I particularly like the fact that you mention the link between being highly religious and less thinking. I'm always amazed by the little thinking my mother is capable of. And the point of "wanting us dead", I notice that it's in Canada too and it applies to disabled individuals and those suffering from mental illnesses. Sometimes I have the impression of living in a nazi ideal : only the strong, fit, straight and followers deserve to live so let's persecute or starve the others so they'll die " naturally". So when you're, lets say, a bisexual disabled thinking outside the box person...your chances are almost nil.

@Nathalie_Quebec I suspect the very religious are too lazy to think, some are intelligent, but chose to allow the church to tell them what to think & how to behave.
I often times read CBC news and I’ve seen some of the hate in the US is making its way across the border. I recently spent 2 weeks pushing my Mom around in her walker (it has wheels & a seat) and I started to see the barriers that are “unseen” by those that don’t need a wheelchair. Mental illnesses can be tough because you don’t see them.

Interesting ! Can you explain me what you mean by "one death at a time " ? Politics kind of confuse me, and my knowledge is limitated. Do you mean people build an opinion on socio humanist topics based on their politic affiliation ?? It would be a bit too similar than letting religious beliefs influencing our opinions... See I'm not trans, but I'm still concerned about all my fellow humans.

@Nathalie_Quebec One death at a time has been a standing ..joke that’s allowed me and a handful of progressives to stomach living in the rural USA The obituaries are often better than the letters to the editor... Meaning, an older, entrenched conservative generation is slowly giving way to those less judgmental and slightly more enlightened..

Politics in the USA has become purposely divisive; unfortunately, negatives appear to motivate more than positives. Our ‘Republican Party’ has long promoted conservative religion, thus any form of social progression is fought by them. And, I often ‘speak political’ because it’s ‘where the rubber meets the road.’ The laws that govern us come from a majority of only two parties … we unfortunately lack a Parliamentary System in which (for example) ‘the Atheist Party’ could win a couple of seats, thus bargain to form a majority amid a larger body. Here, it’s winner (and sometimes loser) take all

I view the promotion of ‘trans laws’ as a rallying tool for our ‘far left’ (think, Bernie supporters). However, most voters appear to feel ‘they’ are, or should be protected by the same laws protecting all citizens. Many view what’s being sought by their activist supporters as ‘special rights,’ above and beyond ‘ordinary rights.’ So, as it’s used as a rallying cry for one side, organizing against it is used to do the same on the other side

We need a coming together, or our form of government will not work. But keeping us split appears a ‘winning strategy’ for our Republican Party; they’re fewer in numbers, so motivating their minority with hate has become their tactic. Sadly, it’s working..

@Varn wow ! This is really instructive for me ! I have the impression it must be a piece of work living in the U.S. Of course we have conservatives here too ( desastrous)...they are close-minded and work for the elite only. Ford in Ontario is frightening with cuts in education, libraries and free health care. Personally I like my conservatives as agents in food products only hahaha. Thank you for your patience with me.

My young non-binary friend has been very helpful to me (I'm quite old) in understanding the terms and language of gender identity. They refer to their classification as queer, and the preferred pronouns are they and them. When I suggested that queer was a derogatory term in my youth, they advised me to never use it with any male over 40. They told me that their generation had reclaimed the word queer as a good umbrella term for many different persons. I have no problem with the language and concepts, but I struggle with the pronouns.

Do you think trans sexual, or trans gender, is a sexual orientation? I don't think it has a thing to do with who the person is attracted to, it has to do with how a person wants to be seen. No different, in my book, than being seen as a goth, or a jock, or an intellectual, or whatever.

I understand the issue touches on sexual orientation 9f other people though, and as a fellow het male, I clearly differentiate between trans women and women. But that's my orientation, being het is nothing new, nor is it malleable or traceable. It just is.

@MarkiusMahamius I have no idea if it is or not. I've never cared about it, much like I don't care how people wish to be seen but instesd try to see them for what they are.

If I were attracted to a trans person sexually then I guess I'd have to learn more about that aspect.

@MarkiusMahamius it's more than how they want to be seen...you're close to the fact though. It's how they feel inside. They want to be true to themselves.

@Nathalie_Quebec I don't see how the inner aspect of how anyone feels about themselves, is part of how I perceive them. They might choose to present themselves based on how they feel/what they perceive as "authentic", but what I see is just how they choose to present. Plenty of people have completely different reasons for why they choose to present in any particular way. I don't see into the inner soul of people.

@MarkiusMahamius of course, nobody does. I just had the chance to read the life story of one of them, in their own words. They give us access to a part of their inner soul. I think it gave me a better understanding and some respect too. But you're right, there are differences between trans individuals, I have a friend who's situation is complicated a lot. We don't have to agree on everything Markius, it's an interesting conversation. Thanks !

I think transsexual still refers to the surgical change, i think transgender is the more modern term. It refers to the social role of each sex, not the actual biology.

There's a good openness here. I can talk for Ontario and Quebec since I lived in both. There's a lot of advertising about inclusivity. You can see straight people comfortable with same sex couples, and even same sex parents. They will read trans people's biography.Some transgender and transfluid individuals are important in the beauty and fashion business. Some are model. But of course it's not perfect. But in general even bold looking trans people can be safe and won't be stared at that much, in Toronto. Quebec city is small so the phenomenon is more rare : there could be staring there.

Thanks so much ! It's funny cause I made this post here after being shocked by a Facebook post. My mbti personality type is INFJ. We are known to be compassionate and empathetic. So there's a regular INFJ page and an uncensored INFJpage. On the uncensored, there was a picture of a genderfluid person saying : " I'm not a boy, I'm not a girl. Where do I pee ?" And here they went laughing at it...someone even said they don't " believe" in trans existence.