But Penguin, you're also breaking the rules made by this this threads OP (even if that person is you), rule five specifically. That seems a bit hypocritical.
That rule is not a free ticket to say whatever you want. Bigotry is not allowed, and this is where I draw the line on transphobia.
Ugh...it's not...bigotry to state an opinion. It's bigotry to be intolerant to what somebody else thinks. I, for example, think gender is more than just a changeable label. Stating this isn't bigotry, it's just opinion. Were someone to say they prefer to be called she/he, then I would most certainly do so. That's not intolerance, just a differing view.
Crushing that view would be bigotry.
my opinion on these matters is not bigotry.
I don't think you get to make that judgement call.
Fine then. Tell me, am I a bigoted asshole?
More than the norm, I mean.
"Intolerance towards bigotry" is a mainstay of these kinds of arguments, and I feel tempted to give my two cents on that, although we really should be moving on by now.
Anyway, people should be judged according to their
actions, not their identities, thoughts, or opinions. Having an opinion is
not a deed, but publicly stating your opinion -- especially to those whom it may concern -- is most definitely a deed, a
speech act of sorts. Now, everyone is bigoted towards some group or another, and being "tolerant" is little more than simply being mindful of the fact that words matter. No-one can keep that in mind constantly, and that's why we often
act like bigoted assholes, but it isn't possible to
be a bigoted asshole since that description only concerns behaviour -- it is not a valid identity. Therefore, there is no such thing as intolerance towards bigotry.
EDIT: Removed redundant quote.