Our time will be seen by historians of the far future as an era of intense restlessness, a time when there were no barriers, cultural or natural, that we were not prepared to disregard for the sake of maximizing sexual autonomy. Think of the utter strangeness of these two stories from today’s paper:

1. A transgender writer in Izvestia The New York Times issues a de trop complaint:

There’s a scene in the new Amazon show “Transparent” when the family patriarch, Mort, walks in on his oldest daughter in flagrante with her lesbian lover. The character, who’s been struggling throughout the pilot with how to come out as trans, stands there in drag with a bemused expression. “Hello, ladies,” Mort — now Maura — says.

When I was first asked to serve as an adviser to the show, I hesitated, fearing that it would get the issues all wrong, as television and film often do where transgender characters are concerned. And yet I was won over by the pilot’s charm. So far, anyway, “Transparent,” written and directed by Jill Soloway, shows every sign of being one of the first television shows to depict the life of its transgender heroine with grace and respect.

So, what’s the complaint? It’s a TV show featuring a transgender protagonist treated with “grace and respect.” What’s not to like, if you’re a transgender? Here’s the writer’s complaint:  “The actor playing Maura, Jeffrey Tambor, is neither female nor trans.”

Good grief. Princess, pea.

2. News from the world of California high school sports:

The Azusa High School girls softball team will include the state’s first transgender student-athlete, district officials said Thursday.

A senior, Pat Cordova-Goff, 17, is a member of the school’s cheer squad and played on the school’s baseball team as a freshman.

“We feel really confident about her ability,” Azusa Unified Superintendent Linda Kaminski said. “No.  1 as a district, we want to ensure access to everyone, but we’re also committed to placing students on the team on their merits  … Based on her skills, Pat did make the team.”

California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section officials cited CIF guidelines for gender identity participation Wednesday and said that Cordova-Goff — who was born a boy but identifies as a girl — will be allowed to play on the girls team. The new rules took effect in September.

Follow the link to the news story, and see a photograph of Pat. Biologically, Pat’s a strapping 17-year-old male. How fair is that to the females competing in a sport in which body strength offers a competitive advantage? Why is it considered a sign of bigotry to ask the question?

Know what I’d like to see? A bunch of athletically talented California boys declare that they “identify” as girls, go out for the girls softball team at their high school, and win the state championship. If biological reality is whatever one says it is, then how could you deny them? Are you some kind of bigot?

We live in interesting times.