Why is transphobia tolerated here?

Paprika · Post by **Paprika** » Sat Aug 29, 2015 2:49 am

If a person were to join this forum making racist comments, using and implying racial slurs, and saying that racial minorities were disgusting, evil, and inherently inferior, they would certainly be swiftly banned (and rightly so!). This person could say the same things about women, people from certain countries, people with disabilities, and the reaction would be the same -- a swift ban.

However, on this forum -- which prides itself on civility -- people can make bigoted and untrue comments about transsexuals and all the genderbending lot with absolutely no consequences. Not so much as a warning. Certain members have been making blatantly transphobic statements for years without even a moderator comment.

Why the double standard? Why is racism banned, but transphobia and cisgender supremacy tolerated? Are T people somehow a less-deserving minority?

Haven · Post by **Haven** » Sat Aug 29, 2015 9:47 pm

Excellent post -- I agree 100% (it's almost as if I wrote it myself

).

Why is transphobia tolerated here? I don't mean just "arguing against transgender identities" for religious reasons, etc., but actual shaming and denouncing of transgender people by misgendering them, calling them incorrect names, and so on? It seems this violates the forum rule against personal attacks.

Quick note: please avoid the term "genderbending," it's considered offensive. "Gender non-conforming" is the more respectful term.

Paprika · Post by **Paprika** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 2:16 am

Haven wrote:
Why is transphobia tolerated here? I don't mean just "arguing against transgender identities" for religious reasons, etc., but actual shaming and denouncing of transgender people by misgendering them, calling them incorrect names, and so on?

Again, the clever rhetoric use of the -phobia suffix: the word is defined to mean mere opposition but because of its etymology is also used to subtly push that the referent is 'irrational'.

pquote]It seems this violates the forum rule against personal attacks.[/quote]
As far as I'm aware the forum tolerates personal attacks against 3rd parties (non-posters here) as well as indirect once, eg when non-theists can attack 'Christians' in general.

Quick note: please avoid the term "genderbending," it's considered offensive.

Noted. I will continue to use it.

OnceConvinced · Post by **OnceConvinced** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 5:06 pm

Paprika wrote:
As far as I'm aware the forum tolerates personal attacks against 3rd parties (non-posters here) as well as indirect once, eg when non-theists can attack 'Christians' in general.

Moderator Clarification
The rules are designed to protect the forum and the members in it, not those who are not members. And there is no bias here. Personal attacks are frowned upon no matter whether you are a theist or a non-theist.

Rules
C&A Guidelines

______________

Moderator clarifications do not count as a strike against any posters. They serve as an acknowledgment that a post report has been received and/or are given at the discretion of a moderator when he or she feels a clarification of the rules is required.

puddleglum · Post by **puddleglum** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 6:30 pm

[Replying to post 1 by Paprika]

However, on this forum -- which prides itself on civility -- people can make bigoted and untrue comments about transsexuals and all the genderbending lot with absolutely no consequences.

Can you give a specific example of such a comment?

Paprika · Post by **Paprika** » Mon Aug 31, 2015 4:13 am

puddleglum wrote: [Replying to post 1 by Paprika]

However, on this forum -- which prides itself on civility -- people can make bigoted and untrue comments about transsexuals and all the genderbending lot with absolutely no consequences.
Can you give a specific example of such a comment?

Haven't been around all that long, but I can think of one:

Paprika wrote: Bruce Jenner

Gather ye stones!

Haven · Post by **Haven** » Mon Aug 31, 2015 11:28 am

Yes, calling Caitlyn Jenner out of her name is definitely uncivil and offensive. There have been other posts where people have misgendered trans people.

Hamsaka · Post by **Hamsaka** » Mon Aug 31, 2015 5:56 pm

Haven wrote: Yes, calling Caitlyn Jenner out of her name is definitely uncivil and offensive. There have been other posts where people have misgendered trans people.

That's putting it mildly. I've observed open mocking and trolling disguised as 'argument'. It is possible to not understand, and not 'agree', and whether you feel it or not, speak respectfully. I've seen rare members disregard even the pretense of respectful curiosity.

bluethread · Post by **bluethread** » Mon Aug 31, 2015 7:31 pm

Haven wrote: Quick note: please avoid the term "genderbending," it's considered offensive. "Gender non-conforming" is the more respectful term.

So, the OP of a thread objecting to transphobic language uses transphobic language in the OP? Interesting. By the way, have you noticed that transphobia is not recognized by the site spell check? How can we continue to post on such a backwards site?

Honestly, I think I am getting a little sophistphobic.

Wootah · Post by **Wootah** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 6:21 pm

Honestly if you knew anyone with a phobia you would understand how awfuly misused the phrase homophobia is.

I really dislike posts that use terms of mental/psychological illness to define others out of context.

Debating Christianity and Religion

Why is transphobia tolerated here?

Why is transphobia tolerated here?

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