http://dyssonance.wordpress.com/ ([identity profile] dyssonance.wordpress.com) wrote in [personal profile] recursiveparadox 2009-09-03 03:33 am (UTC)

Re: Two points

No, it isn't too much ask, in my opinion. However, as a transsexual, my opinion doesn't have merit or weight.

What does have merit or weight is the force of law. Since my ID, birth cert, and passport say the same thing, I've learned that that force is rather powerful, and that the practical response is a funny look at the offender.

That said, your meeting with Prince is not the issue of contention. It may, however, be an issue of some jealousy on the part of some others. The issue of contention is the purpose behind the term as it was coined, which is what you were citing.

It was popularized into its current usage by Feinberg in the early 90's, and so from about 85 on its meaning was stripped out of Prince's hands as it passed to the general usage. So by the time you met Prince, the meaning of the term had been irrevocably changed.

(which, from a language point of view is incredible, given the speed with which it came into wide use. I can think of only one other example of such a word, and that would be quiz, if one gives credence to the anecdotal origin for it).

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