4 ms·

As a (presumably) gender-normative person, you can't be expected to "get this issue". But, hopefully, with a bit more knowledge you'll begin to get it and under

As a (presumably) gender-normative person, you can't be expected to "get this issue". But, hopefully, with a bit more knowledge you'll begin to get it and understand why it matters, and can genuinely put people in danger. There are many parts of the world, including in the United States, where hate crimes against transgendered people are common. This includes cities that we like to think of as progressive and gay friendly. Trans people have been beaten, and even murdered, simply for being trans. So, to be trans in the US, and in many other places, is to live in fear that the wrong person will discover your identity, where you live, etc. Further, drag personas may very well be the primary social identity of a person. Their friends know them by this name and identity, and may not know of any other. But, when they go to work, go shopping, etc., they may have very different persona that they keep separate from their social identity for their own safety and well-being. People can still lose their jobs for being trans. Trans people can be, and often are, treated very poorly by medical practitioners (particularly poor folks who have fewer options for their medical care). Trans people can be treated very poorly by the legal system in child custody cases. Likewise, trans people arrested for crimes often receive stiffer sentences than non-trans folks, and may experience discrimination and humiliation in the prison system. It is dangerous, on so many levels, to be openly trans. Transgender is recognized to be a real thing, and not a "disorder", by every major psychological and medical organization in the developed world. But, the popular opinion has not caught up with the science. And, so people who are trans have significant hurdles to leading a happy life free of being bullied, preyed upon, and generally having a lot more challenges than folks who identify as the sex of the body they were born with. In short, saying, "Setup a business page for that persona or whatever." ignores the reality that trans people live with every day. Revealing that one is trans to the world at large dramatically increases the risk of being trans. It sucks that our world and society is this way. Someone should be able to dress up fancy on a Saturday night, without fear of being beaten for it, fired from their job, risk losing custody of children, or be denied appropriate medical care. But, we don't live in a world where that's true. Those are the realities of being one of the most hated minorities. Facebook's policy made it harder for trans people to exist in peace. So, the apology is warranted, and the clarification of the policy is useful. Though, I think it probably doesn't go far enough. And, I think their reasons for being so insistent have as much to do with the value of knowing someone's legal identity, as it does with their assertion that it is the "primary mechanism we have to protect millions of people every day, all around the world, from real harm."

jonah 12y ago
Oh come on, as a (presumably) gender-normative person, I'm somewhat insulted you assume my ignorance. You also seem to skip over the part of my comment where I largely agree with you. (Though I didn't spell it out explicitly, I assumed it was clear what I mean. Apologies.) What I was trying to do is draw the distinction between being trans and being a drag performer. The issue I see is whether an individual can have personas. Should PartyBro045 be forced to present as BusinessDude75 online? (There are valid reasons as well as potential consequences to do this - though they likely don't reach the same level of concern.) Does that issue get the same attention? No. Understood. Whatever policy is put in place, it needs to be applied consistently both between and across gender lines.
- Smudge 12y ago
  The line between being trans and being a "drag performer" is way more blurred and way more personal than you are making it out to be. Furthermore, looking at your other example, I'd argue that PartyBro045 and BusinessDude75 should totally be allowed to present themselves as different people online. It doesn't get the same level of attention because It's unlikely someone will go after BusinessDude75 if his party identity gets revealed (at least not in the way many LGBT people face) but, hey, he might lose his job, which would certainly suck. It think it's pretty easy to make the policy consistent. Identify bad actors not by the name they choose, but by whether or not the identity they present is "real," based on patterns of behavior. If they're a bot or a scammer, it shouldn't matter what name they use, real-sounding or not. Otherwise, leave them alone.
- SwellJoe 12y ago
  "I'm somewhat insulted you assume my ignorance." It was not assumed. You'd demonstrated it. There's nothing wrong with being ignorant, only with insisting on maintaining it.

jonah 12y ago

Oh come on, as a (presumably) gender-normative person, I'm somewhat insulted you assume my ignorance. You also seem to skip over the part of my comment where I largely agree with you. (Though I didn't spell it out explicitly, I assumed it was clear what I mean. Apologies.) What I was trying to do is draw the distinction between being trans and being a drag performer. The issue I see is whether an individual can have personas. Should PartyBro045 be forced to present as BusinessDude75 online? (There are valid reasons as well as potential consequences to do this - though they likely don't reach the same level of concern.) Does that issue get the same attention? No. Understood. Whatever policy is put in place, it needs to be applied consistently both between and across gender lines.

Smudge 12y ago
The line between being trans and being a "drag performer" is way more blurred and way more personal than you are making it out to be. Furthermore, looking at your other example, I'd argue that PartyBro045 and BusinessDude75 should totally be allowed to present themselves as different people online. It doesn't get the same level of attention because It's unlikely someone will go after BusinessDude75 if his party identity gets revealed (at least not in the way many LGBT people face) but, hey, he might lose his job, which would certainly suck. It think it's pretty easy to make the policy consistent. Identify bad actors not by the name they choose, but by whether or not the identity they present is "real," based on patterns of behavior. If they're a bot or a scammer, it shouldn't matter what name they use, real-sounding or not. Otherwise, leave them alone.
SwellJoe 12y ago
"I'm somewhat insulted you assume my ignorance." It was not assumed. You'd demonstrated it. There's nothing wrong with being ignorant, only with insisting on maintaining it.