Also, people who've had hormonal treatment often look like the sex that they want to be. I know this because I know some of these people, and I would not have guessed that they were born with another sex. Perhaps you even know some of these people without knowing. For the people who are not so lucky, your "Even the folks who go to all the trouble of dressing up to look like the opposite sex are usually identifiable at a glance." is disrespectful.
Does the ability to hide your gender or to select "other" harm you? Just like some people seem to think that other people being gay harms them, even though it has no significant influence on their lives whatsoever.
> Some folks do have serious issues about their gender identity, but I think Google+ is a better place without them.
Come again? You can't socialize if you are unsure about your gender? What the hell...?
I bet most gender-confused people are a lot more fun to be around than I am, despite my well-defined gender.
If you're being sarcastic, it's not obvious due to the fact that some people really do believe that.
If you're being non-sarcastic, you're crazy. First, gender isn't "state-sanctioned", it's genetically determined. And y'know what? On 99.9% of people it's pretty damn obvious. Even the folks who go to all the trouble of dressing up to look like the opposite sex are usually identifiable at a glance.
Some folks do have serious issues about their gender identity, but I think Google+ is a better place without them.