I don’t like to weigh in to a topic where I have nothing of value to add. But this, from Tara Flynn, sounded like something a better informed and less blundering version of me might want to say.

http://www.taraflynn.ie/none-of-our-business/

And I thought, the one and only thing I can add is the experience of becoming dimly aware of trans people and then trying to absorb how they described their lives, so as to try to understand.

Still don’t know, and it’s nobody’s job to tell me. So I just try to pay attention.

To my knowledge I met one trans person in my life, a young woman while visiting an office in San Francisco.

My very favourite cultural critic reissued her books in her new name. I’d enjoyed them so much, it felt like a good moment to buy a full set.

I follow a lovely woman, with a great sense of humour, on Twitter for both warmth (always a Twitter winner for me) and jokes.

And, one of my favourite Twitter people sometimes chats about things her daughter has said- a standard parent topic which I indulge myself with also.

And that, apart from enjoying the Matrix as a now-obvious trans movie, is my entire personal knowledge base of trans people.

Clearly, this is a topic where I can contribute nowt.

But, all the same, that’s a massive change in visibility from ten years ago.

I have lived my life as patriarchy’s favourite son. I am not a woman, I am not gay, I am not trans, I qualified for a profession filled with middle class benefits.

It would be a very, very poor show if people like me couldn’t simply stretch their minds to accommodate others.

I recall an interview I saw with @PantiBliss where the question arose as to how Ireland- a terrible homophobic society- moved to overwhelmingly endorse marriage equality. And in part, it was posited that the small scale of our society means that visibility leads to acceptance.

People can more readily hate and fear an Other in the abstract then they can dislike an actual person they know- in all their depth and complexity.

Doubtless there must be some pain in the face trans people, because that’s people for you

But individuals are more than one thing

So, though I still know next to nothing about the experience of being trans, I know that individuals just honestly going about their day are, in a quiet way, capable of making a society better.

And, as our last few years of Constitutional votes has shown, that’s good for us all.

Given we all get the benefits of a more open society, but we don’t all carry the hardships of dragging it forward, the least someone like me can do is acknowledge the values of those who do.

And, obviously, never add a single straw of additional hardship.

What a Tool move.