Re: How to refer to transvestites or transsexuals or hermaphrodites

lldeja@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

snip..........
> I may defer
> because of the fact that naming conventions have been used to oppress
> people by calling them what they did not wish to be called. But in
> this case, would I then be denying God's given identifier for that
> person's sex?
>
> And what about hermaphrodites? What's the proper gender term? In this
> case, it's not this person's decision, so do we simply fall back on
> what they wish to be labelled as?

All labels discriminate (judge people apart) and usually lead to
oppression when those wearing the same label outnumber those who don't.
Labelling or naming is a lingistic short cut to lump together
perceived characterists. It is usually superficial, allows the
distinguishing of differences, inhibits seeing the whole and promotes
separation.

I don't see any problem in calling a person what they want to be called
provided I don't make the mistake of seeing them only as what that
label represents, even though they might believe it themselves.

Isn't it better to identify another human being as what lies behind the
label and which is common to all human beings and which unites rather
than divides? Isn't this what the real 'neighbour' and real 'self' is
in 'Love thy neighbour as thy self'? Isn't this how God identifies us?

I believe in calling a spade a spade - except when I trip over it!...
Anon


.

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