I agree there should not be a penalty for those who choose not to participate in a petty thing. By the same token, there should be no penalty/blowback of any kind for those that do choose to participate in the petty thing. As I said earlier, these things aren't worth the time to battle them & do not get the job done. However, in the 55+ years I spent as a worker, that's never how it worked. I'm very happy that I'm retired.
It was intentionally provacative. Sometimes I just stir the pot a bit. But I can't say that its entirely untrue. Sometimes when people overreact, you do wonder why they decided to make their stand on that particular dungpile.
I think we actually have a lot of common ground here. But the quote above is where we probably diverge. Right now, I think there is definitely a societal (which often results in work and personal) penalty for not participating. And, IMO, they're reaching into the schools and media to indoctrinate kids with this early. When that happens, I think its absolutley worth fighting.
As you said. Business is not a democracy. The touchy-feely bubble-wrap coddling of the perpetually offended is a distraction and an impediment to conducting business. And you’re fuckin’-A right if I had employees, there would be ZERO tolerance for engaging in any of this stupid shit.
In the incredibly unlikely event that I find myself being required to provide "preferred pronouns", bet dat ass I'ma come up with the most ridiculous shit I can conjure.
I think we diverge when we get to what's indoctrination, and what indoctrination is OK. Let's face it, there is always indoctrination in society. That's essentially what societal norms are all about. As a kid I was indoctrinated by school, church, and community with the cis hetero hate-the-gays bullshit. Took me years and a fuckload of work to undo that. While anything can go beyond what is necessary, indoctrinating kids to be at a minimum tolerant and preferably accepting that there are common human differences in race, religion, belief structure, sexuality and gender and that that's OK isn't what I consider too far.
I had a co-worker that managed to get his "foreign languages spoken" badge for a trade show to read "Canadian English"
It’s just fine to teach people that they can feel however they feel. It’s entirely something fucking different to teach people that they can deny basic science and common fucking sense and “believe” they’re a wombat or an artichoke or that there are 437 genders and you can glide between them like Brian Boitano glided into innumerable back doors. I have a child that is “non-conforming”, and has no idea “what” she is…except that she’s a biological female and can live her life and present herself however the hell she wants, and that NO ONE owes her to conform to how she wishes to present herself.
Theres a lot of truth to that, but I probably see it differently because I wasn't rased to hate that way, and haven't raised my kids in that either. And I agree, societal norms are in fact indoctrination into what a particular culture views as acceptable. Teaching tolerance is one thing. But if teachers get fired, kids get suspended, jobs get lost, reputations are smeared, opportunities taken away, etc...because someone chooses not to participate (but also doesn't accost or mistreat anyone) then I think that is indoctrination with a threat of a negative impact on someone's freedom to just say "no, I'm not doing that". And that is where my disagreement begins. I just think there is a wide gap from saying be tolerant of others views vs you must join in or have negative consequences.
It's another entry in the endless list of Alphabet People labels. Example: I now/have always identify as SFU ... short, fat, & ugly. Yet no one listens to me and my needs. WAH!
Its a latin thing that means something like "on the same side" where as Trans is on the other side. In Chemistry we use Cis and trans to describe if 2 groups, elements, etc are on the same side or 1 on each side of a molecule. CIS isomer Trans Isomer
LOLOL!! I was just admitting, until this thread I never even heard of CIS. So I googled it and a whole bunch of other stuff came up that I've never heard of. Then I figured who the F... cares what I've heard of, so I deleted it, BUT evidently, my bitch @motion saw it. You are just jealous you don't have a friend that would fly across the country and drive a chick car back to IOWA with you.
It's a stupid label that those who can't accept themselves for who they are have assigned to 99% of the world and demanded we all accept it.
Well no doubt that I have girlie bikes and cars compared to you and a girlie budget too. I have to admit, I'm very impressed how you have been retired for so long, and still have a fun exploring life like you have.