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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

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Original poster

very few of us know what sex we are

121 replies

greenapplesred12 · 24/10/2019 17:08

Someone just said this to me.
They said that there are numerous ways to determine someone's sex apart from chromosomes. And that there are as many genders as there are people. And, this old chestnut " sex is assigned at birth"
How do I respond to this? This person is a health professional. This person posted on a health forum where about 80-90% of other professionals were in agreement with him. Why are people buying into this stuff?

OP posts:

Beachcomber · 25/10/2019 14:06

What annoys the crap out of me with these ridiculous people and their even more ridiculous ideological claptrap is the total disrespect they show to their mothers.

Of course the bigger wider issues of them being massive mysogynists and denying the reality of girls and women worldwide angers me too.

But the thing I want to say to them whilst shaking them is: "show some respect to the woman to whom you owe your existence. Your opinions shit all over her. Grow the fuck up."

BigCoat · 25/10/2019 15:00

My uncle was a farmer. Funny, after all those years there was not once when he sexed an animal incorrectly. Why is that I wonder?

Original poster

greenapplesred12 · 25/10/2019 15:46

well, all the 'transphobic' comments have been removed and the thread now closed. We've been berated about our 'lack of understanding' which is due to 'transphobia'. The 'offensive' transphobic comments were those discussing the equality act and sex based rights for girls and women. And a few posts discussing the difference between sex and gender. Very inoffensive. Very factual. Not hysterical. Not angry or ranty (though fuck, I felt it). Just a handful of factual comments talking about sex, gender and the equality act. No mention of trans women, trans men or trans rights. But we've been 'transphobic' apparently and so the comments have been removed and no further comments allowed. I suspect a TRA or two messaged the moderator with cries of Transphobia! and she felt cornered and just decided it was easier to pacify the shouters.

OP posts:

BarbaraStrozzi · 25/10/2019 15:50

@greenapplesred12 I know you don't want to name the precise discipline involved for reasons of confidentiality etc., but please tell me these people don't meet with patients in a clinical capacity and actually treat them for anything more serious than blisters and the odd splinter removal.

zebrasdontwearbras · 25/10/2019 15:55

I'm not surprised OP - very few forums will allow even the most factual biology to be stated now.

Most sites now will delete "women don't have penises" and "men can't have periods" as transphobic.

It is truly disturbing. An ideology is winning over really basic scientific facts.

picklemebrains · 25/10/2019 16:22

On the other hand, there were plenty of people disagreeing by the sound of it!

StrangeLookingParasite · 25/10/2019 20:44

I can guarantee there is no confusion over who (in the main) gets attacked : here

DuMondeB · 25/10/2019 20:49

It’s an absolute wonder how the human race has processed, seeing as it’s impossible to know who has which gametes.

TheProdigalKittensReturn · 25/10/2019 20:52

Amazing how many people manage to reproduce, isn't it, with nobody having any way of knowing which of their fellow humans they might be able to reproduce with?

dadshere · 25/10/2019 20:57

We had a training video to watch at work and apparently there are over 100 genders. Thanksfully it didn't list them all.

TheProdigalKittensReturn · 25/10/2019 20:59

I dunno, I might take a grim amusement in seeing them all listed. Or at least take a nap.

57Varieties · 25/10/2019 21:50

How do I respond to this?

I’d probably just say “cool story, bro”

Madness

Oldermum156 · 26/10/2019 00:03

99.9% of people have no trouble knowing what sex they are. What is the value in pretending suddenly that this is a mysterious unknown?

MrGHardy · 26/10/2019 02:01

Humans in general are stupid af. Humanity is driven forward by essentially a tiny % of the overall population.

There is a whole lobby behind it. There are studies being abused to make people think this.

Lamahaha · 26/10/2019 08:30

I was listening to my (10yo) granddaughter's chatter yesterday and had a thought. She was talking about some game she was playing on the ipad and said, I becme a boy and then I was a girl again or something to that effect -- something about actually changing her character's "sex".

I'm thinking that playing these digital games, which allowed you to take on various ids, male or female, and change around willy-nilly, plays a big part in young people's willingness to transfer this idea to real life. They identify so completely with these avatars or whatever you call them...

ErrolTheDragon · 26/10/2019 08:57

Humans in general are stupid af. Humanity is driven forward by essentially a tiny % of the overall population.

A bit harsh... but even if true, humans in general aren't so stupid as to not know what sex they and others are. There wouldn't be billions of us if we didn't know.

Findumdum1 · 26/10/2019 10:07

That's a good point about video game avatars. My son plays fortnite as a girl character. I initially thought it was good that they were seeing girls as just as capable, breaking down stereotypes etc. But I hadn't considered that it maybe promotes the whole gender fluidity and you can chnage sex etc.

I asked him why he used a female avatar and he said because she has cool dance moves and people think I wont be as good as I am ..... and of course there are no actual girls playing, that we know of, unless they are all pretending to be boys (and I really wouldn't blame them)

BlouseAndSkirt · 26/10/2019 10:15

I spent 4 years of my childhood identifying as the Lone Ranger.

I did want to be a bit and hoped that I would magically turn into a boy...but in pre-puberty / adolescence became very sure I am female and happy to be so.

We had black and white tv to identify with long before avatars and fortnite characters

BlouseAndSkirt · 26/10/2019 10:15

Did want to be a boy, not bit.

BernardBlacksWineIceLolly · 26/10/2019 10:23

i just don't understand what these people think sex is for

of bloody course 99.9% of people know precisely what sex they are. if you really want to pry, ask them what form of birth control they personally use. that'll probably clear it up

BarbaraStrozzi · 26/10/2019 10:27

My son used to play as a female character in a panda suit because he wanted to be a panda. I'm pretty sure that's not going to lead to any problems (beyond too much time on his Xbox).

At one and the same time, I don't think I'd read too much into gaming avatars, but I think there is a problem with some facets of internet culture. I think if your teen starts to cut herself off into a tumblr bubble where not only is she being fed "transmen are men", "women can have penises" but also large quantities of slash fanfiction where she is led to believe that she too could become a "gay man", then you're in for trouble. But you'd be in for trouble if she visited pro-ana websites too.

I think it's a mistake to confuse a hobby (gaming/fanfiction/whatever bit of youth culture seems a bit strange) with disappearing into a dangerous internet bubble.

To push the anorexia analogy, it's the difference between your child becoming vegan, say, and spending a lot of time researching vegan recipes online, and talking to other kids who are vegan, and a small minority for whom veganism becomes a cover for anorexia encouraging behaviour.

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