Here's the thing about trans people: You don't have to understand it. If it confuses you, that's okay! If you personally would never identify as transgender, that's fine. Everyone is different. But the issue comes when you actively, materially discriminate against trans people, or hate them. Look, if a cisgender person named Richard wanted to go by Rich instead, would you say "No, that's stupid. It says Richard on your birth certificate so I'm going to call you Richard"? No, because that's needlessly rude. If someone requests to go by different pronouns than the ones associated with their gender assigned at birth, what is the harm in that? It's something that makes them happy and comfortable. If you really, truly refuse to use those pronouns, simply don't talk to that person at all. Trigger warning: Mention of sexual assault below. "But people are turning kids transgender!" If a kid identifies as transgender, what's the harm...
According to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the right to self-determination is defined as “the rights of all peoples to pursue freely their economic, social and cultural development without outside interference” (United Nations, “The Right to Self-Determination). But in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Israel is preventing a vast majority of Palestinians from having these rights. Although Israel withdrew military presence from Gaza in 2005, its forces have been occupying the West Bank since 1967 (BBC, “Explainer”). Israel maintains complete control over everything that enters and exits Palestine (Eglash, “Does Israel Actually Occupy”). So despite the fact that prior to October 7, 2023 the Israeli army was not actively stationed in the Gaza strip, they still hold total influence. This occupation breeds resentment and discontent – which leads to the creation of groups like Hamas, formed in 1987. Children grow up experiencing discrimin...