I wonder if there is a correlation between the limited comprehension some english-speaking transphobes have over pronouns, and the fact that English is missing a lot of nuance regarding some pronouns.
so, pronouns are the way other people adress you. In normal polite society, people will accept how you asked to be addressed and will use it because that's what being polite is.
They already change naming conventions when a woman goes from being Miss Smith to Mrs. Williams because she took her husband's name, people adapt. Because it's the polite thing to do.
In French "you" is both tu and vous. You call your friends "tu" and your customers "vous".
in Spanish you have tu and usted. They're both used at different levels of familiarity or politeness with the person you're talking to.
I'm thinking about all the variations the Japanese have with their pronouns, and the polite thing would be to use them correctly.
Here are three languages that have integrated politeness in the choice of pronouns they use to adress someone. I'm sure there's a thousand others.
I wonder if english-speaking unilinguals who complain so much about having to change the pronouns they use for someone never had to live the conundrum of your friend's parents asking you tu stop using "usted" when addressing them.
pronouns are politeness. People who refuse to use them correctly are choosing to be rude.
