I’m so frustrated by the phrase “biological truth”. It’s preposterous and anti-science. Seeing my coworkers lose the ability to even learn about queerness is sickening.
let's please not use the terf phrase "transwomen" (we are trans women, a subcategory of women, not an alternative to women) and lets not misgender people and use the language of "identified" when the existing standard, "assigned at birth", correctly disambiguates that sex is not identified, it's assigned. also i think it's critical not to claim harry benjamin was at all generous -- it was extremely difficult to obtain access to hormone replacement therapy through the medical system. i appreciate this piece giving a good overview and analysis of our present situation but these are glaring oversights that misrepresent to an extent the harm done to transsexuals and trans women especially. stricter normative demands of behavior and appearance were always put on trans women than on cis, which manifested and continues to manifest as transmisogyny, a cultural factor of our sexual hyperexploitation.
I changed the one instance I found "identified" at birth to "labeled" at birth to separate out any confusion about how I used the term identify. Can find the "transwomen" use but I just skimmed. Happy to change it if you point me to it.
With regard to living ones life in peace and safety, that's what a lot of this discussion is really about. Here's a contribution about why that has not been possible and why definitions of sex make matters worse than ever.
Well I really disgree with this. The truth or knowledge we get from science is however, always contextual, subject to interpretation and revision. Scientists dont just make things up. They interpret results from direct observations or experiments or other forms of data gathering. Each of these methods can be argued about as can the interpretations. But conclusiions, at least for biology still have some basis in the material world.
Thanks for your thoughts. You are right, of course. But the world works differently. On my end I do what I know how to do—write explainers that I hope allies and those just trying to think more clearly about gender/sex/identity will find useful. These are definitely frustrating times.
I'm trying to think through your meaning and intent with this post. So I have some questions. First, when you write "Sex is real", what exactly do you mean? Nobody that I know of says it is NOT real, so what is the argument? Do you mean that there is a single "correct definition of sex"? The intent of my posts and other writing is that there are several possible definitions that are plausible, real and contain a biological component. Which one we choose to deploy depends on why we are deploying a definition in the first place. Which leads me to "it matters sometimes". Again, nobody is saying otherwise. But which are the "times" you think it matters? Which definition of sex would you use at one of these times? Is there a single definition that covers all circumstances?
If you insist on a single sex definition for all purposes and every context will trans, intersex, or gender-non-conforming people be able to "Live your best life in peace and security."? (I'm thinking for example of a masculine-presenting person identified at birth as female forced to register female on their driver's license of passport. The threat of violence against such a person is elevated enormously because they have to put a sex definition on their ID that does not match body type, dress and or presentation).
Great piece, very educational.
I’m so frustrated by the phrase “biological truth”. It’s preposterous and anti-science. Seeing my coworkers lose the ability to even learn about queerness is sickening.
Thanks for the read!
let's please not use the terf phrase "transwomen" (we are trans women, a subcategory of women, not an alternative to women) and lets not misgender people and use the language of "identified" when the existing standard, "assigned at birth", correctly disambiguates that sex is not identified, it's assigned. also i think it's critical not to claim harry benjamin was at all generous -- it was extremely difficult to obtain access to hormone replacement therapy through the medical system. i appreciate this piece giving a good overview and analysis of our present situation but these are glaring oversights that misrepresent to an extent the harm done to transsexuals and trans women especially. stricter normative demands of behavior and appearance were always put on trans women than on cis, which manifested and continues to manifest as transmisogyny, a cultural factor of our sexual hyperexploitation.
I'll take a look. I can always edit.
I changed the one instance I found "identified" at birth to "labeled" at birth to separate out any confusion about how I used the term identify. Can find the "transwomen" use but I just skimmed. Happy to change it if you point me to it.
Thank you, "transwomen" appears near the start of the second-to-last paragraph
With regard to living ones life in peace and safety, that's what a lot of this discussion is really about. Here's a contribution about why that has not been possible and why definitions of sex make matters worse than ever.
https://shorturl.at/v4wxh
Well I really disgree with this. The truth or knowledge we get from science is however, always contextual, subject to interpretation and revision. Scientists dont just make things up. They interpret results from direct observations or experiments or other forms of data gathering. Each of these methods can be argued about as can the interpretations. But conclusiions, at least for biology still have some basis in the material world.
There is no truth in anything humans call knowledge or science. We have made everything up. Children play my at pretend.
Thanks for your thoughts. You are right, of course. But the world works differently. On my end I do what I know how to do—write explainers that I hope allies and those just trying to think more clearly about gender/sex/identity will find useful. These are definitely frustrating times.
Dress however you please.
Call yourself whatever you like.
Sleep with any consenting adult who’ll have you.
Live your best life in peace and security.
Sex is still real though, and it matters sometimes.
I'm trying to think through your meaning and intent with this post. So I have some questions. First, when you write "Sex is real", what exactly do you mean? Nobody that I know of says it is NOT real, so what is the argument? Do you mean that there is a single "correct definition of sex"? The intent of my posts and other writing is that there are several possible definitions that are plausible, real and contain a biological component. Which one we choose to deploy depends on why we are deploying a definition in the first place. Which leads me to "it matters sometimes". Again, nobody is saying otherwise. But which are the "times" you think it matters? Which definition of sex would you use at one of these times? Is there a single definition that covers all circumstances?
If you insist on a single sex definition for all purposes and every context will trans, intersex, or gender-non-conforming people be able to "Live your best life in peace and security."? (I'm thinking for example of a masculine-presenting person identified at birth as female forced to register female on their driver's license of passport. The threat of violence against such a person is elevated enormously because they have to put a sex definition on their ID that does not match body type, dress and or presentation).
For policy complications you might want to check this out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_Is_as_Sex_Does:_Governing_Transgender_Identity