Gender identity issues

Sunny

Sunny

SF VIP
Location
Maryland
I don't remember ever seeing this issue discussed here, though it seems to be in the news a fair amount.

How do you feel about the "trans" people? The other day, I came across the term "gender fluid." I looked it up, and it means exactly what it sounds like. At times male, at other times female. Sometimes neither. Many of the trans people prefer to be called "they" rather than he or she.

I have trouble wrapping my mind around this concept. It seems to me that a person's sexual identify is present in every cell of their body. Our DNA identifies our gender. (Doesn't mean we have to be happy about it, it just means that's what we are.) And it has nothing to do with gay or straight, as far as I know.

Any opinions on this?
 

IMO we are all gender fluid to some extent in our thoughts and how we act/react to various situations.

I find it sort of humorous when I see a big strapping fella fussing over some little detail like the crimping of a piecrust or fixing his daughters hair.

The same with a young woman driving a huge piece of construction machinery with the same sort of determination/swagger as a man.

We all pull our actions and reactions from our background and the people that we learned from.

To me, it is only harmful when people try to capitalize on these issues and make money from them.

Just another area of life where we need to accept people the way we find them and move on, nothing to see here folks!
 
It seems to me that gender identity is at least as much a social construct as it is a biological or DNA marker. I've known someone since HS who is fully trans. Even back in HS, it was clear that this girl was extraordinarily uncomfortable in her own skin. Some other folks I know are pretty close.

I'm cool with it. It's not my role to decide what gender someone is.
 

Homosexuality has probably been part of the Human "experience" forever. IMO, the Best approach is simply "live and let live". Efforts to disparage or promote a person's sexual "identity" only seems to harden attitudes.
 
I identify with people.

Their gender, ethnicity, religion, political affiliation, sexual orientation is their business, not mine. I know a number of people who are struggling with gender dysmorphia because they've shared that with me, and others who have or are in the process of transitioning. I also know a couple of gender fluid folks, younger people rather than folks my age. But I think there people my/our ages who have the same issues, it just wasn't as mainstream when they were younger as it is now, so it's harder for them, as seniors, to come out, because of the many decades of conditioning they've lived with.

I just cannot imagine what a struggle it would be to feel unutterably uncomfortable, an alien in one's own body. That's too awful for me to contemplate. I am so glad that there is less bias now than there was for these folks. It has to make their life somewhat easier.
 
All interesting answers. The only one that I felt was off the subject that I introduced was Don M's.

Don, if you read to the end of my post, I did say very clearly that this has nothing to do with being gay or straight. In other words, homosexuality (sexual preference) is one thing; gender identity is another. Some people are both trans and gay, which makes my head spin.

As I understand it, a homosexual is a person attracted to his/her own gender. It does not mean they identify with the other gender. In other words, a gay man is still a man; he does not call himself a woman.
 
Sunny said:
I don't remember ever seeing this issue discussed here, though it seems to be in the news a fair amount.

How do you feel about the "trans" people? The other day, I came across the term "gender fluid." I looked it up, and it means exactly what it sounds like. At times male, at other times female. Sometimes neither. Many of the trans people prefer to be called "they" rather than he or she.

I have trouble wrapping my mind around this concept. It seems to me that a person's sexual identify is present in every cell of their body. Our DNA identifies our gender. (Doesn't mean we have to be happy about it, it just means that's what we are.) And it has nothing to do with gay or straight, as far as I know.

Any opinions on this?
Click to expand...

I agree with this, Sunny.
 
I work with a youth chess club at a local library and was surprised at how much gender identity comes up. Lot's of times, it seems people are trying to find out who they are and put themselves into a category so they can be that way.

That might not be the best way though. Maybe better is finding out who you are and accepting that category. Unfortunately, finding out who you are and accepting it can take awhile and take some effort and probably involves some pain. A much harder path.

So I guess like most, I don't view fluid gender identity as a big deal but I try to be aware that people thinking about gender identity a lot may also be suffering a general identity crisis. And it never hurts to try to help the suffering.
 
Sunny said:
I don't remember ever seeing this issue discussed here, though it seems to be in the news a fair amount.

How do you feel about the "trans" people? The other day, I came across the term "gender fluid." I looked it up, and it means exactly what it sounds like. At times male, at other times female. Sometimes neither. Many of the trans people prefer to be called "they" rather than he or she.

I have trouble wrapping my mind around this concept. It seems to me that a person's sexual identify is present in every cell of their body. Our DNA identifies our gender. (Doesn't mean we have to be happy about it, it just means that's what we are.) And it has nothing to do with gay or straight, as far as I know.

Any opinions on this?
Click to expand...

It's a turn off to me. But I'm not going to get my panties in a wad about it.
 
I think what is in a person's heart is sometimes in conflict with what is in their DNA. That being said, the conflict occurs when their brain is telling them something different that their genes. For those (not in this thread, or on this forum) who say it is not natural, or not right to undo what nature has done, that can be addressed with any surgical intervention to correct things such as heart defects or cancer.
I have a former co worker who is struggling with the fact that is son has come out as Trans, and is going to start to transition to female. He is not against it, but is having the same dilemma of wrapping his mind around it. He loves his son, and will equally love his new daughter. I say that as most of us here are confident when we identify ourselves as men or women, there are those, who for whatever reason are not comfortable In their own skin.
I follow comedian, Julia Scotti in FB. Those who watch America's Got Talent, will remember her from a few years ago on the show. She is trans, and transitioned less than 20 years ago. She is in her mid 60's now. She once posted on her page that in a conversation with her mom several years ago, her mom told her that throughout her entire pregnancy she was certain she was having a girl. Remember 65 years ago, there was no testing for gender of baby. And her mom was totally surprised when she had a boy. Julia responded to her "Well, I guess I was the only one who was listening" LOL.
 
Sunny said:
All interesting answers. The only one that I felt was off the subject that I introduced was Don M's.

OK...if you are talking about some of the reports where school boys want to use the girl's bathroom, and vice versa....I think those kids need some serious "counseling". This, to me, is a sure sign of some basic mental issues, and they should be given some psychiatric help. However, given that some psychiatrists seem to be of the "its not your fault" school, that might make matters even worse. IMO, if a person is having "gender identity" issues, that is a sure sign that they are wandering around with a "few bricks short of a full load".
Click to expand...
 
I don’t know, or care, enough about ‘Gender issues’ to give an opinion, but I certainly don’t enjoy having to wash my hands, after using a Ladies public toilet, with a man in a dress at the next sink, as happened last week !

So I do think there should be Gender friendly toilets for anybody who chooses to use them
 
A "man in a dress" sounds like a transdresser and not a transgender and shouldn't have been in a women's restroom.
 
IMO sharing a bathroom is about behavior and common courtesy more than it is about gender or orientation.

I've been in very few restrooms over the years where people of either sex could not peacefully coexist.
 
Aunt Bea said:
IMO sharing a bathroom is about behavior and common courtesy more than it is about gender or orientation.

I've been in very few restrooms over the years where people of either sex could not peacefully coexist.
Click to expand...

While that may be true, personally I'd prefer to stick with the women's for women. JMHO, of course.
 
One of my college classmates was homosexual. We became friends and would talk to each other during class breaks.

He knew that I knew he was "Gay" but that became a non issue. We used to talk and he would tell me things about "Gay" life.

We had a lot of laughs. One night he took me to a "Gay bar" and he introduced me to some of his homosexual friends. They became

aware that I was "straight" and nothing was ever mentioned about it. I learned a lot that evening. He NEVER "Hit" on me.
 

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