@WillCAD, I don't get the impression from Tristan's post that she is upset solely because the screener asked her whether she was male or female. I get the impression that she is upset at the situation, including the fact that the machine flagged her body as not matching up. She even uses as the closing sentiment of her post that, "it's butch to be yourself, no matter the cost or what some stupid machine thinks of you. Be butch."

Yes, on an intellectual level, a machine is obviously not shaming her or judging her body. But this whole setup is obviously going to trigger emotional reactions because one's body image is so intensely personal and so tied up in who we are and how we present ourselves to people. How could it ever *not* feel as though the machine is judging whether one's body is acceptable?


Thank you for the concern about my ACL repair. It's healing well but I'm still working back to my full strength. Many friends and strangers have been nothing but encouraging and helpful and kind, but then, well, there's always that guy. And maybe I'm overly sensitive also. But really, who are these people who were never taught that it's rude to ask persistent, prying questions about someone's medical condition?