Science museum isn’t anymore

[WhyThatsDelightful]

Born in the wrong body, packers and binders as clinical interventions etc etc

twitter.com/luxurymoon/status/1560738656092299264?s=12&t=PlXbMqE3q9kW2bAtr-PjlA

It just doesn't make any sense. I had to laugh at someone on here the other day who had totally bought into this describing their own role in promoting STEM. My poor brain honestly can't cope with it.

That's incredibly disappointing. They were very vocal about not having gendered sections in their gift shop.

Tricky, though. How do you include transgenderism in an exhibition about human experience without presenting it from one side of the debate? The museum can't get it right for getting it wrong.

Maybe they choose to go with the genderist language because the backlash from trans ideologues is vastly more aggressive than the measured reactions and sensible debates from realists, pluralists and people interested in safeguarding the vulnerable.

Unfortunately, this is not a new thing

www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/14/science-museum-under-fire-exhibit-brains-pink-blue-gender-stereotypes

www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/2726762-I-can-hardly-believe-this-but-the-science-museum-are-working-with-gendered-intelligence

www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/3751948-The-use-of-gender-in-museums-Science-Museum

www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4415932-Anyone-familiar-with-the-biology-gallery-at-the-Science-Museum

I take your point Jelly, but it's a shame unscientific gender identity is presented as a universal human experience in the biology galleries (see Telegraph article from last year, use archive services if needed: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/12/01/science-museum-change-biological-sex-exhibit-complaints-excludes/)

'Compression vest to flatten chest'! Ye Gods!

When you include a reference to transition as a “hero’s journey” in what is supposed to be an exhibit about human biology, then you’ve stepped a long old way over the “be kind” line and are firmly into gender ideology. Particularly when you’re only providing that single narrative.

Oh, look what is listed as the top sector for funding:

'Percentage of income by sector

...

Pharmaceuticals—15%'

www.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/about-us/our-supporters/

Worth watching: www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/gender_identity_and_alexs_story#incoming-2105415

It's bloody depressing to find out these institutions I've had a vaguely positive feeling towards as solid bastions of enlightenment and altruistic sense are actually driven as much by profit, fashion and social pressure as they are by any sense of greater societal purpose. Pah.

The SCIENCE Museum???

Surely should have been one of the last bastions of critical thinking, and not being so open minded that your brains fall out?

Whatever happened to authorities/experts/ grown adults having a backbone?

@ArabellaScott yes, definitely worth keeping an eye on.

science n the study or knowledge of the physical world, based on observation or experiment.

story n an account of imaginary or real events.

it's a shame unscientific gender identity is presented as a universal human experience in the biology galleries

Do they present any other belief as a universal human experience? The belief in a deity and the belief in revelation are far closer to universal human experience than the belief that your body is so wrong that it must be changed and that society must change to accommodate your perception of wrongness. The consequences of belief in deity and in revelation have had an enormous influence upon scientific thought and practice across history and cultures. Is that reflected in the biology galleries?

Caving in to bullies then, especially Glaxo Smith Kline.

Tricky, though. How do you include transgenderism in an exhibition about human experience without presenting it from one side of the debate? The museum can't get it right for getting it wrong.

The obvious solution would be not to include it!

in fairness, the display card acknowledges that this person was "born a girl", whereas in our hero's own words he was "registered female at birth" (I can't think why the silly registrar would do that).

It's weird isn't it, Doctor 'it's a girl', midwife 'it's a girl', mum 'it's a girl', dad 'it's a girl' and so on

Stranger on the Internet 'your a boi'. Child😍

It exists, though. In the same way that Christianity and anorexia exist.

Nooo!😨 Not the SM too! I remember many happy times taking my children there. We'd start in the morning and be ushered out with muttered curses by tired employees at closing time.

To think such nonsense is being put on display there. Might as well put on a creation display next to it then, talking about the arguments for intelligent design (I'd be vastly more happy to see that)

I'm just so, soooooooooo glad my children are early gen x. They just missed by a thin margin all this bullshit and we could go on outings blissfully unaware.

What's next, a display at the Victoria and Albert? The Maritime Museum? Where next??

Where is the science meant to be? what is the exhibit called sorry?

It exists, though. In the same way that Christianity and anorexia exist.

And it would be an odd choice to have an exhibit on either of those - in the former case, it would be incredibly irresponsible given how many of their visitors are schoolchildren. Or is that your point? A phenomenon existing isn’t a sufficient reason for the Science Museum to curate an exhibition on it. They’d run out of space!

I agree it would be a lot of hassle as they would find it difficult to present a neutral POV, and that it would have been easier to steer clear.

Perhaps because transgenderism is a scientific human experience and that yes some people have brains more similar to their opposite sex. Just like it is accurate that some people are attracted to their own gender. You can’t pretend it’s not a real thing, even if you dislike the politics around how those people are treated.

They are following the science. It exists and it’s real.

Admitting it’s real and the science behind it is what they should be doing. Obviously the discussions about mixed bathrooms, trans people in sport etc is a hotly debated topic, but we shouldn’t not discuss it. :S

yes some people have brains more similar to their opposite sex

You don't even know what you mean by that, do you?