Political correctness and the right to free speech: the case of preferred pronouns
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14195/2184-9781_1_6Keywords:
Transgender, Pronouns, Sexual dimorphism, Compelled Speech, Free speech, Freedom of conscienceAbstract
In this paper I argue for the general duty to refer to transgender people by their preferred pronouns when they are conventional. In the case of non-conventional, tailor-made pronouns, there is no such duty because those so-called “designated pronouns” are not actually functional pronouns. Last, but not least, even though there is a duty of civility to use the designated name and conventional pronoun of trans-people, individuals retain the right to speak out their belief in that sex and gender are biological facts, and thus, the right to state in reference to a transwoman: “She is not a woman”.
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