Name Change by Bradley Manning
I suppose Bradley Manning's statement this morning was shocking to most people. For me, well, I lived for 15 years in lovely downtown Northampton where we elected an openly lesbian mayor several times and the local public college had a center for transgendered students. Natural reproduction in all species is imperfect. Wrongly assigned gender at birth is more common than you might imagine.
So believe me when I tell you, it's not complicated to deal with Bradley Manning's gender shift to Chelsea Manning. It's just ordinary etiquette. She's declared her choice of gender so from now on simply refer to her as Chelsea Manning and use the customary pronouns you would use for any other woman.
So believe me when I tell you, it's not complicated to deal with Bradley Manning's gender shift to Chelsea Manning. It's just ordinary etiquette. She's declared her choice of gender so from now on simply refer to her as Chelsea Manning and use the customary pronouns you would use for any other woman.
Labels: Transgender
posted by Libby Spencer at 6:57 PM
7 Comments:
Somehow gender dysphoria seems the least of hi - I mean her problems. I sometimes wonder at the alacrity with which we go along with people's decisions about what they should be called. It's a bit selective. For years I've considered "your excellency" to be more suitable when addressing me, but the results are mixed, to say the least.
But it's strange to torture someone and throw them into prison, yet still feel obligated to extend the courtesy of going along with their desire to be another gender. Too bad he can't get anywhere with his desire to be on the beach at Ipanema instead of in the slam. Brad or Chelsea, a cell is still a cell, as time goes by.
Perhaps the Chinese, with their ancient language are more in synch with the times. He, She and it are the same word: ta.
We don't know if Chelsea has gender dysphoria or was born with ambiguous genitalia and then was wrongly assigned her gender at birth. Leaving aside all other issues related to her, this is a matter of simple etiquette -- your excellency.
Don't know and the 'ick factor' is too great for me to want to know about genitals.
"Excellency" was this morning's name. My ever evolving status dysphoria now requires "Your Majesty." Starting tomorrow "your worship" will be required.
Still happy with my gender if not my species.
Admit I'm surprised by your reaction to this, your majesty.
Oh, I'm just sometimes surprised at how we eagerly go down the road ignoring the Serious Limit signs. You wouldn't question my calling Limbaugh a worm, I'm sure.
We're in a silly zone here. It's wide open throttle time.
It's not a question of his rights and he's yet to legally change his name and I feel no need to don the tolerance robes until he does. Sadly, it's still Bradley until then.
Besides, it's still an unauthorized promotion to womanhood. Perhaps I feel it's something you have to earn, Wigs and pills (and even surgery) don't make you any smarter after all. Growing breasts ain't no cure for dudity and it's inherent mental limitations.
Call him Chelsea - or Call me Ishmael. it's only the opening lines and in both cases, all you are at the end is "another orphan."
( I was going to make a lame double entendre Moby Dick reference here, but I'm too classy)
By the way, I'm taking the snark pills you know - and wearing my snark boots. I'm a registered cynic now and since I've declared myself such, by the power invested in me by myself, I have the right in all cases to snicker at quicqued agunt homines: that which men do.
Juvenal or juvenile, I report, you decide.
Of course, Your Eminence (if I'm allowed to choose my own honorific), even your disdain is couched with such eloquence that I remain in awe of your skill.
Awwwwwwww
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