Why do people refer to themselves as they/them rather than male or female?

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I wouldn't describe it on a scale of difficulty. I am just stunned as there are two genders. It is key stage 1 biology. I have honestly never in my life knowlingly met someone who doesn't identify by their gender. I cannot even get into this as it is irrational. It is denying what the 'educational system' taught me. Yet I can somehow offend someone by questioning this.

Imagine a world where all men were called Bob and all women were called Alice. And then one day someone came along and insisted on being called Lesley? Is it really that hard?

Perhaps your preconception that gender is one or the other does not quite fit the new reality that exposure to a diverse community has presented?

Reply 21

Welshvisitor

Original post by ByEeek

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 22

Welshvisitor

Original post by astroblue

Everyone does identify themselves by their gender, but you’ve confused sex and gender to mean the same thing, they don’t. Sex is dangly bits - willies and breasts. Gender isn’t determined by looking between the legs, it’s what’s between the ears and that’s known by the person themselves, not to be assumed.

Reply 23

InArduisFouette

Original post by cjcheckers

just don't call him/he " they," use their proper pronouns, if they are boy ( which would be kinda obvious by looking at them, unless they are one of those girly boys, or manly women). These extra pronouns are just confusing and, quite frankly, unnecessary, if they say that gender pronouns make them feel uncomfortable, either call that person by their name.

we'll just refer to you as it then sweetie ..

Reply 24

PTMalewski

Original post by sinfonietta

They are uncomfortable with gendered pronouns.

I don't see why is this an issue. People confuse pronouns by mistake.
I don't get offended when people refer to me as "she", although I'm a male. After all, the main purpose of a pronoun is to identify a speaker or an object. As long as the object is identified properly, so the communication can take place without difficulties, they can call me a 'Moon' or 'Son Goku' or whatever.

Original post by indigomisty23

I think it does not really matter at the end of the day, if someone wants to be called they and they feel more comfortable that way, whats the harm in calling them what they want to be referred to as.

The harm is mainly to them. If you can't get over some tiny things you don't like, you're not going to be able to look after yourself in the real life, at least not without a solid mental breakdown.
The whole point of pronouns is to identify a person or an object in a sentence. Otherwise, it has no meaning or value.

Original post by Joleee

what was this information board about? i mean for what reason would someone have to list their gender?

Tell me for what reason unis ask what race am I? I don't even know what it is, accordingly to their standards. Is 5% of Asian blood enough to say I'm of mixed race?

Original post by Welshvisitor

That is somewhat a gender studies definition. But if you need to identify a person in a sentence, that is referring to the person, and you don't know the name, or the person you're talking to, doesn't know the name of that person you're taliking about, you need to use a certain pronoun to distinguish him or her from a wall or desk that's in the same room, or another person in the room.

To be perfectly honest, I think that people who get fuzzy about gender pronouns, are suffering from some sort of mental disorder. A pronoun shouldn't be something that crashes your comfort or sense of security. If it does, then what such person is going to do when he, she, ze, or whatever faces a seriously affecting problem?