Speaking from a medical background (studying for Biosciences) I agree with the biology distinctions of Male female sexual reproduction. Its not exactly difficult. But there is more to being a woman than what is between our legs! and that point seems to always be overlooked. I'm always open to talk about medical scientific fact regarding this.
And, as a scientist, I keep up to date with all the medical research. Right now, this year 2015, the are pioneering Total vagina/womb/uterus transplants. For women who were born with medical complications such as cancer or birth defects. In fact in January 2015 they successfully delivered the first baby to be carried to term using uterine implant from the donor mother. And Trans women I know have expressed if they would be able to access that level of medical technology and have a fully functioning uterus and womb, then they would.
So, my only real question is, when a woman is a woman, regardless of if she has or has not functioning sexual reproductive organs. If that woman was born with XX chromosome but no working sexual reproductive organs would she be a woman? If a woman who has fully functioning sexual reproductive organs who happens to have been born with a rare condition XY is she then not a woman? If a trans woman has a fully functional uterus and womb implanted in replacement of her previous reproductive organs, is she not a woman?
What scares me in this dialogue is the focus on the genitals of a woman and not what a woman actually is.
But what upsets me most of all, is that when i go to the gym with my friend and we get undressed in the changing room, and we work out and then we go home. at no point does anyone know she happens to be trans, because she's very beautiful. And you could never tell unless its a full medical inspection of her private parts.
What upsets me even more, is that aggression and violence is linked to men and men only. as if women are so pious and kind. This isn't reality, its never been reality. Women, XX naturally born women, who are in prison for sociopathic murderers, Paedophiles yes and even rape of both men and women etc. The proportional percentage of women who commit those crimes is less than men why argue fact, fact and reason is what the point of this dialogue is supposed to be about. Are these women are saints? no, they are sick individuals who are in prison because they are violent offenders.
on a personal level a friend of mine a lesbian, not that it matters, attacked her partner in a fit of rage and violence with knife, cutting her arm above the elbow and almost killed her. The focus of the attack (because i abhor using the word victim) said she would wait for her to come out from prison, that she blames herself for triggering the other in the attack. These are two women, XX and XX naturally born women. If it was a man, we'd be painting the broad brush of all men are rapists. Male violence, if she was trans we'd be saying she just a typical man. but she wasn't she was a Natural born woman and so are most of the offenders in prison.
What I am saying is that regardless of the medical factors, factors that are as mailable from my perceptive as paint. A woman is a woman is a woman. And violence does not make them less of a woman, and being born with differing sexual reproductive organs also doesn't make a woman less of a woman.
Maybe i should have kept my first post a little more low key, but I read the thread,, and although i agree with a lot of what you all say, I disagree on the point that a woman is her vagina, because that really is misogyny. In my opinion.