I’m always open to them (well, unless I’m tired), but it’s a very sensitive issue for those truly concerned. I’m a married straight man, I have no horse in this race, my mind being changed about the uhh reality of being a “woman born as a man”, for instance, won’t do much for me except fit better with current Western doctrines. On the other hand, if the conversation changes your mind, your entire self image and identity construction might fall apart, regrets might start appearing, suicidal ideation might come around too, etc etc. And since I’m not in the business of hurting people’s feelings unnecessarily, and because it’s at most an ideological disagreement stemming from wrong premises and messy thinking and not moral issue (at least on the trans end, there can be a lot of hatred on the other one), I avoid the topic. And, if someone as argumentative avoids it for prosocial reasons, I’m sure many others will do the same.

So: I agree, we should be able to talk about it respectfully, but it’s a sensitive issue that can quickly veer into hurt feelings and/or true hatred.