Will and Harper

[Buckaroo]

We watched this on Netflix this evening and I have to say it affected us in an unexpected way.

Both of us are bitterly opposed to trans people using bathrooms designated opposite to their birth gender, likewise changing rooms etc.

However, that said, we both felt that Will Farrell showed what true friendship means and Harper explained the difficulties of being born one biological gender but having strong feelings and drive to be the opposite. Sad really that you can feel so mixed up for almost your entire life and can potentially end in suicide.

Certainly challenges how you might respond to people who transition.

Well worth watching.

[Cousin Jack]

Real life trans people (as opposed to the black and white tabloid picture) are always complicated.

I know, or have met and interacted in a meaningful way, with probably somewhere between 12 and 20. Most are angry or sad or both. Some are angry/sad because of many years of having a different body to their head. Sometimes changing their body helps, often it doesn't. Some of the most 'adjusted' ones were women who have lived all their life as a man with no surgical intervention at all, they just decided to dress and act male, probably as a teenager.

Then there are the deviants, who want to 'become' women to get access to women's spaces. I have knowingly met 1 or 2 that I suspect of that. They are probably rare, and the danger of them is probably inflated, I don't know, but they do exist.

I would vote to maintain the status quo. Your birth certificate defines your sex, but you can dress how you like and marry who you like.

[DefTrap]

Haven't see it (yet) although I read about it in the News.

FWIW mixed bathrooms seem to be relatively common over here and people are cool with it (I've not noticed a big increase in the noncing or touchups). Possibly all the trannys are hiding in the shadows til I've gone.

By the way, I have two close friends whose kids are in the 'oh dear wrong body' camp. One is now an adult (male presenting as female) and the other (different family) whose daughter shows zero feminine traits. Small sample, possibly this is more prevalent than was previosuly assumed. Neither of them were 'encouraged' as far as I know, but they all seem to be well supported. It's been a really rocky ride though, and that's just he small amount that I'm aware of.

[dern]

I'm not going to comment on trans itself and it's none of my business what people want to do, just that they should be supported to live the life that they want.

I thought the program was terrific though, really enjoyed it. Will Ferrell really screwed up in the steak restaurant, big misjudgement that he seemed to fully understand and be torn up by. Very moving all the way through.