Morphological Freedom

[Coriolis]

That's kind of my point though. I'm giving equal weight to both, so where they meet in the middle is 'trans'. If you say you think brain chemistry is trump over physical biology, I say that is just an arbitrary decision as well, to give all the weight to that side. It seems to make the most sense to those whose have a mismatch as something in-between, a unique category.

Interesting that you give the mental/neurological and the rest of one's physiology equal weight. If you had to end your life with physical disabilities or mental disabilities, which would you choose? Would you have treated Stephen Hawking as different from a "real man" because his physical gendered features were essentially inoperable? If you are going by outward appearance, then many trans folks would "pass inspection" just fine.

 

[SensEye]

That's not the same thing. Physical or mental disabilities have no impact on gender identity. I'm not going only appearance either. You seem to be saying (at least when it comes to gender) you are who you feel you are. I certainly don't disagree that has an impact, but it's not the only factor. Your physical biology plays a roll as well. So it seems not possible to treat a trans man/woman the same as a CIS normal man/woman in my view.

None of this really matters in most interactions. In casual interactions (putting any potential sexual attraction aside) I would treat a man and a woman basically the same anyway (so who cares if their trans?) Like in a workplace interaction or making small talk in a lobby or something. But it longer term interactions, I know men and women have different outlooks and perceptions, and failing to account for those can lead to friction.

Again, I don't believe I have had any long term interactions with a trans person. I can't rule out that I have and never noticed it, but I am highly skeptical. If I ever do, and I am aware of it, it might prove enlightening. If for example, a trans man appeared to me to have an outlook similar to my own male perspective on a wide enough array of subjects, I may give more weight to the neurological side of things. OTOH, if I consider their perspective too foreign to mine, I would stick with my current assessment.

 

[The Cat]

 

[Coriolis]

That's not the same thing. Physical or mental disabilities have no impact on gender identity. I'm not going only appearance either. You seem to be saying (at least when it comes to gender) you are who you feel you are. I certainly don't disagree that has an impact, but it's not the only factor. Your physical biology plays a roll as well. So it seems not possible to treat a trans man/woman the same as a CIS normal man/woman in my view.

None of this really matters in most interactions. In casual interactions (putting any potential sexual attraction aside) I would treat a man and a woman basically the same anyway (so who cares if their trans?) Like in a workplace interaction or making small talk in a lobby or something. But it longer term interactions, I know men and women have different outlooks and perceptions, and failing to account for those can lead to friction.

Again, I don't believe I have had any long term interactions with a trans person. I can't rule out that I have and never noticed it, but I am highly skeptical. If I ever do, and I am aware of it, it might prove enlightening. If for example, a trans man appeared to me to have an outlook similar to my own male perspective on a wide enough array of subjects, I may give more weight to the neurological side of things. OTOH, if I consider their perspective too foreign to mine, I would stick with my current assessment.

You are right to treat men and women of all backgrounds the same in most settings, because usually it is irrelevant. We are all first and foremost human beings. In intimate relationships, a whole host of personal preferences come into play, not all directly related to gender expression.

How would you distinguish what you call your "male perspective" from the "female perspective", or for that matter, from the perspective of a trans man? There are probably men with 100% congruent male physiology, neurology, and self-identification whose perspectives might seem quite foreign to you. How would you judge them?

Would you say you feel male? What do you think makes you feel that way? Your external appearance? Genitalia? Chromosomes? Brain chemistry? Upbringing? Some combination? Trans people feel their gender in similar ways. In fact, their experience might shed some light on which of these factors are indeed most important in gender identification, for everyone.