How Miriam Margolyes Became A Trans Ally | The Graham Norton Show

Miriam Margolyes shares how she changed her mind and learned that respecting people and making them feel accepted is important in life.
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[@ochayethenoo]

Protect this woman at all costs. Miriam Margoyles is an absolute treasure!

[@SurfergirlKH]

She is marvelous isn’t she?! I wanna be like her when I grow up 😂!

[@barbarahalkyard1901]

Brilliant woman.

[@Ana.K.Rodriguez]

Not anymore have you not heard what she said about the adult Harry Potter fans

[@davis7099]

Protect us from this spoiled brat , show off at all costs. North Oxford has a lot to answer for.

[@elfox3537]

I LOVE Miriam Margolyes. She is a brave soul with a good heart, a wicked sense of humor & a sharp tongue!

[@jucycreidy]

and also... language is not a static subject... it evolves and transforms along with society

[@natashapeters4323]

Yes, that is the most wonderful thing about living languages. Mind you, Latin as a dead language has its place as well and is perfect for scientific use. But any of the languages we actually use on a day to day basis need to be able to grow with us as our understanding of the world around us grows.

[@RedArcherLive]

The best clip you could've uploaded. Miriam, like many, proves you can change your mindset once you actually have a discussion and understand the other perspective in a debate. She's an icon.

[@reinaldopessoa2603]

Unfortunately I can't do it, give me a name and I'll call you that but I simply can't call one person they.

[@rebelraccoon9018]

@@reinaldopessoa2603 👏 amen

[@marloscholten9227]

​@reinaldopessoa2603 what a small minded and boring life you must lead then

[@NathanWubs]

@@reinaldopessoa2603 but you do it all the time, same as you rebel you do it all the time. IF you hear a name and you do not know their pronoun and sounds not male or female or you know that both male and female exist you will use they, the singular they all the time.

[@tomlearner1032]

This is an interesting conversation, but I think it's important to distinguish between two situations: 1. Referring to someone as "they" when you don't know what their gender is. 2. Referring to someone as "they" once they have explicitly referred to themselves in that way and are asking for you to do the same. Is Miriam right about the second situation, that we should respect a person's wishes and address them in the manner they wish?

[@Ceroar]

A perfect example of how we should all try to be. She had an instinct reaction, she spoke to someone who may have greater experience with the subject than herself and then she adapted her opinion accordingly. Whether it was sticking with her inital reaction or changing is irrelevant! She reached out and listened 😊 But the most IMPORTANT thing is she's not afraid to speak her mind. Whether your opinion is with the minority or the majority, you should always speak it. We will never grow as a society if "cancel culture" makes people afraid to speak their mind. Speech should be a forum, not a court ❤

[@totallybored5526]

Sounds, nice but not going to happen. This is my experience and people who I’ve talked to in real life has had to. When I’ve come across a pronoun obsessive and I’ve asked them their name, instead of telling me their name they’ve angrily told me their pronouns and a nice little lecture, without telling me their name. That is the other problem outside of cancel culture, people being unable to answer a simple question such as “hi, I’m so and so, what’s your name?”

[@maartenvangeffen4508]

​@@totallybored5526not my experience. People just want to be respected, most non-binary people I know are not at all 'pronoun obsessive'

[@NathanWubs]

@@totallybored5526 you should not fib my dude. They probably gave you their pronouns and their chosen name. And then probably were. "what is your real name?"

[@eliotrix8190]

A forum and not a court! Beautifully put!

[@Ceroar]

@@totallybored5526 A la Miriam, I offer you my personal opinion, even if it does get me cancelled 🤭 It sounds like you had a rather singular experience. In my experience with trans people, they have been very patient to the point of even wearing badges of their preferred pronouns and answering to their previous name, even if they've asked to be called a new one. Patience is key, in my opinion, on both sides. As long as no one is being intentionally cruel then both sides should try to be understanding ☺️

[@KJ-oon]

Thank you. It is all about how you make a person feel. Most will not remember what you said to them, but will always remember how you made them feel.

[@thesubhumancomedy]

I think so. Same with "Lady Victoria". She answers the same to 'Victoria'. Have a long... another time

[@thesubhumancomedy]

The "I" got lost. I'm not happy without it.

[@h0lly_blue]

oh this is gonna be a fun comment section - can't wait for the totally calm and rational conversations we're gonna have about this with calm and rational people who are open to hearing other peoples' opinions instead of drowning in firmly-held misguided prejudice

[@Jordanbackland]

Oh dear, the triggered virtue signalling is unreal.

[@marksapollo]

Triggered...

[@h0lly_blue]

@@Jordanbackland and you fell for it hook line and sinker Jay, every damn time with y'all

[@Jordanbackland]

@@h0lly_blue There's nothing to fall for, especially when you're crying across multiple comments. 😊 you're dismissed now girl. 😊👍

[@h0lly_blue]

@@Jordanbackland pot kettle, Jay - you and Mark are everywhere spreading your hate and antagonism, and you have the gall to be surprised that people respond to it don't expect to have your attempts be coddled the way you claim others are trying to make you do to them

[@christopherharris6145]

Miriam is a gem.

[@nessak4081]

I absolutely love her. She always speaks her mind. ❤❤❤❤

[@JaredGriffiths2000]

That's really nice to hear, I completely agree with her.

[@soundlessbee]

The funny thing about the grammar argument is that people use they/them pronouns of single person all the time without even noticing. There are actually plenty of examples where people do it while they complain about using they/them pronouns of a person, if asked to do so. For example "I shouldn't have to use they of a single person, because *they* want to be a special snowflake." If you don't know the gender of a person you are referring to, they/them is the correct pronoun.

[@felixm.c4091]

Actually it's "he" in "proper" English

[@adamgunn2885]

@@felixm.c4091no it’s not. It’s they / them. You don’t need to specify the gender of anything in the English language, it’s gender-less, be it person or object

[@felixm.c4091]

Only recently but before the culture of inclusivity the gender neutral form was "he" like it is in French and Spanish etc. but that was more common in our parents' day. Not common now but still correct.@@adamgunn2885

[@EndeavoursRadio]

@@felixm.c4091 not anymore... Here's an example. "The school called. They would like to set up a parent-teacher interview" School is singular and non-gendered. Therefore "they" is the correct pronoun. The more a teacher encourages, the more excited their students will be. Teacher is singular, and as the gender is unknown/not specified, "their" is an acceptable pronoun to use in this case. Even Shakespeare used singular they in certain contexts

[@phillipy7396]

Indeed! Miriam actually correctly uses “they” in a singular form at the end when she says “Whatever they want me to say, I’ll say it.” Hypothetical person with unknown gender would almost always be referred to as “they”.

[@tiny99990]

I *LOVE* Miriam Margolyes, she is an absolute doll she's unapologetically wholesom,e genuine, and honest.

[@stationarywanderer7910]

This was a very, very brave thing to say in the UK. She's amazing, a national treasure.

[@tomp1808]

I'm not trying to be difficult, but this honestly seems like a very strange thing to say. I don't understand how you could describe this as brave? Brave is when you speak your mind on something that won't be publicly celebrated or might have negative repercussions on your career. Not something that ends in applause

[@stationarywanderer7910]

yeah, you are trying to be difficult. You know perfectly well what I'm saying. Transphobia is very high in the UK right now, thanks to the far right wing and their beloved fascist JK Rowling. and her legion of bigots. It was brave to say in that political climate. It was. So you can sit down.@@tomp1808

[@starlinguk]

​@@tomp1808Mate, the UK prime minister is a transphobe. And the BBC is no longer allowed to discuss topics like this.

[@tomp1808]

@@starlinguk defining a man or a woman the same way we have done for the past 1000 years does not make you a hateful person

[@NathanWubs]

@@tomp1808 Things change tomp, or do you think we need to go back in time so that you are called things because of the face paint that you were in 2016?

[@nltoriola89]

I've never met a human being like Miriam Margolyes. I absolutely adore her. ❤

[@knequestrian93]

I'm exactly like her.. I always thought 'they/them' was a kind of demeaning term.. then I did sit and have a meaningful talk with one of my dear trans friends (she/her) and she explained to me that 'they/them' means that you don't have to put pressure and stereotype someone into a specific gender. That was my kind of 💡moment. Any chance I have to learn is a win for me

[@Jordanbackland]

Strange how you managed to talk yourself into endorsing mental illness. If a schizophrenic was leaving reality and speaking in they them terms you'd call a doctor yet because a man/women who is so insecure over their identity cries you'll depart reality completely.

[@rebelraccoon9018]

There are two specific genders. Male and female. He/him= a man. She/her= a woman. They/them= plural, can be either a man or a woman.

[@dispmonk]

It makes absolutely no sense, and you know it. You cannot degrade a language just so a mentally disabled person can be happy. A single person cannot be a they or them it’s nonsense.

[@itzbp9949]

It's still really stupid and delusional

[@knequestrian93]

​@@dispmonkmaybe the person who is mentally ill is the one who is stuck in the past and doesn't accept change.. not the one who embraces it and is living their true self. Food for thought

[@chloepassaic6100]

Much love to Miriam for being herself and leaving others to be themselves. She is a great ally and an absolute treasure

[@fkd1963]

Happiness and a sense of self are all we should aspire to.

[@xchristinex001]

Tbf you use "they/them" as a singular pronoun if you don't know someone's gender so it's not even bad grammar! E.g "we have a new pupil starting in class today, I've saved a seat for them"

[@HigherQualityUploads]

Proper grammar is what makes me happy. I'll also address people by what they clearly are, not what they have a fantasy of being.

[@alexnordic8047]

I will address you as a fish hello fish! Edit: just to add you know apparently nothing about grammar or language history and lack proper open and wide horizon my condolences...

[@silverghostcat1924]

It's like regular names, if you meet someone and they tell you their name is "Betty" you're not going to say, "I don't like that name, I'm going to call you "Bertha". Call people what they want to be called, it's simple courtesy.

[@Jordanbackland]

A name and your unchangeable biological sex are two different things.

[@silverghostcat1924]

@@Jordanbackland it's irrelevant to the discussion. If someone wants to be called something you don't agree with, that's your problem. If you don't like it, ignore it and walk away, it's really none of your business anyway.

[@rebelraccoon9018]

@@Jordanbackland Spot on. Comparing apples to pears.

[@marloscholten9227]

​@@Jordanbacklandlmfao this guy thinks bio sex is unchangeable

[@Jordanbackland]

@@marloscholten9227 😯😂 You can't change your chromosomes, fact. You're either man or woman but you can't genetically alter your sex lmfaoay. 😂

[@Yvonne_Smeagol]

bless her, she's so honest and such a good person

[@dinocub1]

Logic. Such fickle thing. When used properly to those who create the most fuss, worth it's weight in gold. Love this woman.

[@darryldunmore5184]

It's not being "Politically Correct"; it's common courtesy. Call people what they want to be called. It won't hurt your mouth; it won't break your teeth!

[@paltomori4625]

If it makes someone happy to get called Napoleon Bonaparte, then are you going to do it ? Such bullsh1te.

[@markdunlop1349]

People can call themselves whatever they want but not everyone will pander to their delusions

[@gungaloscrungalo8925]

"Just endulge in my fantasy, it won't hurt you." Can you really not see how terrible an idea that is?

[@marnanel]

​@@paltomori4625sure, why not?

[@marnanel]

​@@gungaloscrungalo8925but nobody's saying "indulge in my fantasy".

[@Jamie-Fox]

Exactly! Stop..Hear..Converse in a civil way..Respect each other..Love happily together!

[@bronsonmcdonald5473]

Thank you Miriam ❤️

[@JazzDogTraveler]

I adore Ms Margolyes. She's brilliant.

[@biggtrux]

She's simply the best.

[@JenWren4]

Miriam is a national treasure! I'm American but if I could have one night to sit down and have dinner with this woman I would do just about anything! She's raucous and opinionated and she can be rude but she's hysterical and she seems so set in her ways and so ornery but she is a rational human. She is so compassionate. And even in her '80s she's willing to take the time to actually LISTEN and respectfully debate and learn; not only learn but to be humble enough to admit that her initial reaction was wrong And she's changed her opinion. She's small, but it takes a really big person to be able to do that! I absolutely adore her!❤❤❤❤❤

[@dalestaley5637]

I'm glad to hear she changed her mind.

[@rebelraccoon9018]

More like bowed to the woke mob who would try to cancel her if she didn't share their opinion. She used to be so bold and fearless. A shame how pc she's become. Still a nice lady though.

[@JP-lu9ed]

@@rebelraccoon9018I don’t think she’s much worried about being canceled at this point in her life and career.

[@KarenLovesColours]

@@rebelraccoon9018 So just because her opinion differs from yours you think that hers is invalid? That is so disrespectful.

[@rebelraccoon9018]

@@KarenLovesColours I never said her opinion is invalid. It just seems insincere like she was being overly cautious to not offend anyone. She can say and think whatever she likes as can the rest of us. That's freedom of speech and democracy.

[@jakelover1731]

Miriam is never cautious. She can be courteous, like here, but she really doesn't care about offending.

[@TehSymbiote]

Plain and simple. Cost much less to be kind to everyone.

[@lukeball8500]

Sometimes the kindest thing to say to someone is the truth.. And the truth sometimes hurts

[@TehSymbiote]

Truth and opinion are 2 different things. Dont blur the lines

[@lukeball8500]

The truth is that someone born with xy-chromosomes is a male and someone born with xx-chromosomes is a female. @@TehSymbiote

[@thestandingoak]

In what world is it kind to lie to someone? Lying hurts oneself and others, eventually.

[@RuiPedroCovelo]

That’s absolutely right. That’s what we do with names. We call people by their names and not someone else’s name. The problem is when you feel offended or you want to make it mandatory that everyone calls you something. Particularly when it’s very difficult to predict what it is. The respect should always be both ways.

[@stanbyme7874]

I have always aspired every day to make at least one person happy or smile. Such a simple thing to do for humanity. (I also really hope it helps with Karma. I used to middle finger ALOT of drivers. I’m from NY😂)

[@J_Gamble]

Good ole Miriam

[@soijustlistenedto...]

We love you, Miriam!

[@mhermarckarakouzian8899]

If I’m waiting to see a new doctor I know nothing about and the nurse comes and says, “The Dr. will see you now,” most people (even transphobes) would say “oh, ok, where is THEIR office?” They/them used as gender non-specific pronouns IS part of English grammar.

[@AurorXZ]

Exactly. The singular "they" has long been used for people of unknown sex, as was done by Jane Austen.

[@reinebautistamercado4286]

That's true, but I think what Miriam is referring to are the cases when you have already met the person and you instantly default to what you perceive their pronouns are, but then that person prefers 'they/them'. That's the time when we should do what she did.

[@rdb4996]

And so it is. Not all languages are set up like that though.

[@GenesisBish]

Honestly, the transphobes are definitely the kind to assume the doctor is a man, so they would probably say "where is his office" first lmao

[@rebelraccoon9018]

@@GenesisBish assuming you will have a male doctor doesn't make you a transphobe.🙄 You people have lost your god damn minds.

[@kingerikthegreatest.ofall.7860]

Miriam is wonderful. Legend .

[@EmilyWalters]

I love Miriam ❤️

[@ribbrascal]

There's no fool like an old fool.

[@lesleyscott938]

Reading her biography at this very moment ....wonderful, interesting and funny woman. Long live miriam ❤❤

[@LordColondy]

If you can make a flat earther happier by calling the earth flat, I say do it.

[@bea1365]

She's on TV, she'll do whatever she has to, as long as that pay cheque keeps rolling in.

[@Caleb17-ym6pq]

There is more to it than that, Miriam. It does matter to some people and they don't have to ignore it for a community that's less than 5% of the population.

[@DonaldWhippleFox]

I am 59 years old. When I grow up, I want to be as on the ball as Ms Margolyes is.

[@charr6337]

Look at Mr. Norton. Already making headlines!💘💘

[@charr6337]

Xo booh

[@kcjazzy]

I mean we often use „they/them“ if we don’t know or are not sure of someone‘s gender. For example, someone is driving very fast we say „they are driving very fast „It is not a big deal.

[@nessdalton2691]

I just love this woman she’s hilarious and doesn’t even know it 😂

[@nope4no1]

Amazing amazing soul! I love her so much!

[@jessicastevens5782]

the funny thing is Miriam uses the very common, singular "they" that we've all always used for unknown gender as part of correct grammar without even noticing

[@IndomitableT]

Not always; that is a fairly recent development, probably from somewhere in the beginning of this century.😌

[@reinaldopessoa2603]

There's no singular they, no matter how you twist and turn it.

[@aidanrock8719]

@@reinaldopessoa2603 there has quite literally been a singular they since the 14th century, you actual dolt.

[@dipperdog]

@@aidanrock8719 Isn't it interesting how bigots also happen to be the most uneducated among us. It's almost like that's not a coincidence...

[@billystokes3917]

​@@reinaldopessoa2603"Someone lost their bag a few days ago on a train." Woah...see how I just used "their" as a singular term? Even better is if I say "I hope they find their bag."

[@Sacheen81]

God bless Miriam❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@PS-qb8rm]

Love her energy! She’s a pip!

[@lvigilful]

She is a gem!

[@rafeeeefar]

Yes out of courtesy not conformity. I believe it’s called “manners”.

[@Rogerla62]

Miriam is correct. Whatever makes someone feel happy and accepted, then that is what we should do or say. It hurts nobody else when using the pronoun someone wants, but it does hurt them when we do not use what they want. Be kind people and the world will begin to move in a more positive direction.

[@egorzimowski3505]

but the confusion for me is about why they want me to use a different pronoun? How have they decided he/she isn't good for them?

[@R1PPA-C]

So we should all bend over backwards and re write history, science and the way we all know what is factually correct just to fit someone's narrative? Just so they don't get offended, it's offensive to me when someone wants me to call a dolphin a monkey, it's not correct and I won't do it. Now I'm the offended and crying and I want you to change your ways for me.... See where this is going? For the record and for those just looking for a reason to call out phobic or bigot at any chance to discredit.. I have no issue with and never have of anyone's sexual preference or if they are trans. But force feeding a lie that we are all supposed to bow down to and accept as the truth is wrong, it's as simple as that. Entitlement and being wrapped in cotton wool has gone too far.

[@Joe-hi1zw]

@@R1PPA-C See how you're throwing more of a tantrum than any non-binary or transgender person ever would. Like step outside. Experience the world. No one's getting their pitchforks out for you literally no one knows who you are lmao

[@NathanWubs]

@@R1PPA-C Naming science, when science, medicines and psychology are all supportive about trans people.

[@R1PPA-C]

@@NathanWubs you need to be supportive of being able to read and digest what you're reading, it may help you in future

[@mondayval]

Please invite Rita Moreno and Miriam, that would be amazing 😍

[@PokhrajRoy.]

I’m sure people have mentioned it but ‘they’ can be used to refer to a person which is not grammatically incorrect. HOWEVER, I’m happy she contextualised the appropriate person with great economy.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

@Torvic725 Yes

[@PokhrajRoy.]

@Torvic725 No issues

[@Ben-kt5rc]

Ehh I find this argument a bit hypocritical. It matters to trans people because it's representative of much more than a word - it's their ability to self-declare what their gender is. It's the same for those who consider gender an innate characteristic, not a matter for self-determination - and that's where the objection to using different pronouns comes from. You can't really say "do things my way because it's important to me but not important to you". Please note that this isn't in any form an excuse for hatred or nasty comments. We should be able to disagree while remaining civil.

[@davidlance5310]

Remember seeing a photo of Frances Barber with Miriam & thinking the same thing as another photo Frances did with Lily Allen, “Anyone else gonna tell her?”

[@roseconnolly2744]

I love Miriam, and agree with her 💯! Kindness and respect should always come first!

[@lyannawinter405]

I always love to see her on this couch:)

[@donnaokoniewski3761]

Oh Enlightened One ~ You are a Treasure!! xo

[@IAmError0706]

All this is to ignore that they/them actually is correct grammar in that those are non-descriptive terms, not necessarily referring to male or female, it doesn’t just refer to a collective. “Hey, somebody left THEIR phone behind, we should try to get it back to THEM” So, what excuse do you really have? Other than to just wanna demean someone?

[@frikkeneck]

this was up from 3wks ago, before THE Meep ❤

[@Johnedwardpeterson]

That’s a point of view and having a different point of view is not “mean” or hateful. I think everyone should be allowed to have different opinions without being accused of having horrible motives.

[@starlinguk]

"They" has been used to indicate the singular for centuries, so it's not actually grammatically incorrect. Source: am linguist.

[@S1L3NTG4M3R]

Who else is stuck in the never ending loop of The Graham Norton show 👀

[@Temeraire101]

Miriam’s right. I admit I do not understand all about this, but if I call someone he or she and they ask to be addressed in a different pronoun, as long as they do it politely, I’ll respect their request.

[@British_Joe]

I'm amazed they kept the comments on 😂

[@molly.morningstar]

I love Miriam

[@tjfSIM]

Yep. I think she nailed it. I'm not sure if I'm quite ready to be pronouncing my pronouns to people, but if someone asks to be referred to as 'they/them' or any other preference, that's a very small imposition on me, but potentially it means a lot to them. What is the harm?

[@kristinemeneses9825]

well said. 🥰

[@noelasabia7720]

I had an English teacher MANY years ago who would go ballistic hearing any pronoun coming out of her classes' mouth. Must use " one" no he, she, they , you....." use " ONE"!

[@h0lly_blue]

these sorts of people were the prototypes for the folks who cry "pronouns in bio" on Twitter in lieu of rational thought - and possibly the ones who instilled those thoughts into their heads in the first place

[@bencarroll5632]

One is also a pronoun

[@msam9380]

I don't have an issue with calling anyone what they want, I just have an issue with them taking offence if I misuse a pronoun for them without knowing them.

[@reinaldopessoa2603]

I like that, but they/them for one person messes with my sanity.

[@aidanrock8719]

@@reinaldopessoa2603 should probably be on anti-psychotics then, because they/them has been used to describe other people for as long as the word has existed

[@billystokes3917]

​@@reinaldopessoa2603It's been used as a singular pronoun for as long as it's existed.

[@JP-lu9ed]

Yes, pre judged before you have the information is not helpful.

[@quidditchmum]

Exactly!

[@sebluketravis2438]

I (he/him) is stuck on this never ending wheel of Norton

[@grmgt]

That's what an icon looks like!

[@44CUP_OF_JOY44]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤I wish you could invite Simon Baker, please❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@SherryEReson]

Good for her.

[@CBJAMPA]

I identify as royalty. My pronouns are ‘his’, ‘your’ and majesty. It would make me happily ‘included’ if people addressed me as ‘your majesty’ - pleeeeeaaaase?! It’s just common courtesy, thank you very much! 😊 (I’d appreciate some curtsying too, ladies, if’s not too much trouble, please?)

[@The_10th_Doctor.]

Thing is grammatically speaking, if you find someone’s dog and you don’t know their gender you might think to yourself “I can’t wait to return *their* dog I hope *they* will be happy when I return this dog to *them*!” So that’s gender neutral and grammatically correct

[@leonardgaudet8947]

The destruction of grammar.

[@ellengrace4609]

It really is this simple. If you want to be called Charles, I’ll call you Charles. I don’t care if it’s your given name or not. If you want me to use He instead of she, I’ll do it. I don’t care if you were born a “he” or not. If this is all someone is asking, it doesn’t cost a thing and it’s not hurting you, so do it!

[@reinaldopessoa2603]

I disagree it's still freedom after all I don't mind calling you a different name but if I did it's still my right to not want to.

[@rebelraccoon9018]

Yeah except that it would cause lots of confusion and harm in a hospital setting. If a surgeon is about to operate on a patient then they should know who the patient is (a man or a woman). They is a plural form. The language we use should be clear and unambiguous.

[@marloscholten9227]

​@rebelraccoon9018 that's a new one, the disrespect of singular they because of "danger in hospital settings" 😅 It's like people don't understand that sex and gender are two wholly different things and surgeons will clearly ask for the information they need...it'd probably break brains to learn that there's a host of surgeries and procedures done that have so little effect on one's reproductive organs that it is literally not relevant a lot of the time

[@ThePage12589]

​@@rebelraccoon9018If you want a clear and unambiguous language, do not look to English! It is literally a mishmash of other languages and grammar rules; it is nothing but ambiguous.

[@billystokes3917]

​@@rebelraccoon9018They can be used both in a singular and a plural meaning. You could say "Someone lost their wallet", but you could also say "They're all lovers of Kelly Clarkson". See how it can be used in different situations? It's really not difficult to understand.

[@paulgrant666]

NPC level thinking.

[@sherryhesner5940]

❤😂🎉

[@ErnieCG]

Kind woman

[@KarenLovesColours]

Thank you, Miriam! Please go for a coffee with J.K.R. some time soon and show her how easy it is to be kind

[@rhaenyraitargaryen6360]

In my culture and our hundreds of languages and dialects here in the Philippines, gender-based pronouns like he/she him/her were never a thing. Not even brother/sister or son/daughter. It was always gender-neutral and being referred to as they/them is kind of a sign of respect when we say "Kayo," Ninyo" or "Sila." It is used for a collective of people but can also refer to only one person if you use it in a formal and respectful way, so we have a different perception about it.

[@Sabote64]

As long as it is not forced upon others, to use them or they, I agree.

[@adam_p99]

I won’t. The English language is one of, if not *the* most important exports and I will try to protect it the best I can. I’m all for making people happy and I’m pro trans rights. But not at the expense of purposefully ignoring basic grammar. The “why does it matter” approach works both ways. If it’s just for the purposes of pronouns, it shouldn’t be that important to whoever is trying to rewrite the rules.

[@AshArAis]

Love is reason number one. Reason number two is that they has heen a singular pronoun since the 13th century. When we talk about people anonymously, we use they. It's an easy pronoun to use

[@madelinewise8692]

Boy George was arrested and convicted for falsely imprisoning a male Escort after chaining him to a radiator and beating him with a chain. He was sentenced to 15 months in jail but was released in 4 for good behaviour. Yet there he sits very proud in his clown suit without a smidge of decency to be even slightly ashamed.

[@jarwong3991]

such a simple concept and yet people are intentionally hurting others by disrespecting them

[@soundhead6971]

Unfortunately George didn't get excepted into the circus that day!

[@theanimeboy9953]

this is why miriam margolyes has recently been bashing harry potter as a series, telling fans to move on from this phase and grow up. she is a trans ally, and the harry potter franchise' author jk rowling, has been an open and active person who does not support transgenderism.

[@VenusManTrap-777]

I don’t support transgenderism, either. So what? We’re allowed to

[@cjhunt9532]

the world's grandmother

[@OldTechNerd]

How ridiculous. by that logic if someone says they prefer to be called "Lord Almighty" and it would make them happy, you would do it? You would affirm their delusion by denying their and your own reality. Sorry, I don't think that is going to help anyone.

[@SurfergirlKH]

Call me what you want but get out of my way. - Pink ✌️

[@pixelboy7654]

I love her perspective and good will but grammar does matter: Language creates meaning because it describes the world. So no particular group can own it because it is a way of the majority to form consensus on what the world is. If the majority rejects it, it means the group using it will never be accepted. The middle road can be he instead of she or vice versa but not something else.

[@tunesoop7653]

Good grammar is racist, didn't you know? My wife and I had a lengthy conversation with a guy (pre-op, about to surgically transition to a female called 'Kat' after living as one for years, 20 years ago, before any of this nonsense was a thing). We both naturally referred to him as 'she', after us asking. And that's how it should be, you're right. Neither of us had any issue with that. I will never refer to anyone as anything else other than 'he' or 'she', grammar aside, because some foreign, religious text requires its followers to accept the eight genders it defines. That's the issue.

[@njl8908]

I propose Miriam be a monthly guest. Also, Trans Lives Matter 🏳️‍⚧️

[@ribbrascal]

Truth, Rationality and Morality Matters

[@jdeamaral]

The problem of coarse, on what Miriam is saying is that people want to be called on how they "feel." I am not going to know pronouns of people and I actually don't care. It shouldn't be about what I call them, it should be about them. Example, I feel like people should call me Majestic Overlord, Ruler Of All, And You Are The Best...

[@nothinghere1996]

Jordon BP? Care to rebut?

[@playermartin286]

Oh if only this issue was that simple

[@charlespentrose7834]

It should be a simple matter of respect and trusting people to know who they are. Instead there are many who cling desperately to the idea of binary gender that matches with a binary sex - and neither of those things are truly binary.

[@springinggrass]

@@charlespentrose7834 And now courts are demanding women call men who raped them 'she' under oath - under threat of contempt of court.

[@evildoesnotsleep-x2b]

as simple as that