Right, but every time someone pops up with "but I have questions" they get pointed to the relevant pre-existing threads and/or other resources and reminded not to discuss them in here because that historically leads to bad things… Then, quite a lot of the time, they come back with "but why should I have to go over there and maybe learn something, I just wanna ask questions here!" or some rought equivalent.
To be fair... that thread is MASSIVE, and difficult to navigate. I do appreciate the thread, but I think it might take less time to read every single QC comic in the archive than it would to read that whole thread. In addition, due to its nature as a forum thread, its structure is not ideal for initial learning. It meanders, and has no real organization. Which makes it even more daunting. ZoeB posted a really well done synopsis a page or so ago, and that was really good. Referring people sites like
http://transwhat.org/ is very helpful, as that has more structure around it, and tends to be geared toward people that are new to the idea of people being trans.
As a person whose professional life is built around the HCI (human-computer interface), a large part of that line of work involves the brain's reaction to what it sees on the screen. Being a thread that is (at the time of this writing) 65 pages long (!!!) with over 3,200 posts is probably going to result in initial reactions like, "Holy... holy shit. I just asked a question... I can't read all of this!" I'm not saying that is the RIGHT reaction... but that is a viable reaction from the brain when presented with SOOOO much information in such a seemingly unorganized manner.
There is a LOT of great information in that thread. Tons of it. If there were some sort of FAQ, or quick reference to direct people to high-level overview type information ("What does 'trans' mean?") and give the person the option to drill down to more specific information ("What are the implications of a cis/trans vs. a cis/cis or even a trans/trans relationship?"), that would really make a big difference, I think. I, personally, fit squarely in the second camp. I have a trans cousin... really, really great guy. He and his family been incredibly helpful in helping me understand his circumstance, and it has just made me that much more empathetic to the entire LGBT community, pushing me to be much more than just a passive supporter. I take an active stand to support the entire LGBT community.
For the *most* part (certainly with some exceptions, or at least, insensitively asked questions), I think people that have asked questions here are genuinely interested in becoming educated, as opposed to simply being ungraciously curious for the means of satisfying their need to know about something "freaky" (note that I use that term from their viewpoint, not mine). The former are trying to become better educated to the nuances unique to someone whose lives are different than their own... not out of selfish needs, but genuinely trying to better understand, to better empathize, and to eventually become a better advocate for all around equality and understanding of people that do not fit into gender constructs. The latter are selfish, seeking only to satisfy their own sick curiosity. Keep in mind, however, that even with the latter group, there is a real opportunity to educate and change their way of thinking.
You've also got those that are probably on the fence, somewhere in between. They are people that are, for the most part, trying to understand things better, trying to see through their own prejudice, and perhaps are trying to approach this new-to-them-phenomenon with an open mind. There is a real opportunity to push these people into deeper understanding with well-formed education. These folks are not likely to (at least initially) be willing to wade through 3200+ posts. Perhaps once they are more invested in the movement, when they have at least a base understanding of the issues and have actually opened their minds to these viewpoints, they are more willing to dig into something like that and become a real advocate.