March 7, 2013
“When James becomes Janice: What not to ask a transgender friend”
This article is from Steven Petrow’s New York Times column on etiquette related to LGBTQ issues. Petrow writes, “As a society we’re generally very underinformed about trans issues and people. I can’t tell you how many well-intentioned people have shared their confusion with me about which pronoun to use and which questions are appropriate.” He goes on to say that we’re at “much the same place we were in the conversation about gays and lesbians a generation ago, when Miss Manners (aka Judith Martin) was asked by an anxious letter writer: ‘What am I supposed to say when introduced to a homosexual couple?'” Petrow provides helpful information for better understanding and communication with and about transgender persons.
