Pronouns...

'Sperg, you're too intelligent to be this glib in regard to your thinking. If you were truly bold in your convictions, your post wouldn't be published at such an early hour. Alternatively, its timing might possibly ensure that it receives a wide audience...which is somehow an even worse motivation for posting now.

Love *is* love; simply that. If it affects no-one negatively then how is it wrong, morally or In any sense? What actual harm does their relationship do to others or themselves? None. How are you inconvenienced or threatened by their love? They're bloody heroes, not inconveniences or threats, let alone a sign that reads 'The modern world has gone to the dogs'. I call them heroes because your post eloquently shows why people like that couple need every bit of the courage they draw from each other. That's because of the harshness and cynicism exemplified this morning on a board that actually welcomes trans people; oh, and while we're at it, this forum also welcomes devotees of various religions.

I'm loath to disagree with someone so much more smart, swift and savvy than I am but the opinions expressed in your post aren't being so 'suppressed' that readers - including trans members - won't consider your views as any more elevated than those of our local pub bigots.

This is no declaration of war, on my part; it's a request that you not be 'cancelled' but instead consider how others might feel - others from whom you'd rightly expect sympathy and respect should you yourself fall victim to the irresponsible opinions of unthinking critics. You're too clever and caring for such lazy thinking. You're too fond of the idea that your views are dangerously honest, as if speaking one's mind - regardless of potential harm - is a guarantee of credibility and also a badge of honour. So often it doesn't make one a maverick - it makes one careless of the damage done to fellow human beings. And here amongst autistic people too, amongst people who come here for shelter and support, and also protection from others who take vain pride in 'just speaking their minds'...

I'm not a mod, not even a respected veteran, or smart or mature; but I too can speak my mind. In case you're wondering, I don't even have the honour of knowing any trans people, so I've no personal stake that might be founded on personal biases.

Feel free to ignore my plea. Your call. Please reconsider or, at least, consider others.

The OP feels transphobic to me frankly. My inner autist barely understood the words in the post but as a trans woman I definitely got the emotional unpleasantness and judgement. I am new here and really don’t need this. She/her 

The OP feels transphobic to me frankly. My inner autist barely understood the words in the post but as a trans woman I definitely got the emotional unpleasantness and judgement. I am new here and really don’t need this. She/her 

Yes we do.  

But incase it needs spelling out loud, I'm not here to be your enemy Sperg, I'm saying this because I'm your fellow autist and that means I also care about you too. We're really not all that different when it boils down to it, we all just want a bit of respect.

Feelings don't come into it, it comes down to the ability to directly or indirectly cause actual harm. If you belittle us it's not our feelings that get hurt it's the prejudice of bigots that gets reinforced so the next time a trans person goes for a job, we don't get it, or if we go to the Dr with a life threatening ailment we don't get treated with the same humanity as our cisgender peers, that's what hurts us. It's "your right to swing your arm ends where my nose begins." That's the actual quote, though not verbatim, and sometimes attributed to Abraham Lincoln, but more likely John B. Finch (d.1887) . And everything is subject to this cause and effect, nothing exists in a vacuum.
But if you don't want the friendly advice and the olive branch suit yourself. This is your crossroad your choice.

This isn't personal to me at all, not in the way you seem to think anyway. I picked up a saying once that seems eerily appropriate to this thread, it encapsulates the modern human experience perfectly. 

"Your rights end, where their feelings begin" 

I hope that wise statement "pours gasoline" onto the sparks of genuine and real enlightenment that pervade this thread, and many others. 

Sperg please I promise this will eventually calm down, do not respond, just listen (read) and learn and try not to take it too personally, it's really less about you than it is the behaviour, we know it's a learning curve which is steeper the older you are too, and people may be upset now but they will eventually realise you meant nothing inflamatory even if it was said clumsily. But it's all still sparking right now so pls just let it die down and don't pour petrol on it. You don't need to apologise for trying to make a joke, but eventually we are probably gonna expect at least some acknowledgement of our feelings and why they are hurt the way they are. But that is another thread for another day. Maybe think of asking Clare Mod or someone to lock the thread so the dust can settle properly first.

So where in any of this, is the respect for my difference?

Your comments and complaints make me think of *** saying "we just did what we were told to do", without any acknowledgement of judgement, discrimination, hate crime or wrongdoing...

We're human, we're not perfect, we all get fed a steady stream of conflicting, false and harmful information from society/media/ignorant family members and often it's the masses and those in power who spout the nonsense and condemn and judge innocent minority groups (like the Trans community, for example) so we learn, grow and evolve over time. 

But we're still responsible for our own actions.  

This includes living our lives and respecting other people's differences according to the law (Equality Act 2010).

...

I sort of understood that you were going for ‘I’m old and doing my best to keep up, but it’s worth it to be part of the ever more inclusive now and future’. But I also think that it came out a bit more glib than you really intended (I’ve done the same on other matters I’m sure) so Simon’s post is very understandable- and I agree with its philosophy 100% while recognising that you weren’t as out of alignment with it as your initial words made it seem. As I say, I think you intended it to be self-deprecation but it inadvertently came out a little ‘PC gone mad!’ 

im prone to the odd Freudian slip myself, so yours about you being put out making the ‘physical change’ is slightly fascinating to me. Almost like you were the one transitioning. But really, it’s just a short period of adjustment. No more inconvenient than when you keep writing 2022 in January but then have 2023 habitually in mind by March. Actually maybe *that* sounds glib, we’re all human and flawed  and imperfect communicators. But we do our best, and meet in the middle

Agreed, different is fine with me. Just Phobic of People because as Sperg said they're dangerous and also scary 

"Approach with caution" is what I think when I see people lol.

because they are dangerous

but not because they're different

I'm with her. And with good reason too.

I'm part of the Phobic of Everyone group :P 

He is a hermit, phobic of everyone, speaking woodish  Btw me too

YOU are seeing what is not there, to be honest. Lighten up, please this is a no hate zone.

What appals me is how quickly some people take umbrage and outrage at a simple exposition of a situation and a light hearted application of humour at the end.

It's demanded of me that I respect new values that are in opposition to all that I was taught when I was young, and to be honest, if it leads to greater acceptance of different people and their attitudes, that has the look of a good idea, so why not? Not like it really affected me until today. It's physically doing the change  the change I find difficult, not being asked to make it. Exactly the same as when a friend changed her name once.

That these new values make life complicated for some in ways that I am sure were not intended, like Loz's B/F (and fair play to him, for sticking by his girl) is not me expressing hate, just recounting events.

I'm definitely not trans"phobic" but yes I do have some remains of the previous set of conditioning I endured for at least 2 decades,and if you want to hate anyone, hate the people who drummed one set of values into my generation, then discarded them in the next.   

Especially when they do it to YOUR generation in a few years time.