I see one of those bags I will get it. Its like living in la la land a lot of the time.

I don't think this is at all the same as getting used to using an iPad. It is about changing the basis on which many rights have been based for centuries, largely to protect women and girls when we are vulnerable.

The only reason people 'need' to express a pronoun preference is because a very few people think that they can chance from male to female or vice versa, and that the rest of us (like the woman described in the OP) should buy into this by not letting our sex speak for itself. It can seem harmless, but the more people do it the more it normalises the idea that men can be in women's spaces, and that being a woman is optional. I know that a lot of Stonewall-captured workplaces insist on employees declaring pronouns, and younger employees have very little choice but to play along, although this is because they fear losing their job, not necessarily because they agree with the policy.

I guessed that 'non binary' refers to someone that identifies as neither female or male exclusively. The 'male' part of the sign gave me reassurance that I was in the right place. I see this as a mental adjustment it is incumbent on me to make: which I am happy to do. I will however check with my daughter, who will give me chapter and verse.

Foxygloves I’d have given in to the temptation.
Marmin how do the non bi know whether they should use male toilet or not? Does it depend on the day or the toilet?

Marmin I thought I had got my head around most of the different categories but what is Male Non Binary?
Are you one?
Am I one? I don’t think so but I might be🤔

Luckygirl3

...... just had a message from a well known organisation signed by someone with a very obviously female name. After her name, in red, and in brackets it said (she/her). What the heck!?

I’d be so tempted to reply
“Dear Sir or Madam….”

As we age it is usual to become more resistant to change. Change used to be an exciting challenge - 'you mean I can get a small computer to carry around with me? Now I would not be without my ipad. It just took me a longer time than most to get there. I went to the loo in a restaurant on Sunday, the sign said 'Male Non Binary so I stood and thought about it before entering. I'm not sure these linguistic shifts will go away. I do know it is up to me to be tolerant, understanding and willing to change terms I have perhaps used for decades.

Marmin ( he/ him )

It’s a bit of a good natured “thing” in our family - we oldies think it’s all a bit daft, our AC and older GC think it’s cool. One DD bought me this bag recently, as a bit of a joke…