Half-banana,
My post may have seemed a little cynical, and it is, but I also wanted to add that I try to respect all people regardless of race, gender identity, or whatever.
I also understand that gender is a spectrum and some people may genuinely feel like they are born into the wrong body, which would create a lot of anxiety for them. If someone feels they are a man , woman or neither, I am willing to accept their decision.
The line I baulk at crossing is accepting the made up pronouns. I don't really have a problem with his, hers or they because it can describe everyone.
Made up pronouns smack of narcissism to me. Someone is trying to tell me that their human experience transcends the normal life most of us have, and therefore, they cant possibly be classified with the rest of us and must be referred to by using exalted pronouns. I can imagine extremely creative types reinventing themselves once in a while and changing their pronouns to suit.
Loveuni mentioned that this has forced compelled speech. People are forced to accept that someone is a man, for example, when everything their brain and life experience is telling them is the opposite. You are being forced to reject your own perception of the world.
On the subject of prison, this is causing real problems because a male sex offender simply has to say, 'I identify as a woman, and I feel I should be put into a female prison', and they have to be taken seriously.
The whole pronoun debate has only really kicked off over the last few years, so a lot of people may not have had to deal with it, but it definitely has the potential to cause some real problems. As someone wise once said, 'this is what happens when you don't have to chop your own firewood'.