# 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")\
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**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2020, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-existing-rules-prohibit-people-from-debating-the-gender-of-people-who-identify-as-transgender/927272/379 "2020-12-08T23:14:18Z")

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> [@k9bfriender](#):
>
> There is. There have been links to “Ask me Anything threads.” And that’s just here, out in the “wild” there are literally shelves of books worth of information that, if one is truly committed to fighting their ignorance, are readily available.

I don’t think you understand what I’m saying. An example.

When **What\_Exit** closes a topic like so,

> [@"Scientific racism" is readily testable](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientific-racism-is-readily-testable/927377/3):
>
> [We have a specific rule against threads like this.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rules-for-great-debates-and-elections-january-2020/845726) Scientific racism or any particular argument about why any particular group of humans is inherently better than any other group So topic is closed.

Ideally, either his post should directly link to said material, or the rules which he links to should contain links to said material. Telling members, “we don’t debate that here, go educate yourself” and _not_ indicating exactly where to find that education they seek, is bad form. Drawing up the reference lists is a one and done thing so it doesn’t put much of a burden on whatever group is offended by the debate to begin with. In my humble opinion.

~Max

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