(September 29, 2021 at 2:25 pm)Spongebob Wrote: Yeah, this is precisely my reaction. Its one of those astonishment moments when you realize that the reaction to someone asking to be referred to as him or her can be visceral anger. What is going on with someone when such a request elicits such a reaction? What possible reasoning can be offered? I think this could indicate deeper emotional/psychological issues.
Growing up, I was deeply indoctrinated with proper etiquette when addressing adults. If I said "yeah" or "hey" to an adult, I was slapped. We were to address all adults with Mr. or Miss. or whatever the appropriate prefix was, and "sir" or "ma'am" as a response. It was they who reacted with anger if not addressed properly. Maybe I should have retorted that it makes them pussies, but I wouldn't have survived that. This has fallen out of use for the most part (another example of language changing), but for those people, it was extremely important. Were those people weak? Hell no! My grandparents lived through the great depression and 2 wars; they were tough as wrought iron steel. But to Airhead (ahem, @Ahriman), I guess their desire for a respectful address was weak and limp wristed? Sounds ridiculous because it is.
I agree with you, but I also understand the other side.
Using a different pronoun requires a bit of thought, and some people don't like to think
Using pronouns can be a sign of "acceptance", and some people don't want to accept that non-binary is a real thing, or they believe that it is somehow left-wing brainwashing. In some places, there can actually be repercussions, like loss of job, if one doesn't use someone's preferred pronouns.
But as you say, it is just a matter of respecting someone as a person.
