To Walter: have you ever met any trans women (or men come to that)?
I haven't met many but know one quite well from work. I can honestly say I never think about the fact that she is a trans woman, it's not an elephant in the room, she is just a very efficient colleague. We chew over work matters, occasionally talk about other things if we're on a break at the same time. It wouldn't occur to me to ask her personal questions, I don't know her story, e.g. how far she has gone in the trans process; I just accept her & like her (no idea what anyone else at work thinks, I don't get into gossiping about work mates).
My view is that anyone can call themselves a woman or a man, dress that way and have the outward appearance of the opposite sex; they should be able to move in society without being singled out, ridiculed or persecuted. I'm not being PC, it's just how I feel.
However I do not believe anyone can change their sex, my colleague is still physically a man though, psychologically or by inclination, a woman.
I'm concerned about children being encouraged to take hormones or even have surgery to 'change sex', what happens if they change their mind later? It does seem to be becoming fashionable - yet most people have never even thought about it apart from seeing something on TV.
Regarding Murray, the boy who spoke out at school about gender and recorded the conversation with a teacher, I agree with him. Regardless of whether I agree, he should not have been reprimanded for saying what he believes. He wasn't being 'hateful', just stating facts as he sees them and as most people see them.