I have to say talking about trans issues (especially in philosophy, closest to home) is incredibly stressful. Trans people are having to put up with a level of vitriol just for being that I honestly don't think I could take, it's just so absurd and unfair to them...

... I mean I have had racists say horrid things to me plenty, but whatever who cares about those clowns. Also, I talk about other high valance things! I defended (and still would) Corbynism and that was not popular among comfy academic types, likewise Bernie when in the US...

... The former was taken as evidence of anti-semitism in many circles, and the latter misogyny and sometimes (to my mind particularly absurdly) racism. I often deride Diversity Training style things and make no secret of my hate for many Bourgeois IdPol commentators...

... I also defend a fairly extreme economic leftism, and despite my sympathy for Corbynism and Bernie I'm actually on the whole kinda sympathetic to anti-electoral versions of left politics which wins you no friends lemmie tell you. Also, weirdly, my sympathy for animal rights...

... and sense that astrology is, like, obviously just a superstition which can be fun and all but not more than that, sometimes get me called racist by bits of the left youth I just find inexplicable. Finally, my general opposition to firing people for bad speech draws ire...

... all that to say I'm not some shrinking violet who dodges culture war stuff, not unused to having people be a bigot to me personally, or having people think I'm a bigot for my social/political opinions. But re trans rights, for reasons I do not understand, it's all up to 11...

... part of this is to do with my mental quirks and where I am in my life right now as this has become an issue more prominent in my circles (I hate myself and hate to think I might be influencing people, and I sometimes vainly worry that "on my side" I might influence some)...

... but I do think there's something about how trans people are themselves singled out and targeted for just utterly unfair and oppressive social treatment even in normal conversational contexts, that is especially intense. Not sure what my point is, just kvetching.