Making Distinctions

Discrimination. What a word. It has a variety of definitions and applicatioins. It's almost only limited by our imagination for its use to describe some person, time, event, circumstance, situation, or whatever. And we discriminate by our words. Not just the acts but the distinctions.

The Oxford American Dictionary (copy sits by my desk besides on-line) defines it as:

discrimination |disˌkriməˈnā sh ən| noun
1 the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, esp. on the grounds of race, age, or sex : victims of racial discrimination | discrimination against homosexuals.

2 recognition and understanding of the difference between one thing and another : discrimination between right and wrong | young children have difficulties in making fine discriminations.

• the ability to discern what is of high quality; good judgment or taste : those who could afford to buy showed little taste or discrimination.

• Psychology the ability to distinguish between different stimuli : [as adj. ] discrimination learning.

And I'm no different. Take the words transgender and transsexual. Whenever you read someone's blog, article, column, etc, they almost invariably directly or indirectly define the terms and then make distinctions, which often end up as discriminations. And I have my definitions, applications and disinctions, and yes, discriminations.

It's one reason why the LGBT and especially transcommunity themselves can't get on the same page on issues. It's the old adage about the devil is in the details and for them, it's the words themselves.