Drifting Through The Grift: Where I Be

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Where I Be

Down in the sewers.

27 comments:

Stefan said...: Feeling a little masochistic today?; Tue Oct 07, 03:38:00 PM
griftdrift said...: To quote Woodrow Call, I cannot abide rudeness in a man; Tue Oct 07, 03:42:00 PM
Sara said...: You got more stomach for it than the rest of us. I wanted to close the thread by about the third comment.; Tue Oct 07, 03:49:00 PM
Fearless Leader said...: GTFO, man! Get out before they touch you!; Tue Oct 07, 03:52:00 PM
Amber Rhea said...: Why did I click that link? Seriously, those people make me hate humanity and think there's no redemption. It makes everything I believe in and work for seem worthless because I have to come face to face with people who are such horrible people that I can't even begin to comprehend what that means, because I'm scared to think about it.; Tue Oct 07, 04:13:00 PM
Blackjackk said...: Not that it really matters because she is a she, but how long ago did she have the sex change? I see that she changed her name in 1980.

The WSJ, AJC and NYT did not say.

Boy those were some seriously scummy comments.; Tue Oct 07, 04:38:00 PM
Amber Rhea said...: blackjackk,
The term is gender reassignment surgery, NOT sex change.
Furthermore, not all people who transition opt for surgery.; Tue Oct 07, 04:39:00 PM
Blackjackk said...: OK Amber. The New York Times also used the term "sex change". Apologies for old terminology.

But did she have surgery? That is what I guess I am missing in all the stories.; Tue Oct 07, 04:52:00 PM
Amber Rhea said...: The media is constantly fucking up when it comes to correct terminology. I don't know why it's so damn hard for them.

Why does it matter whether or not she had surgery? As any trans* person will tell you, it's not a surgical procedure which determines one's gender.; Tue Oct 07, 04:58:00 PM
Sara said...: Maybe he's just curious?; Tue Oct 07, 05:02:00 PM
Amber Rhea said...: Fine, but would we ever expect a non-trans* person to answer these types of extremely personal questions on demand? Would we ever expect them to be germane to a news story?

I hate this fucking society sometimes. I really really do.; Tue Oct 07, 05:03:00 PM
Rusty said...: Seriously, those people make me hate humanity and think there's no redemption.

I'd heard a few times that Einstein lost faith in humanity before he died. I've never been able to verify this. I'm not sure if I'd feel better or worse if it were true.; Tue Oct 07, 05:03:00 PM
Blackjackk said...: I'll be damn honest - I always thought transgender referred to a person who has had a surgical procedure. I actually looked it up after you flamed me for using the phrase sex change. So that is an offensive term nowadays. Well I learned something today.

If I didn't say it before, I'll say it now - I could give a shit whether a person presents themselves as a man or a woman. However, they want to live their life is fine. I agree, it doesn't matter.

However, all the stories were ambiguous and that was my original point.; Tue Oct 07, 05:11:00 PM
Sara said...: None of this should be germane to her candidacy for public office, but I don't think asking a question that was left open by the media reports about the litigation is automatically a bad thing. I would also presume that in a purely legal sense, there may be a difference in legal classification between someone who has had reassignment surgery and someone who has made the transition but not had surgery. But I could be wrong about that, I haven't researched it. And I certainly doubt Georgia had law on this issue before the Supreme Court decision today.; Tue Oct 07, 05:30:00 PM
griftdrift said...: To be fair Amber, at least the WSJ and the AJC used the correct pronoun. Something that I'm sure just entered their styleguides recently. Of course they can still do better in explaining a subject where most people lack familiarity.

Also, I don't think its fair to lump people who make an innocent mistake in terminology because their knowledge of the subject is only an inch deep with the people who are willfully ignorant and when you try to enlighten them choose to stay willfully ignorant.; Tue Oct 07, 07:08:00 PM
rptrcub said...: That's why I generally don't go over there; I just look at Erick's tripe through the Google Reader.; Tue Oct 07, 07:09:00 PM
Amber Rhea said...: Also, I don't think its fair to lump people who make an innocent mistake in terminology because their knowledge of the subject is only an inch deep with the people who are willfully ignorant and when you try to enlighten them choose to stay willfully ignorant.

Did I do that?; Tue Oct 07, 10:18:00 PM
Amber Rhea said...: Oh do you mean because blackjackk says I "flamed" him? Flamed? Really? *That* was a flame?; Tue Oct 07, 10:19:00 PM
Amber Rhea said...: I would also presume that in a purely legal sense, there may be a difference in legal classification between someone who has had reassignment surgery and someone who has made the transition but not had surgery.

It actually varies state to state. I used to be much more current on it when my ex was transitioning. But in many (perhaps most - like I said, would need to check to be sure) you don't need surgery to legally change your gender on your ID, birth certificate, etc.; Tue Oct 07, 10:21:00 PM
griftdrift said...: "Did I do that"

Lil bit; Tue Oct 07, 11:40:00 PM
Amber Rhea said...: Not seeing it. If you're accusing me of "lump[ing] people who make an innocent mistake in terminology because their knowledge of the subject is only an inch deep with the people who are willfully ignorant" you'll need to show me WHERE I DID THAT. Correcting someone's terminology in a frank, straightforward manner is not "lumping them in" with anyone.; Wed Oct 08, 09:52:00 AM
griftdrift said...: Well there was this

"I hate this fucking society sometimes. I really really do" .v2

But maybe lumping isn't fair. Maybe it's just a difference in style. You and I have certainly had an honest disagreement on that in the past.

With a receptive audience, I prefer to have a conversation which can result in their greater englightenment.

With a terminal asshole, I have no problem with correcting them in a frank and straightforward manner. Mostly for the benefit of those who might be listening.

But my way is not everyone's way and that is a good thing. Because the world would be much less interesting.; Wed Oct 08, 10:21:00 AM
Pokerista said...: I was curious about this so I did some research. This site seems to indicate that changing sex on the birth certificate requires a surgeon to verify reassignment surgery has taken place, but that changing the name does not:

http://www.drbecky.com/birthcert.html

(Note that FL has a really f'ed up way of handling all this...and that's a recent change in procedure, not an old outdated one)
Also, this article about an Augusta woman's fight to legally change her name says in the last line that GA will not allow the change in birth certificate until the surgery has taken place.

http://www.sovo.com/2003/9-19/news/localnews/namevic.cfm

FWIW. This does tend to support my initial hunch that many states draw a legal distinction between a transitioned transsexual who has not had surgery, and one who has. Whether they should draw such distinction is, of course, a different story.; Wed Oct 08, 10:26:00 AM
Pokerista said...: Dammit, sorry the links didn't show up. I'll try again.

http://www.drbecky.com/birthcert.html

http://www.sovo.com/2003/9-19/news/localnews/namevic.cfm; Wed Oct 08, 10:29:00 AM
Blackjackk said...: "I hate this fucking society sometimes. I really really do"

That comment did piss me off. However, I'm a big boy - I can take it.

And no bullshit Amber, I did learn something of which I had not considered.; Wed Oct 08, 10:31:00 AM
Amber Rhea said...: "I hate this fucking society sometimes. I really really do" .

That was in reference to the OP. Sorry if that was unclear. The whole thing had me so worked up that I *was* being/feeling unclear.; Wed Oct 08, 10:36:00 AM
Amber Rhea said...: Sara,
Yeah, again, it varies from state to state. You refreshed my memory that Georgia will let you change your gender on your driver's license (as my ex did) without surgery but not the birth certificate. There are some states that do not require surgery for you to change it on your birth certificate. The laws from state to state are predictably Byzantine. :P; Wed Oct 08, 10:39:00 AM