I too keep thinking about "sticks and stones..." as separating our generation from today's! I've also speculated everything you have. That they're short staffed, that they haven't really thought these issue through.

The "trans" issues are fascinating because that subject is specifically covered in their manual.

"Respectful debate about transgender issues is allowed on Medium, but anything that reduces the humanity or identity of a person is not. This is a subset of rules violations, but it can be easy to miss if you're not familiar with how it shows up."

WOW!

"can be easy to miss..."

Do you read that as I do? Hey, we have to actually LOOK for writers reducing trans humanity? We have to go out and delete these writers? Did a lawyer go over that? Mind blowing!

But it makes sense to me. It's what I feel in their communications to me. That I've been identified as "reducing humanity or identity" and must be deleted or pushed off the platform.