Political correctness and the right to free speech: the case of preferred pronouns

Abstract

In this paper I argue for the general duty to refer to transgender people by their preferred pronouns when they are conventional. In the case of non-conventional, tailor-made pronouns, there is no such duty because those so-called “designated pronouns” are not actually functional pronouns. Last, but not least, even though there is a duty of civility to use the designated name and conventional pronoun of trans-people, individuals retain the right to speak out their belief in that sex and gender are biological facts, and thus, the right to state in reference to a transwoman: “She is not a woman”.