Transgender: Transition Success Series

Question: Why are we so accepting to call a boy "she" & a girl "he" when they are transgender?

(Posted by: jennifer on 2010-01-27 13:14:53)

I'm watching a show "Tyra: Transgender Children. " before i noticed, i'd called a boy "her " and "she " about 5 times. and other people do the same thing while watching stuff like that, why? about the show: the kids really DO look like the opposite sex, like there face/ body, even before there hair was cut/ grown. i think thats wierd. 1 kid would attack anyone that called "him " a her or dressed her in dresses since she was 2. Couman, iether way. ♀Redheaded Sunshine☼: there not really, the "girl " still has "boy parts ", just long hair. and the "boy " still has "girl parts ", but with short hair. Couman: yeah, i would usually do that, but i just happen to realise it while im watching the show with children.

Posted by: Koryn on 2010-01-27, 22:35:18

Because a person who has been born with transsexualism has a gender identity that is opposite of what their body reflects that they are. So the proper pronouns are used for what their gender identity reflects. A transsexual woman has been female since birth she has never been male. A transsexual man has been male since birth he has never been female.

Posted by: Schitts McGee on 2010-01-27, 13:19:55

Because if they are physically presenting themselves as one gender it's usually polite to use the appropriate pronouns

Posted by: Tanya on 2010-01-27, 13:20:40

You call them by what they identify as. It's respectful, it shows you understand they are dealing with a medical condition. I only have one very very casual acquaintance (she is on another floor of a 20 story building), and I sometimes forget and say "he ". but I apologize and try to do better next time. (This woman looks like a man in drag. but she isn't, and I have to respect that, even when i forget). she's pretty easy going about it.

Posted by: Pocket Punk on 2010-01-27, 13:21:11

Lol yeah, i do that to. its visual, research shows we as humans remember visual information better than descriptive information and spoken details for example, hes dressed as a girl, but u are told its a boy, you are going to subconciously say she, because SHE is the first thing that comes to mind after the image of the boy in the dress.

Posted by: Couman on 2010-01-27, 13:24:48

That's the polite thing to do. But if you wouldn't normally, perhaps it's easier for you to accept with children since it's harder to tell their biological sex just by looking.

Posted by: ♀Redheaded Sunshine☼ on 2010-01-27, 13:28:46

Because if they are a transgendered individual, their GENDER is not male, so you refer to them as a female or vice versa.

Posted by: Maude on 2010-01-27, 13:35:59

Because she's not a boy. if you're born a girl in a boy's body, you're still a girl. other way around is true too.

Posted by: pj on 2010-01-27, 15:24:25

Boys are "he " girls are "she " gender identity is determined between the ears, not between the legs. much love and hope. pj

Posted by: Trinidad Grad on 2010-01-27, 20:20:58

Because it's the right and respectful thing to do. You obviously have no idea what transsexualism is. Transsexual people are born with a brain-body mismatch, literally a female brain in a male body or vice-versa. So this person you called a "boy " is not a boy at all, but has a female brain. And as you should know the seat of human consciousness is the brain, not the genitals. Also you should realize that science has basically proven that transsexualism is a birth condition. You can read about gender identity and transsexualism here: ai.eecs.umich.edu/ people/ conway/ TS/ TS.html#anchor107763 Transsexualism is NOT a choice, it is a birth condition.