Honestly, if someone wants to be called they/them, no matter how it goes against my being used to it, it literally does not harm me to do so. And it shows that I actually care about how they feel.
Look, I hate quoting Star Trek, it's impossibly geeky sometimes, especially when the film I'm thinking of is far from my favorite. But two lines have been with me for some time:
"If there is to be a Brave New World, our generation is going to have the hardest time living in it."
"People can be very frightened of change."
I'm a straight white middle class American male. I've had it pretty good my whole life. The worst I got was being judged because of my weight when I was heavy. So I think I can make a few changes and learn some new word usages. Especially if it doesn't hurt a soul and actually helps people feel comfortable, respected or just simply heard.
Look, I hate quoting Star Trek, it's impossibly geeky sometimes, especially when the film I'm thinking of is far from my favorite. But two lines have been with me for some time:
"If there is to be a Brave New World, our generation is going to have the hardest time living in it."
"People can be very frightened of change."
I'm a straight white middle class American male. I've had it pretty good my whole life. The worst I got was being judged because of my weight when I was heavy. So I think I can make a few changes and learn some new word usages. Especially if it doesn't hurt a soul and actually helps people feel comfortable, respected or just simply heard.