Until historically very recently, the word ‘woman’ has had a very stable and coherent meaning - adult human female. Some men have then declared “I am a woman” and suddenly everyone is in a mess. We can choose to a) say, “that is not true”, or b) abandon any meaning to the word.
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Can you explain what it is that has led you to adopt position (b)?
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Replying to @lecanardnoir @theedwardian81
I mean the science of it is new. Obviously, you can advocate for only going by reproductive systems for ethical or political reasons but this won't make the reality that people who feel the opposite sex to their gonads exist or the science which is starting to show why go away.
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Helen, do you think that people feel the opposite sex because they are comparing their own behaviours/preferences with those of other people, or do you believe that if a trans person was on a desert island they'd still think there was a mismatch between their body & mind?
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No. That wouldn't cause them to have different amounts of white & grey matter more similar to the other sex, differences in hormones, genetics or response to pheromones. Of course, some people are ideological fakes or confused but trans people exist.
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Is this a reply to me? To be clear, I'm not asking if trans ppl are fakes, of course I believe trans ppl exist. I'm asking why (in your understanding) someone will feel like the opposite sex. What tells them this is the case? A butch lesbian is not a trans man, for example.
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Yes. I just said why above.
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Replying to @HPluckrose @S_h_e_e_n_a_ and
We still don't understand it very well but the evidence that trans people feeling the opposite sex to their gonads is rooted in biology is growing. More importantly, society needs to figure out how to make this easier for trans people without contravening any women's rights.
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James Cantor, if I understand him right, thinks that ppl have biologically rooted preferences/behaviours, but that whether they interpret these as meaning they're trans is due largely to socialisation. Do you think that's likely, or relevant?
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Certainly, in many cases. For example, I have a friend who has felt that she was male for as long as she can remember but because she believes gender to be a cultural construct & considers herself a radical feminist, she continues to identify as a woman & oppose trans acceptance.
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This doesn't stop her presenting herself as typically male in her dress and body-language and being taken to be a man by many people. She doesn't consider this the same thing as her lesbianism and most lesbians do not feel as tho they are really men.
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So, regarding the studies you alluded to, would these show that a trans man & a cis man were similar & a butch lesbian was dissimilar? Also, am I right in thinking that for you gender = a set of behaviours, preferences, aptitudes, together with a conviction of being male/female?
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