From: ahk@chinet.com   
      
   Louis Epstein  wrote:   
      
   >It should be noted that the person in question is what "trans rights"   
   >advocates call a "trans woman" and "gender critical" types (I am one)   
   >call a "trans-identified male"...genetically male and seeking to be   
   >treated as if actually female.   
      
   No, it should NOT be so noted.   
      
   In another followup, you stated that no crime should be eligible for the   
   death penalty. Well, I beg you to reconsider your opinion. There are   
   people out there willfully using English as a blunt instrument to   
   destroy all communication and create misunderstanding. The portion of   
   the trans community that lectures everyone else that they must keep   
   track of this massive taxonomy of groupings, classifcations, and   
   variants, using them in every day speech, else someone else will   
   officially take offense on behalf of another and shame the speaker for   
   being trasphobic ARE ABSOLUTELY COMMITTING CRIMES THAT SHOULD BE DEATH   
   PENALTY ELIGIBLE.   
      
   I realized what was going on. When I hear "trans male", I sort of   
   understand that someone has made the transition from female to male.   
      
   But the media referred to the roommate as a trans male, apparently still   
   male but considering transitioning but not having yet taken steps.   
      
   It wasn't a mislabel because that's the ordinary use of language.   
      
   You used "trans woman" and "trans-identified male" in the same sentence,   
   claiming they mean the same, and stated for a fact that the roommate   
   wanted others to treat him as a woman.   
      
   Well, for a fact, YOU don't know how far along he is and, given his age,   
   may either be going through a phase or will really and truly pursue it   
   all the way with medical and surgical treatment.   
      
   I may defend to the death your right to say things I disagree with, but   
   I will defend the English language itself against anybody and everybody   
   who would use it to destroy communication and sew misunderstanding.   
      
   Being transgender is an individual choice (and no, that there's some   
   permanent biological condition that's impossible to treat with   
   psychology under any and all circumstances is inapplicable to the vast   
   majority choosing trans) and can be done successfully regardless of how   
   anybody else uses trans terms that some in the trans community demand   
   everyone else uses.   
      
   This discussion of the roommate is the perfect example of why avoiding   
   the use of English as intended created misunderstanding.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)