Jon Caldara should recognize the reality of transgenderism and use people’s preferred pronouns. Let’s start with some background. As is obvious to anyone paying attention, conservatives have been completely freaking out about schools daring to deal with LGBTQ issues. This stance comes out of religious conservatism that regards homosexuality and transgenderism as immoral and against their religion, plus a general cultural conservatism.
I watched that show and enjoyed it more than any other "Devils Advocate" so far. I rarely agree with Caldera but have the utmost respect to engage with other viewpoints.
I'm more comfortable with this pronoun controversy than many, probably because I have already been a witness to an earlier shift. Growing up, women were either Miss or Missus. This was handy, as any "Miss" surely welcomed an invitation from any Mister to go out on a date, while a Missus was off limits. Of course, lesbians did not exist back then (LOL). Now days, those two honorifics are mostly extinct, having been replaced with "Ms".
As I look at it, the birth certificate only designates what external genitalia you have at birth, not WHO that squalling, disoriented, terrified neonate might become. What some anonymous rubber stamping government functionary puts on a form just a few hours after birth cannot see is how the brain is structured, and the brain is, by far, the greatest influence in personality development.
Caldera has already made a partial acceptance of this proposition. He accepts that XY chromosomes, expressed by the formation of male genitalia do not limit a persons sexual attraction to women only. Sexual attraction originates in the brain, far more complex in structure and function than mere chromosomes. It would seem then, that just as a gay man's brain structure determines WHO he is, so can a transgender person's brain structure determine their basic nature to be of a different gender than their external genitalia might suggest. If you accept that proposition, then a request to have that basic nature acknowledged by the use of preferred pronouns seems reasonable, and doing so a basic sign of respect.
I watched that show and enjoyed it more than any other "Devils Advocate" so far. I rarely agree with Caldera but have the utmost respect to engage with other viewpoints.
I'm more comfortable with this pronoun controversy than many, probably because I have already been a witness to an earlier shift. Growing up, women were either Miss or Missus. This was handy, as any "Miss" surely welcomed an invitation from any Mister to go out on a date, while a Missus was off limits. Of course, lesbians did not exist back then (LOL). Now days, those two honorifics are mostly extinct, having been replaced with "Ms".
As I look at it, the birth certificate only designates what external genitalia you have at birth, not WHO that squalling, disoriented, terrified neonate might become. What some anonymous rubber stamping government functionary puts on a form just a few hours after birth cannot see is how the brain is structured, and the brain is, by far, the greatest influence in personality development.
Caldera has already made a partial acceptance of this proposition. He accepts that XY chromosomes, expressed by the formation of male genitalia do not limit a persons sexual attraction to women only. Sexual attraction originates in the brain, far more complex in structure and function than mere chromosomes. It would seem then, that just as a gay man's brain structure determines WHO he is, so can a transgender person's brain structure determine their basic nature to be of a different gender than their external genitalia might suggest. If you accept that proposition, then a request to have that basic nature acknowledged by the use of preferred pronouns seems reasonable, and doing so a basic sign of respect.
PS Ari - if you're reading, what was the book on this issue you mentioned as being on the Douglas County "hit list"?