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Original poster

So, could we just change words?

85 replies

NotMySquirrel · 22/02/2019 11:20

I've been thinking about this since I saw the OP a while back accusing everyone who doesn't identify as Barbie of actually being a man. It got me thinking, if 'woman' now means 'Barbie circa 1970' and anything non-Barbie is male, no matter how many Barbie boxes are ticked, could we just concede the fight over terminology and make a new term? After all, it's not about stereotyping or pink, fundamentally the question that should separate us, as far as I can see, is 'Do you have a vagina?' I'm aware some MtF trans people have their penises removed and vaginas created out of them, but imo anyone willing to do that can share women's facilities as they're clearly very committed (and as far as I can tell there aren't many of them).

Could we do all equality statistics, all separated spaces, sporting events etc on the basis of vagina/no vagina? Let people with penises call themselves women if they like but they're going to need to use the no-vagina changing rooms? And you can switch between male/female (read non-Barbie/Barbie) twenty times a day if you like but for equality statistics and sporting events you're a no-vagina or a vagina-haver (we'd have to come up with catchier names though).

Have I totally missed the point?

OP posts:
ClaraMatilda · 22/02/2019 11:41

But as CaptainKirk said whatever term you come up with people will identify as that.

Absolutely. I'm sure if we all gave up and accepted the (horrible, insulting) term 'cis' it wouldn't be long before we heard 'I've finished transitioning, so I'm 'cis' now too...'

EweSurname · 22/02/2019 11:39

A lot of transwomen already call themselves “adult human females” so whatever term you come up with will be appropriated by some transwomen. Better to fight the principle, I think, as ithe end goal for some is to eliminate any way of differentiate women on the basis of their sex, whatever words are used.

jellyfrizz · 22/02/2019 11:37

Do away with all gender terms, and just refer to people as XX and XY. Problem solved.

But I AM XY, my body just doesn't match.

jellyfrizz · 22/02/2019 11:36

Have I totally missed the point?

I don't think so. To me it's about making a clear distinction between sex and gender and you can't do that if they are mushed together under one term.

But as CaptainKirk said whatever term you come up with people will identify as that. See female.

FamilyOfAliens · 22/02/2019 11:34

I'm aware some MtF trans people have their penises removed and vaginas created out of them

No they don’t. They can call it many things, but a vagina it is not.

Myusernameismud · 22/02/2019 11:33

Do away with all gender terms, and just refer to people as XX and XY. Problem solved.

Kettleon80 · 22/02/2019 11:32

No. Why should we change words? We are not the ones who want it changed.

There is no other word. Man and woman describes reality fine.

ClaraMatilda · 22/02/2019 11:31

I've seen this suggested before on Twitter. It's logical.

The TRA response, predictably, was that the condition of having a vagina makes you Privileged over those 'women' who do not have vaginas. Therefore it's discriminatory to have a space only for people with vaginas. Feelings might be hurt. Hmm (Plus the usual rubbish 'but what about a woman born with no vagina?!' as if exceptional cases disproved the argument).

elQuintoConyo · 22/02/2019 11:28

I'm lost. What?

CaptainKirksSpookyghost · 22/02/2019 11:26

If you make a new term they will come for that.

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