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AIBU?

I really hate when people use the word gender when they mean sex?

69 replies

RachaelC89 · 30/06/2015 22:34

Like when people are pregnant and say "oh I'm going for a gender scan" or "I know the gender" no you bloody well don't. A fetus has no gender, only a sex. Sex is your genitals. Gender is self identity.

I wish we had technology to tell which babies are trans because then we could raise them as the correct gender. It's been proven that trans people have brains of the opposite sex assigned at birth. We should also check babies chromosomes at birth even if they have binary genitals.

OP posts:
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scatteroflight · 30/06/2015 22:38

They're the same thing. The world at large doesn't subscribe to the lunacies of the PC thought police. And thank god for it.

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CalleighDoodle · 30/06/2015 22:39

Biscuit
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honeysucklejasmine · 30/06/2015 22:41

What do you mean, opposite brains? Typically a male brain is heavier than a female one. Do trans people have brains of the "incorrect" mass?

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Passmethecrisps · 30/06/2015 22:42

Most people will use the term interchangeably.

Feom my own limited experience pat baby raising is little to do with gender or sex really. Just raising a human

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FarFromAnyRoad · 30/06/2015 22:42

What scatter said x 1000. Who died and put you in charge of what words mean OP?

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Passmethecrisps · 30/06/2015 22:43

Bloody hell. sausage fingers
From
Most

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honeysucklejasmine · 30/06/2015 22:43

And why are we checking chromosomes? Do they determine your gender? (Even though they determine which sex organs develop, which isn't linked to gender?)

I am rather confused. I fully support trans people, but I don't understand how your suggestions would help.

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OwlinaTree · 30/06/2015 22:43

I've never heard anyone ever say I'm going for a gender scan. They say I'm finding out if it's a boy or a girl.

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TravellingToad · 30/06/2015 22:45

I agree. People are scared to say "sex" so go all twee and say gender, not realising that sex and gender are different.

People need to women up and say SEX we are all adults here.

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Passmethecrisps · 30/06/2015 22:45

Actually, thinking about it I have only ever heard people talk about sex scans or knowing the sex.

I have never heard anyone talk about a baby's gender

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MarinaCoyle · 30/06/2015 22:46

Check babies chromosomes at birth? What? An expensive blood test for all? Just because you don't like the phrase gender scan?

Ah now.

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MarinaCoyle · 30/06/2015 22:47

And here is my missing apostrophe '

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RachaelC89 · 30/06/2015 22:47

They're not the same thing ffs.

And yeah trans people have more or less white matter on their brains than their biological sex normally would.

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Cumbrae · 30/06/2015 22:47

I'd be genuinely interested in a link to the research you mentioned OP

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ollieplimsoles · 30/06/2015 22:48

Have a huge Biscuit op. My first ever one.

I fully support transgender individuals, including my wonderful, one of a kind transgender friend.

But this is a stupid argument, you're not telling me what I can and cant say and what words mean all if a sudden. Midwives and sonographers still say 'gender' meaning 'sex of the baby'.

Ridiculous, language nazis...

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RachaelC89 · 30/06/2015 22:48

Yes, because intersex babies should not need to be raised as male or female when they aren't.

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CalleighDoodle · 30/06/2015 22:49

They are called gender scans.

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DoJo · 30/06/2015 22:49

To be fair, private clinics call them 'gender scans' presumably because the term 'sex scans' sounds like a completely different sort of procedure, so it is a 'thing'. I think people use the word gender to avoid using the word 'sex' in situations where they feel it is inappropriate due to its dual meaning. I'm not sure if there is a way around this coyness as the very fact that there is another word which can mean 'sex' but doesn't conjure up the image of anyone having intercourse will mean that some people will use it in contexts where 'sex' would probably be more appropriate.

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RachaelC89 · 30/06/2015 22:50

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Passmethecrisps · 30/06/2015 22:50

I can accept that they are not the same thing but really how should raising a baby differ between boy and girl? Would you engage in testing and so on to know if your child was trans and if so how would that alter your parenting?

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poocatcherchampion · 30/06/2015 22:50

Who is "we" in the final sentence who wants to check my baby's chromosomes? Government officials?

And is that really right: we are assigned brains at birth? I thought we grew them.

This post is bizarre.

And yes I use sex/gender interchangeably as I have not had a reason not to.

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ChuffinAda · 30/06/2015 22:50

Hmm so you're advocating potentially identifying trans people in the womb?? What about environmental effect on gender identity?

You're essentially advocating eugenics too because huge numbers of people will have late terminations of otherwise healthy babies if they discover they may be trans

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DeanParrish · 30/06/2015 22:51

I'm confused with the issue here.

Is it vocabulary or gay babies?

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ChesterCake · 30/06/2015 22:52

It's not the pregnant Women's fault. ALL of the company's call them gender scans. The hospital refers to 'finding out the baby's gender'. People are just repeating the words the professionals are using.

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Woofsaidtheladybird · 30/06/2015 22:52

Sorry, binary genitals? What?

And your usage of the word 'intersex' is outdated.

Chromosomal analysis at birth? For everyone? Yikes...

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