There is a surprising mechanism in English and U.S. law called adverse possession, wherein someone with a valid deed of ownership can lose her rights, if another person takes possession of the property in a way that is visible and notorious, and the rightful owner lets too much time pass without booting the adverse possessor off the land. It’s a bit more complicated and the details vary by jurisdiction, but you get the idea. This is sometimes casually referred to as “squatters’ rights.” Some aspects of gender identity activism remind us of the concept of ...

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