Gender Identity Disorder article (15)

I thought it interesting the figures on suicide. By the time I was in elementary school, I was certainly day-dreaming about it, and thinking about it was often the only way I could get to sleep at night.

I find it interesting the challenge of using the correct pronoun is for the media. There was a program on Chan 4 recently, where the reporter constantly used 'him' to describe 'her'. I appreciate it is difficult for single gender people to get their heads around, but at the very least they could go with 'him/her'. Or perhaps that would just add to the confusion.

We need to create (me thinks) a neutral gender pronoun other than 'it'. They managed to create Ms. to represent a lady who doesn't want to disclose their marital status. So how about a gender free pronoun.

Any ideas?

Pen

You say Ouch like it's a bad word.

There was one that was sometimes used in one of the BDSM Usenet Newsgroups; "sie" for he/she, and "hir" for his/her. Very few people used it, and it never really caught on. Personally I found it a little forced and artificial, but at least it was an attempt.

I don't see what the problem is in mainstream society anyway. If I'm referring to someone who identifies as female, I'll refer to them as "she" or "her" as a matter of course. It just feels natural to do so.

But then I'm just weird like that

~Twistee~

Everything is better with a twist

I totally agree. But single gendered people seem to struggle with getting past what is, or what used to be, between the legs, regardless of how the person presents.

When I was living full-time, but before I had surgery, I had to see someone in our Occupational Health department on an unrelated matter. This person was a professional, although I don't think he was a doctor. When I went in, I was of course dressed as a woman, and passed well enough that he didn't question my gender AT ALL. For the first 1/3rd of the meeting, he totally took me as female.

As we talked about my migraines and why I was missing so much work because of them, I mentioned that the hormones I was taking for transition might be a contributing factor, and that I was seeing a specialist about it. At first he was shocked as I explained where I was in the transition process.

From that moment till I left, he continually referred to me with the male pronoun. I helped him write the letter he would be sending to my manager, and without fail, every time he referred to me in the document, he first typed 'he' or 'him', and I had to correct him.

That is about the only time I've been seriously offended by the use of pronouns in relation to me, and I nearly had a go at him and walked out of the office. But, I needed his letter to get me off the hook at work, so was polite.

It did prompt me to write an article for the company news letter about how to refer to transsexuals.

Pen

You say Ouch like it's a bad word.

living in my own little world, and you're all invited

There already is one: "they" is perfectly acceptable as a singular pronoun - if it was good enough for Shakespeare, it should be good enough for us.

Good point. How about Thee

You say Ouch like it's a bad word.

Good point. How about Thee

You say Ouch like it's a bad word.

There is someplace, new Zealand maybe, that has 'other' as a possible gender on their official forms.

You say Ouch like it's a bad word.

I love the chastity now that it flows between us. It is like fresh water and rain. How can men want wearisomely to philander." "I love chastity now, because it is the peace that comes of fucking." DH Lawrence from Lady Chatterley's Lover

The suicide figures from Japan are sometimes pretty scary.

The article was a real surprise to me actually, given that Japan as a nation isn't often very understanding of those who are "different" I thought this was pretty amazing.