United by Music

[Blaze]

Tagh, JK Rowling's views were her own ! I am not giving any views on a person's choice of gender either.
My gripe is the bad/incorrect grammar.
If a person doesn't want to be "classified" as male or female, surely that leaves "neuter". So out with "he" and "she" and in with "it". Why should someone find using the neutral/neuter term "it" offensive ? Using a plural pronoun is grammatically incorrect.

I couldn't give a monkey's whether people choose to assign themselves to a particular gender or not, but I will not refer to a single person as "they".

[tagh]

Couldn’t agree more, Blaze but we live in intolerant times, I am afraid, at least some elements of the younger generation and establishment seem to, and they are determined to shove their views down everyone’s throat. Glad I am no longer teaching at a UK university; I would have been sacked in double quick time.

[Blaze]

they are determined to shove their views down everyone’s throat

They are yet another minority group using such tactics (look at militant vegans), and though they have as much right to be heard and considered as anyone else, most people don't actually want things rammed down their throats.

Disliking the incorrect use of grammar is hardly un PC !

[Quiksilver]

It seems Eurovision has also become a platform for minorities : Remember Conchita Wurst, the bearded lady from Austria in 2014 ? It could have been a complete piss-take though !
Now we have Switzerland's Nemo :

The singer becomes the first non-binary artist to win Eurovision. Fittingly, they wrote the song to explain how they came to terms with their identity.

Surely non-binary should be "it" (singular and neutral) not "they" when referring to one person ?

I think 'it' sums things up nicely Being bored out of my mind due to lousy weather, I read the BBC article. It jangles, it really does...'they' and 'their' all the way through. Since when are those words no longer plural? RIP the English language

[Antonia]

Using a plural pronoun is grammatically incorrect

Lights blue touch paper.
https://www.oed.com/discover/a-brief-hi ... y/?tl=true

[Blaze]

@Antonia

Even people who object to singular they as a grammatical error use it themselves when they’re not looking, a sure sign that anyone who objects to singular they is, if not a fool or an idiot, at least hopelessly out of date.

True enough, though I'd rather be taken for being out of date than a fool !

Whilst there are plenty of references to the use of "they", there is no mention of the possible use of "it" if someone doesn't want to be referred to as "he" or "she" which today could be far simpler. Do people who don't wish their gender to be stated find the use of the neutral "it" offensive or objectionable ? If so, why ? It's a serious question.

[Antonia]

Do people who don't wish their gender to be stated find the use of the neutral "it" offensive or objectionable ? If so, why ? It's a serious question.

Well, for one, I was taught that 'it' referred to an inanimate object. Would you like to be assigned the same pronoun as a toaster?
According to the OED, "it" hasn't been used to describe gender since 1864. Language has to be fluid. If it isn't it will die.
Anyway, according to the link I gave you, I'm either an idiot or a fool ( but not for using the word "it" )

[Bayleaf]

Yes, I think if someone was referred to as an "it", they could easily be offended. That's implying they are either an inanimate object or non/sub-human. I've just used the word "they" twice, which could be referring to one person or many. So, I don't really see it as a big issue either way.

Also, especially for people who see themselves as gender neutral, maybe like male hormones "trapped" in a female body and vice-versa, is that in effect two people, so again they could be referred to as "they"?

I'm sure confused genders have been around for centuries, but only now in our ever-changing world, are such people able to "come out" and be themselves without fear of persecution or worse. When did skirts just become acceptable for women? When the romans and scots, as just a couple of examples, were wearing kilts and tunics.....

A fascinating subject!

Edit - crossed with Antonia's so some repetition!

[Bayleaf]

I wouldn't waste a minute of my time watching the rubbish collection of stupidly dressed weirdos and their appalling songs. I listened to about 5 seconds of the winner and then switched it off. No quality at all, just noise. What happened to normal singers and normal clothes?

The style of music is changing all the time. "Music ain't what it used to be". I'm sure what we enjoyed as younguns, our parents thought was utter tosh.

As far as normal singers and normal clothes go, it's theatre, dahling - all the colours, all the sizes, the brighter the better. 'Twas ever thus:

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Kiss below - they've been dressing like this since 1973

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[Blaze]

Extravaganza in show biz isn't recent and it's half the fun ! Does anyone remember Liberace, a brilliant pianist and very colourful character :

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