She’ll choke on it if she’s unwilling to let go. Photo by on I argued with my grandfather when a new gender-affirming name was introduced. No way was he going to accommodate change.“We’ve lived this way for centuries! There’s no reason to accommodate radicals who think they’re special. It’s a silly fad and shouldn’t be allowed to spread. Everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon, and it’s dangerous!”“Grandpa, why can’t you address people the way they want? They just want recognition and to be treated fairly. Is it too hard for you?”He scoffed. “It’s not too hard, but it’s disrespectful to honest folks! People need to adapt to society, not the other way around! Why should I have to learn what they want to be called?”“For the same reason you don’t call me John Doe, or ‘X’. You changed Grandma’s maiden name pretty fast when she married you.”He chuckled. “That’s because I branded her with mine.”“Exactly. You choose all kinds of derogatory names for people you don’t like. You’ve even made them up for these people!”We called a truce, made popcorn, and settled in to watch a movie.
