Libby Purves in the Times today

[ErrolTheDragon]

Unsurprisingly, as someone who has written books on being a mother, she has some pertinent words to add to the current debate.

I'm not sure if it was this column or something else DH has read in the papers which made his first words to me this morning about 'physical gestators'. He's always, as a rational bloke, been aligned with GC views, but this phrase - which as he says, sounds like something in a biochemical plant - has truly appalled him

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/stonewalls-word-policing-only-breeds-more-hate-fxg6hmnfs?shareToken=8d6db39b9fd0e13e24458aab431b34c6

Not really, the word mother simply means "person who mothers".

The amount of noise this board (rightly) makes about circular definitions!! I'm giving up now!

I hear what you’re saying but I’d say the mother in “person who mothers” is a verb, )rather than a noun), meaning “take care of” sort of thing

Good for Libby, great article

TeenMinusTests

thanks for the clarification

I hear what you’re saying but I’d say the mother in “person who mothers” is a verb, )rather than a noun), meaning “take care of” sort of thing

Agreed. For that reason it's not a circular definition. In the same way, a trainer is a person who trains. A singer is a person who sings. And so on.

Having said that, if you're going to use "mother" the verb in a definition of "mother" the noun, you do also have to have a definition of "mother" the verb for it to make any kind of sense.

@WotgunShedding

Or even just female parent!

Why 'transwomen' ? How about just 'men'?

I wasn't trying to argue with doing away with mother, just trying to provide a non-circular definition of mother that covered adoptive parents!

Not much talk about rebranding "father" is there. Funny that.

Not much talk about rebranding "father" is there. Funny that

I know, it’s quite the mystery isn’t it. It’s not as if male privilege pushes its way into the Trans debate all all. No, that would never ever happen.

@FFSFFSFFS

Not much talk about rebranding "father" is there. Funny that.

So true. Because men’s rights and legal protections aren’t up for debate are they 😩

Regarding fathers, I posted this point on the “if you never read the feminist board...”

Do transwomen and non-binary penis people prefer to be known as inseminating parents? Will all fathers be referred to in this way by schools, the NHS and other organisations for the sake of the feelings of transwomen and non-binary sperm producers?

@CardinalLolzy - You do realise that mother is a verb as well as a noun, right? Mother, the noun, defined as "a female person who mothers" is refering to the verb. It's not in any way circular.

Well until we are all raised by wolves, I think most of us know what a mothers and fathers are, and the title also goes to adoptive parents etc. Well said Libby Purves.