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This is the way I see it:
No problem with someone who wants to present themselves as a sex different from the way they were born. However, in most cases, it seems pretty obvious. I do have a problem with enabling children to take hormones or have surgery. If they choose to do this as adult, okay by me--although, I really don't understand it. I have a big problem with putting biological men into girls' sports. I also have a problem with the locker room thing. Bathrooms don't bother me as much, although there is a reason for sex related bathrooms. Ever heard of urinals? Transgender men are going to have a tough time with that, I think. I find it almost comical to want to switch "breast feeding" to "chest feeding." Except, it is not funny. I am not going to be nasty or treat a transgender person with hostility. I will treat them as a person. But, it's kind of hard to see Dr. Levine as a woman. And, as a woman who wears pants almost all of the time, I must admit that I don't understand this great wish to wear a dress. But, to each his/her/them own. Just don't do this to children. And, don't destroy Title IX. |
Right, you're sadists. |
I am having a difficult time understanding why stating basic biology is a cruel statement. It is literally just a basic biological fact. Such as humans are bipedal but because anomalies happen doesn't change that fact. |
The worst. |
Well, MGT didn’t state “basic biology.” She apparently doesn’t know the difference between sex & gender. So it’s tough to give her the benefit of the doubt. Her statement is also not accurate. |
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You can’t erase them just because they’re atypical. There aren’t just two sexes, never have been. Mostly, yes, but it’s pretty obvious that our wiring gets crossed up enough that there’s a whole middle area of intersexed people meaning that there aren’t just two sexes. Also MTG is flaming bigot. |
| 26 years ago I took a cultural anthropology class in which I was taught that sex is biological, while gender is how you identify. We were taught that while there are 2 sexes, there are many different genders, and gender doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone. It seems like there’s a cultural divide between older people who were taught these things and younger people who define sex the way we used to define gender. If sex is a spectrum and fluid and there are many different sexes, then what is the difference between sex and gender? |
Chromosomal (science) vs. cultural (anthropology), respectively. And yes, I agree with your anthropology class that there are a number of genders based on culture. There are genders in South Asian and Southeast Asian cultures that are not historically recognized in Western culture. We know a lot more about atypical sexes than 26 years ago. Huge advances in chromosomal and genetic sequencing over the last quarter-century. Male (XY) and female (XX) are the dominant sex chromosomes. No one argues against this. But there's a sizable list of atpyical chromosomal traits in which human individuals can be something in the middle, as identified by scientists. Some are specific to certain geographic areas. Just look at this list here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intersex#Population_figures Those are actual, legit humans. I'm disturbed by how the rightwing is trying to de-humanize the existence of such individuals. It's become their violent rally cry. |
Of course, they are. Although, we really do not know how many there are. I suspect it is fewer than Wikipedia posting says. But, that is not necessarily the case in the instances we are discussing. We are discussing people who identify with something different than that with which they were born. And, children should not be changing sexes. There are children who are born with "different" genitalia, but that is rare. In those cases, hormones and surgery may be advisable when they are young. But, that is rare. And, biological males in girl's sports is a bad idea. If you choose to identify differently, you may have to give up some things. All kids do not make the team, and it is unfair to deny young women a spot on a team because a competitor was born male. They've denied Olympic athletes in the past because women were taking testosterone. So, how is this right? |
This is a very well written post and I’m also disturbed by how the right wing inches ever closer to Nazi ideology. |
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PP here: I think politicians should leave this to individuals, families, and doctors to figure out. It's way too personal. Not only are there potentially chromosomal issues at play, but also hormonal/chemical imbalances. For example, someone with male sex organs may have hormonal imbalances to such an extent that they can physically appear female within the context of the gender norms in their culture (eg, lack of body hair, development of breasts due to high estrogen, etc.) How should such a person "identify" if they really don't fit into their culture's idea of what a man (or woman) should look like, through no fault of their own? Why do you feel the need to regulate that person and their identity? The problem with MGT - and the rightwing's obsession with gender - is that people don't fit into neat boxes. Science is messy. Identity is messy. Culture is messy. But I guess only a conservative fails to see shades of grey. It's why they identify as conservative. |
Under your logic, testosterone injections and steroid use are also "medical experiments" that can affect gender compositions and identity. Lots of dads give these to their high school football-playing sons. I knew quite a few at my high school in the 90s. |
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Can a get a brief background on Rep. Marie Newman? She refers to her daughter, was she born a boy? What's her approx age?
I'm honestly not trolling or playing gotcha, I was just looking for clarification. TIA |