Carleas
Okay, let’s try to forget about biology for now (if that’s even possible), even tho it has profound implications for mind, body and behavior (or it is them), and focus solely on what features are most salient, as you put it, about a person at a given moment, so we can explore some of the ramifications of defining sex as you’d have us define it.
Firstly, if a person’s femininity is more salient one moment, and their masculinity the next, does that mean we should alternate what (pro)nouns we’re using to define them from moment to moment?
The trouble is masculinity and femininity aren’t arbitrary, they refer to a large cluster of features someone is suppose to have.
By calling a masculine transwoman a woman, you’re lying to them, yourself and everyone around you about what abilities and characteristics they have (both in the biological, and salient senses, altho in reality there’s more-less tremendous overlap between the two, biology in large part determines salience).
People should be treated according to their abilities/characteristics, not according to what they wish they had.
And sooner or later people will be treated according to their abilities/characteristics, which will disappoint the transwoman’s now unrealistic expectations.
It’s not like exaggerating how good someone’s cooking is a little, sex is one of the most profound ways in which we define and distinguish each other.
It’s not just clothing, makeup and a few superficial things you can whimsically put on and take off i.e. gender fluidity.
The trans movement tries to cheapen sex by reducing it to some cosmetics and mannerisms anyone can duplicate.
In one breath they say it’s nothing more than a social construct, but in another they’ll threaten to bash your skull in if you use the improper, according to them, (pro)nouns.
If it’s a really social construct than calling someone a boy or girl should be about as potentially offensive as calling someone a potato or ammonium sulfate.
But let’s assume you’re right, that we should give about equal consideration to what people are, and what people wish they were, what do we do then in the case of masculine transwomen, or masculine women for that matter, do we decide what (pro)nouns we’re going to use on a whim, or do we use agender (pro)nouns?
And if we do come across someone who’s about equally saliently masculine and feminine, does that mean we should use agender (pro)nouns to define them, regardless of how they wish to be defined, if we’re to remain objective?
Right, so we’ll be offending butch women more often, but offending transwomen less, so it about evens out, in terms of offence.