Talk:Tooru Mutsuki/@comment-78.35.133.250-20150305155711/@comment-10733658-20150308215208

I am honestly trying to find a good way to respond to this, and I keep coming back to how AMAZINGLY passive aggressive and snarky you are being. It is not appreciated, or necessary.

It is not "Rhetoric", nor am I "reducing opinions" and frankly I do not appreciate your dismissive attitude in the least bit. The OP asked a question, and I tried to answer as best I could why these arguments keep happening.

Namely, because a lot of folks ARE genuinely clueless about Gender stuff. Most people don't know someone that is Trans, and therefore don't have any personal experience with that Community and the related issues. It is something that has only really started to come into public awareness, and there remains a lot of stereotypes and misinformation involved.

Since most people are confused/clueless, it is super-easy for feet to be inserted into mouths without an ounce of malice. I know that I personally have in the past said or thought things that hurtful to Trans folks. It was never with any ill intentions, but because I genuinely had no idea. So I haven't a doubt in my mind that the vast majority of stuff that has been said around here has been without any malice. (Now, some folks WERE flat-out Transphobic in a malicious way. Notice those folks got banned real fast.)

Whether we like it or not, history is a messy thing. And most of history has not exactly been kind in terms of how it treated minorities of any kind, with so many lingering stereotypes and misinformation still present. It's little everyday stuff that we don't even realize is harmful, but can hurt vulnerable folks. I know during the heated debates, some folks have just flat-out gone onto the Offensive and accused other folks of being Transphobic in a malicious way.

I think it's important to understand the difference between a person who is being maliciously Transphobic and someone that simply doesn't realize how what they said is harmful. Big difference, because one is a matter of a bigot that won't change while the other is simply someone that just needs to be politely informed.

Insisting that Mutsuki is a girl because of breasts is a Transphobic idea, since there are plenty of folks who don't identify as women that have boobs.

Discussing Mutsuki as merely a Mulan-style crossdresser who is really a girl has some transphobic elements to consider. Not because that cliche is necessary bad, but because a lot of real-life Trans folks have to deal with the idea they're "just pretending". There have also been a lot of famous Transman in history that get repackaged as crossdressing ladies, when they were dudes.

Discussions about Mutsuki being abused or raped, and that being connected to wanting to be a man is likewise a thorny matter. The reason is, again, because it is a stereotype used in real life to invalidate Trans (and gay) folks.

Bottom line is, it is an issue people get passionate about and one that is sensitive. It is that way because in real life, things for Trans folks are really messed up. So obviously, folks are going to respond strongly which has meant people saying harsh things on both sides.

But what do I know, with my Minor in Sociology and personal friends IRL that are Trans. Clearly, I am just another SJW on the internet telling people they are bad.