[Le Chat NoirModerator]

Dear friends, I am having a moment of déjà vu: Weren’t we just talking about respect? I apologize for being slow to respond here; I was away in New Yo
[See the full post at: “Once more unto the breach, dear friends”]

“Oh, you can't help that," said the cat. "We're all mad here.”

[Thorneycroft HuxtableParticipant]

I am confused by what started the issue here. How did a pronoun cause so much trouble?

[Le Chat NoirModerator]

When used with respect to a person, a pronoun can have great significance in terms of identity. Increasingly, the community at large (as in, the world, not Holmesiana) is becoming aware that many people care deeply about the concept of construction of “gender binaries.” They choose what pronouns reflect their identity and let people know how they’d prefer to be referenced.

If someone asks to be referred to by “him,” “her,” “their” or a more unique variation like “zer,” it should be a little consequence to others to do so. It’s part of another person expressing their identity.

If someone resists or rejects using the pronoun they’ve been asked to use, it’s rude, offensive, and just … odd to me. Making a mistake is just a mistake. But when it comes to pronouns and misgendering, it often seems to be less a mistake and more a conscious, deliberate act. The media is slowing coming to realize that misgendering trans* people in news reports is actually a serious problem.

You can read far more nuanced and complex explanations on the Internet, but that’s basically it in a brief nutshell as I can explain it.

“Oh, you can't help that," said the cat. "We're all mad here.”

[Thorneycroft HuxtableParticipant]

I get that and agree that everyone should be treated with respect in that regard, but I’m confused how the BSJ was disrespectful. Was it something in that article?

[Le Chat NoirModerator]

If you go click on the link embedded in “Ghost Bees” in my blog post, you’ll be taken to their explanation of the issue at hand as it relates to their experience as a contributor to the BSJ.

“Oh, you can't help that," said the cat. "We're all mad here.”

[Author]

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