The Platinum Rule

Autumn Sandeen of Pam's House Blend takes a look at the latest incident of a public person saying unkind things about gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgenders. That leads to a discussion of the Golden Rule:

Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.

She lists some variations of that Rule that I found intriguing. She calls this one the Platinum Rule:

Where it’s possible and not harmful to yourself, treat others as they want to be treated.

Ah, that gets interesting. The other person may be enough different from me that treating them the way I want to be treated may not be appropriate.

Another way to express the Rule:

Don’t be cruel to others, but instead be thoughtful and kind.

Since some LGBT people embrace (or at least use amongst ourselves) words that most gays find offensive (such as "faggot"). Sandeen adds a corollary from Cesar Chavez:

The first principle of non-violent action is that of non-cooperation with everything humiliating.

What is at stake in all of these variations of the Rule is human dignity.