# Do the existing rules prohibit people from debating the gender of people who identify as transgender?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-existing-rules-prohibit-people-from-debating-the-gender-of-people-who-identify-as-transgender/927272
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [December 5, 2020, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-existing-rules-prohibit-people-from-debating-the-gender-of-people-who-identify-as-transgender/927272 "2020-12-05T05:45:56Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
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### Author: ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2020, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-existing-rules-prohibit-people-from-debating-the-gender-of-people-who-identify-as-transgender/927272/148 "2020-12-07T04:54:49Z")

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> [@psychonaut](#):
>
> I credit my current understanding and acceptance of transgender identities largely to the many informative and insightful threads I read here around 15 years ago. In these threads, posters such as Eve and Una patiently explained various aspects of transgender identities, ranging to the fundamental to the trivial, to various posters who had uttered questions or misconceptions that were born of curiosity or ignorance.

So it’s been done 15 years ago.

Can we bring those threads, or the applicable information from those threads, up front and center so people don’t have to do it all over and over again?

– this might make sense for Thrice-Told Tales in general: along with the explanation of what’s not up for further discussion, links to some good explanations of what’s already been gone over.

> [@Max\_S](#):
>
> It should be possible for someone to think you are wrong about your own identity without attributing malice to you.

Maybe. But I’m not sure it’s possible to see people telling you you’re wrong about your own identity without being infuriated, or injured, or both.

I sure as hell don’t want anybody patting me on the head and telling me that they know better than I do who I am.

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