Because... it's Grammar

[bcholmes]

From an article about a trans death. (That phrase is almost redundant. Articles about trans people in the mainstream media are almost always about our deaths):

The murder of Eddie "Gwen" Araujo Jr. has raised a question of grammar with serious implications for transgender people - should the slain teen who lived as a girl be referred to as he or she?

[...]

Others argued that allowing people to essentially self-declare their gender without undergoing a physical change is too subjective an approach to grammar.

Poor grammar. Taking a beating at the hands of trans people anywhere.

(Some days I think I live in a different world than most reporters).

Comments

[hellsop.livejournal.com]

To me, this question is so clear that I'm amazed it's even an issue. I'll admit to finding "sie" and "hir" jarring and a pain to work into my own vocabulary and irritatingly contrived. But Gwen's made it easy for me. She's made her choice about how she wants to be, so she gets "She".

It's just too damn bad we get to worry about this in the context of some poor kid getting stabbed instead of (for example) winning a national pinball championship.