PORCH PONDERINGS

Dear They/Them

PROMPT May 21st

Write an open letter to a person or group of people you strongly disagree with and explain why. Use reason not emotion.

Dear They,

I have a hard time thinking of this mindset. I am a charitable person. I feel that I get along with most everyone. I understand everyone has a right to believe what they feel is important for their life.

However, this whole gender identity ‘thing’ really has me baffled. The latest ‘star’ to announce this is Demi Lovato. I don’t know much about her. But this was written about the issue:

“In the most charitable reading, some of this criticism is born out of profound ignorance. "Nonbinary" is a term increasingly used by people who exist somewhere along the spectrum of gender, either between male and female or outside the binary altogether. Essentially, it's shorthand for a complex, liminal, both/and relationship to gender that varies widely from person to person. Nonbinary is both a gender identity and a big middle finger aimed at the concept of gender itself.” (nbcnews.com)

Binary, non-binary. Holy crap, pardon my French. What the heck? Sorry, this is to be unemotional.

God made two sexes. We are born male or female. XX and XY. Our chromosomal makeup is determined at the nanosecond of creation. Your parents could not choose before your birth. You cannot change that combination after birth. As far as I know, no evil scientist has found a way to tweak our DNA to change the sex we were given at birth.

So the people who ‘identify’ as non-binary now want to use different pronouns as well. As if being LGBTQ isn’t enough, we have to remember to use the plural pronouns, they/them when referring to a non-binary person.

When I went to school, the pronouns they and them were for more than one person. So I am confused as to when this became acceptable to be used for a singular person searching for their identity.

I am aware there are probably some folks on writing.com that fall into this category. I will respect the wishes of those folks. But that still doesn’t make this whole issue any less confusing for me.

Sincerely,
NormaJean
still using she and hers