Ranting about sex as a construct of power

[Alexa97]

Because gender is a social construct, and sex is made from gender, then sex is a construct too. Sex is a construct of power, and like gender it is not binary. Sex characteristics, from body temperature and body fat to the way one walks and their muscle distribution, from skin and self care investment to internal organ properties and lifestyle choices, are created by power. Sure, people have certain genitals, and they have diverse differences... but I really don't care what genitals somebody has, and most other women agree. There are also many other physical parameters which precisely don't fit into the convenience of this present power. I'm here to filter away the masculine, and let the rest thrive. As to sex, well, I need to deal with sexism to better let my promises be. And we can’t use sex discrimination to end sexism. Sexism is discrimination on the basis of sex, and it is distinct from power. The issues of sexism are a result of power imbalances, and there is nothing inherent about sex that pertains to power. For example, while normally females have less power, when males act in female ways, they lose the power of sexism and females have power over them - this sometimes manifests in the form of trans hate. So sexism does not give anybody power on the basis of sex - it gives people who fit a certain mold power, and it gives it preferentially to males - females can also fit the mold (although it’s more work for them) through things like culturally fetishized sex appeal. I happen to be very lucky to live in a community that doesn’t have too much care for what sex somebody is. I previously was not as fortunate. And I don’t think sexism is the fault of any particular sex - it’s just that stereotypical men have more power, and with power tends to come abuse, so it’s their fault.

OP. You are way overthinking all this. Talk to a few mothers about pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and caring for babies and toddlers. That’s the difference between the sexes. All the biological sexual differences and gender expectations flow on from that. A lot of the societal expectations are bullshit, but trying to understand gender roles without acknowledging reproductive differences between the sexes just leads to nonsense like ´sex is made from gender’ and ´sex is a social construct’.

🤣😂

OMG, it's a Saturday morning.
You think too much😏

Or possibly not enough. Depending on whether you’re looking at the elephant in the philosophical room or desperately looking everywhere but the elephant.

Sex isn't very important for humans, but it is biological

Buddy. Mate. Come on.

This won't end well.

@Alexa97 “People learn about society before they learn about sex. So gender is gonna shape sex-typed traits much more than the other way around. Sex-typed traits are not inherent, they aren't based on genetic information like sex.”

I’d like to pick up on this comment. When my son was a toddler he formed a hypothesis about the world that women have long hair and men have short hair. This sometimes resulted in him shouting ‘look at that lady mummy!’ about a man. Was he learning about society before sex? And does that mean that he was correct that a man with long hair was actually a woman? Or did he learn as he grew older that while long hair is more popular with women in our society (U.K.) that men and women can grow their hair long and that there are still important (in some circumstances) sex based differences between a man and a woman who both have long hair.

I might be misunderstanding your posts but I wonder if you wish there weren’t real sex differences between men and women and that acting in a more feminine way (doing crochet and changing the way you walk) will actually mean you are a woman.

I think what you're trying to say (forgive me if Im wrong) is that women are held back because men hold the power and that is because of gender expectations not inherently to do with sex. Females are not "lesser".
To an extent this is true. Men often hold the power because the society has been organised by them, to benefit them. But this has primarily come about for biological reasons.
Men are typically bigger and stronger than women and can impose their control physically. Women historically have needed protection.
Womens ability to get pregnant, gestate, birth and feed children has both physical and economic effects on their ability to protect and support themselves and their children so they are more vulnerable because of their biology.
That's not to say you shouldn't challenge the stereotypes and expectations. You absolutely should but be aware the power imbalance absolutely is rooted in biology.

God i have no idea what OP is saying

Most women DO care about genitalia because that's part of their risk assessment when alone in a room with someone

Picking up on the "feminine men" comment. I simply don't care. Crack on with subverting societal expectations. I applaud those men. (I grew up in the 70's and 80's) Grow your hair, wear make-up, dresses, take up crochet, live your best life without fear or favour but be aware you are not a woman. You are broadening the societal bandwidth of "man" and that's a really valid and important thing giving greater options to those who feel unhappy and constrained by the gender straightjacket.

Because gender is a social construct, and sex is made from gender, then sex is a construct too.

You've fallen at the first hurdle. Sex isn't "made from gender". "Gender" is simply the stereotypes associated with the two sexes. That's the only reason the concept exists. Because sex does.

Sorry meant to quote this comment op

Because gender is a social construct, and sex is made from gender, then sex is a construct too.

Your separation of ´gender’ and ´sex based traits’ is nonsensical. You are taking ´gender’ to mean other people’s assessment of your appearance or behavior as being masculine or feminine or possibly male or female? And then ´sex based traits’ being your behavior as you see it fitting into masculine/feminine norms. But I would say that’s just your own interpretation of gender and your own choices about how you act, knowing what you do about societal gender expectations. Using moisturizer and make up and waxing your legs is very much following/defying gender norms.

I would use ´sex based traits’ to refer to biological markers of sex that are a little less clear cut than the whole eggs or sperm question. So hip to waist ratio (and the impact that has on sporting ability), breast growth, beard growth, voice pitch, muscle distribution, body fat percentage etc etc.

You’re also talking nonsense when you claim children learn about society before they learn about sex. Babies, toddlers and young children learn a lot about sex (not sexual intercourse - biological sex differences). Babies are often breastfed. They can tell the difference between mum with boobs and milk and dad with none. It’s not uncommon for toddlers to see babies being breastfed and also to see their parents’ bodies while they are washing or dressing. Obviously this varies a bit by family but toddlers have no concept of privacy and require constant supervision. Toddlers and young also see their own bodies and often the bodies of similarly young siblings or classmates at nursery. They don’t get all the information at once but they absolutely do not know nothing about biological sex differences.

Oh and pregnant women. Young kids see loads of pregnant women at nursery/school pick up/ at gatherings between families.

Interestingly a pre-school child correctly identified my dd as a little girl while her mother corrected her and said boy because she was bald and in jeans. So the pre-school child hadn't had her natural instincts over ridden by societal expectations whereas the mother had. Sex is inate, gender is taught.

Males don't learn to crochet, so sex is a construct? Mate. 🙄

I can wax my legs and be a woman.
I can not wax my legs and still be a woman
We can get into a very long discussion about whether the fact its woman who mostly shave/wax their legs is the result of a power construct or not. However, whether that power dynamic exists or not. Still a woman.

But I fail to see how the internal organ properties is the result of "power", I mean yes, sure, you could make a convoluted argument about obesity in poorer areas affecting peoples organ health. But the fact that my liver contains XX genes (and therefore a bit worse at processing alcohol and a bit better at meta-bolising cholesterol) has nothing to do with power structures. My liver, while it is very clever in lots of ways, has never read Foucault.

You are making the mistake of thinking that because some things are about power, and who has it, everything is about power. Not everything is about who has power. Not everything is a result of a power construct. Foucault thought so, but while clever he was a sexual fetishist who got of on that stuff. Hitler also thought so but he was a dickhead.

Sheesh that OP is long and terribly punctuated so here I've c+p and yours is bold

Because gender is a social construct, and sex is made from gender, then sex is a construct too.
How is sex made from gender? Sex cannot be a construct because sex is real, immutable, unvarying. But gender appears to be a shifting constellation of matters in the mind.
Sex is a construct of power, and like gender it is not binary.
Sex is binary, no matter how many times you say it's not. Gender isnt binary because there are hundreds.
Sex characteristics, from body temperature and body fat to the way one walks and their muscle distribution, from skin and self care investment to internal organ properties and lifestyle choices, are created by power.
Eh

Sure, people have certain genitals, and they have diverse differences... but I really don't care what genitals somebody has, and most other women agree.
Well good for you not caring, or the other women not caring, I only care when it comes to single sex spaces. Outside of those single sex spaces, who cares, you do you.

There are also many other physical parameters which precisely don't fit into the convenience of this present power. I'm here to filter away the masculine, and let the rest thrive.
Eh?

As to sex, well, I need to deal with sexism to better let my promises be.
What promises, to whom?

And we can’t use sex discrimination to end sexism.
Why would anyone use discrimination to end a discrimination?

Sexism is discrimination on the basis of sex, and it is distinct from power.
Is it? How?

The issues of sexism are a result of power imbalances, and there is nothing inherent about sex that pertains to power.
Are you seven? But also precocious.

For example, while normally females have less power, when males act in female ways, they lose the power of sexism and females have power over them - this sometimes manifests in the form of trans hate.
What are these "female ways"

So sexism does not give anybody power on the basis of sex - it gives people who fit a certain mold power, and it gives it preferentially to males - females can also fit the mold (although it’s more work for them) through things like culturally fetishized sex appeal.
Very long sentence but word salad.

I happen to be very lucky to live in a community that doesn’t have too much care for what sex somebody is.
Me too, amazing that few people care that I'm female, but also let me have the single sex spaces I need.

I previously was not as fortunate. And I don’t think sexism is the fault of any particular sex - it’s just that stereotypical men have more power, and with power tends to come abuse, so it’s their fault.
Right so your trans then.
Good to know.

You and your single sex spaces? You know how bad men's bathrooms smell? It varies, but anyways "there have been no cases of a transgender person attacking a cisgender person in a public restroom" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathroom_bill) - the same is not true about cisgender people attacking transgender people in public restrooms. I do feel self-conscious about getting all my leg hair removed before I do swimming.

Well, yes there have been. Cases.

But not being an academic I'm guessing google isn't up your alley.

I'm such an academic. I have this cool certificate from Stanford University. The internship was about the Tau protein, and we got beautiful fluorescent live images of cytoskeletal microtubules and the nuclei. But right now I'm further up North doing environmental studies.

there have been no cases of a transgender person attacking a cisgender person in a public restroom"

Look up Katie Dolatowski. Hope this helps.

My 10 year old son uses the men’s toilet. Does it make me nervous - yes. Is it still right that he does - yes. If you’re male and not a young child you should be in the men’s toilets.

If you’re a transwoman, women aren’t your shield against dangerous men. Dangerous men are the problem.

Gay men are probably vulnerable in some bathrooms, and men with visible disabilities, and maybe many other categories of men but they don’t use the ladies.

I got so cross that I've overstepped the mark. Reported my post and I'm ging to hide the thread.