I do not believe in gender identity.

[SernieBanders]

There are two sexes: male and female. Occasionally, that matters.

There is no such thing as an innate gender identity—no internal essence that makes someone more inclined to wear dresses and sip wine, or football boots and down pints. Those are cultural stereotypes, not proof of some mystical gendered soul.

The idea of gender identity is sexist, misogynistic, and regressive. It reinforces outdated norms instead of challenging them. Women do not need an inner feeling of womanhood to be women. Men do not need a gender identity to be men. Sex is real. Stereotypes are not.

I hope with the flurry of cultural changes, legal challenges, scientific findings and executive orders in the last ~12 months, more people feel able to stand up and be counted, and say - No More.

I'm genuinely curious too! I just meant that I'd describe myself as female and I've never thought any other way. I guess for some women, they don't 'feel right' saying they're female so their gender identity doesn't match their sex. As I said, I cannot imagine what that's like but I guess it's difficult and not something you'd do lightly. That's why I think 'gender identity' is real.

And if you can't imagine what that's like how do you think a man can imagine what it's like to feel like a woman?

Some men do it very lightly. They don't change anything about themselves except their pronouns. Why do you think that might be?

1100 votes isn’t quantifiable evidence (not sure that’s a term but I guess you mean robust) unless you’ve got an understanding of the sample.
My comment was just based on experience but sheds doubt on these polls being from a comparable sample over time.

Yes, I'd agree with this. There are more terfy women (for want of a better word) on MN, so the sample is probably skewed.

I think there are various proper opinion polls that show a decline in support for gender identity bullshit though.

As I said, I don't know! It's not something I've experienced. I doubt that many people do it lightly though.

Of course they do. There's literal bearded men identifying as women going about their business in exactly the same way as before. All they have to do is say they're women and we're supposed to just go along with it. very few trans women have surgery, for example.

Quantifiable means numbers
Qualitative means we chatted to some people and got opinions

anecdote means a story that once maybe happened to me or a friend

Right now we have quantifiable evidence that 86% of people who voted, think that gender identity does not exist.

Very kind thank you. There is also a regular sibling involved here as well, they do count and so often get overlooked in the commotion.

I think, like me, you don't have to 'identify' as female because your gender matches your sex so you've never had to think about it. I don't like sparkly things, high heels, make-up etc but I've never questioned that I'm female. It's hard for us to imagine not being comfortable as we are.

So, what is your gender then? If it's not typical "gender markers" like sparkly things, make-up and high heels? Can you not see that it makes absolutely no sense at all?

You are a female because you were born in a female body. That's it.

I think, like me, you don't have to 'identify' as female because your gender matches your sex

The fact this can't apply to any other species is also a fucking big clue we are dealing with social not biological constructs here.

Same

Apparently 86%! way higher than I dared hope!!

It's impossible for gender to 'match' sex. Gender is a set of socially-constructed, constantly-shifting stereotypes which are only arbitrarily attached to sex. There's no biological reality which says long hair, the colour pink, dresses, cosmetics, cooking and caring are automatic attributes of having been born a member of the female sex. There's also nothing even approaching reality which says that if you don those stereotypical markers, you become a member of the sex class which you are not.

In previous eras men had long hair, wore stockings and high heels, and pink was a boys' colour. Were they all really women?

Sex is a question of whether you produce large or small gametes. We are a bimorphic species (and it doesn't make any difference to humans whatsoever that clown fish are not).

And 4% of the 14% probably got confused about the voting options 😀

Maybe if we were more accepting of people then the gender issue wouldn't be a problem.

I think it is mainly boys/men who have more interest in "girly" things that have a problem. Don't play with your sister's dolls Peter, you can't wear dresses Peter, you can't wear makeup Peter.

Girls don't seem to suffer in the same way. Girls can do things that boys do, like playing with trains or gaming and very few people have a problem. I'm sure that's why there is more men to women transition than women to men.

It's been very revealing today seeing a female nurse being accused of bigotry in court because she refused to undress in front of a male doctor who now states he's a woman. Even being accused of "failing to make eye contact" with him. And not just insisting she must undress in front of him, but monitoring her expressions, feelings and eye contact.

And it's our sainted NHS punishing this woman. The NHS who have decided at policy level that all men are entitled to commit indecent exposure and voyeurism by giving any man who chooses, unconditional access to undressed women staff.

What a world our daughters are inheriting.

And this is exactly what us gender critical women believe!

I assume the OP is referring to the whole gender ideology thing - and trans people/allies do believe that everyone is born with a sexed physical body, and a gender "soul" that in some cases doesn't match your body. Which is total bollocks imo.

I missed this. It sounds... beyond words

I think you'll find that it's now the other way round. This niche adult male fetish has transferred to so many mentally vulnerable girls and young women (ie those with eating disorders, anxiety, suicidal ideation, on the autistic spectrum etc). They've been gaslit that their pubertal angst over their developing bodies can be cured by changing sex. In the absence of responsible adults stepping in to safeguard them, they've believed it with so many of them now seeking double mastectomies, sex change hormones and brutal experimental surgery that will render them infertile and with limited sexual function.
One of the biggest medical abuse scandals - all happening in plain sight.

That's abusive behaviour.

How dare he force her to look at him in a state of undress. How dare the NHS support this.

If you KNOW this happen and still say it's none of anyone's business or it doesn't affect anyone or 'be kind' or go over to the feminism boards, SHAME ON YOU.

It's absolutely monstrous that this should be allowed to happen.

The fact he transwoman in question is a doctor fills me with dread!

I never said that psychology was innate. The development of gender identity, as with the rest of a person’s identity, is complex. You absolutely cannot compare it to attempting to switch nationality by moving to another country.

The phrase social contagion always reminds me of Kelly J's encounter with James O'B on his talk show.
He apparently used to identify as a journalist but didn't know what the phrase social contagion meant.