Philippa Gregory thinks that two sexes, male and female, is a "myth"

[Fenlandia]

According to journalist Susan Dalgety's Substack (a good read), the author Philippa Gregory, who has sold gazillions of historical fiction novels, thinks there are more sexes than we first thought!

https://susandalgety.substack.com/p/philippa-gregory-may-be-a-bestselling

Here is the quote from Dalgety:

"Philippa Gregory, who prides herself as a feminist, does not believe in the “myth of two sexes.” She writes glowingly of a modern world where it is impossible to divide humans into two categories, male and female. “It is as fictional as a sorting hat – we are more diverse than and more varied, and more changeable over time, in a richer multiple word than the binary model…” And she points out that in the 1990s, American sexologist, Anne Fausto-Sterling, counted five sexes (male, female, merm, ferm and herm), while French scientist Eric Vilain suggested an “infinite number of biological genders.” It was at this point I dropped my coffee cup."

And yet again with the tedious trope that in order for people to be interesting and the world to be diverse, we must dispense with the fact of the sex binary by which every single human has been produced, ever.

What you understand by 'hermaphrodite' doesn't exist in humans. People with DSDs are still either male or female and don't disprove the sex binary. And trans people don't have DSDs!

Why conflate the two if you know that?

I see people are just trying to be stupid (or actually are). Nevermind. As you were.

I see people are just trying to be stupid (or actually are). Nevermind. As you were.

No, people are just insisting on scientifically correct terms. If you think we are wrong, you are the one who needs to provide the evidence for the claim that there is hermaphroditism in humans. Should be easy if you are right, maybe start with a Pubmed search.

Two tips to help you in future arguments:

1. Try to draw actual connections between your points, rather than throwing in random things with no connection - "hermaphrodites exist", "transgender is a thing","people were mean to gay people".
2. Try to ensure all your points are true.

What do we think, will the rehead claim be made next or will clownfish be brought up? Make your bets now!

What do we think, will the rehead claim be made next or will clownfish be brought up? Make your bets now!

I'm putting £5 on a link to that atrocious Scientific American article.

Ooh, I think it's a toss up between the 'sex is a spectrum' Scientific American article or the excrement which is their 'stop using phony science' blog post.

God, how I wish people would stop using phony science, that'd be the dream, but then again, my definition of phony science is probably quite different to their definition.

Oh look, there's your arse, on a plate, being handed to you 🤣

Well this is disappointing.

And the award for The Truly Shit 'Gotcha' of The Day goes to ...

Kinda like to see the original sources on this, documenting what women of the time wanted, written by women not men.

Or to rephrase it in plain speak:

why do supposedly intellectually honest people keep deliberately confusing what is easy and simple to tell apart?

Oh, when people do that I don't suppose that they're being intellectually honest at all.

No they don't; not in the world of mammals they don't. If you are referring to DSD's - they are disorders of development of one sex or the other. Not an indication of a third sex.

Oh, are we going to get a Righteous Education?

It might be common if they actually existed. People with DSDs are all male or female - as they themselves are at pains to point out.

Can we have a quick round of 'human beings aren't clownfish'? Love that song.

I still haven't heard from Phil as to whether Anne Bolyn could have just opted out of her ishoos by telling Henry she was transitioning.

Ah yes this would be why I don’t buy Philippa’s books anymore.

oddly when I did buy them she seemed abundantly clear who were the men & who were the women. No mysterious third sexes wombling about.

It’s irrelevant how many sexes anyone thinks there are, or whether they believe people are “really male” or “really female”, because intersex people like this exist (recent YouTube short with actual intersex person talking about her experience, rather than you lot talking for her): https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Z4xG0UwBWeY. They live in society as women, and will never be excluded from female spaces.

There never have been and never will be “single sex” spaces in the way some people here believe. It’s just not a practical idea.

So what are we going to do with all the women excluded from the fab new 'no one can tell what the fuck anyone is so it's mixed sex, just pick your fave gender word' women's spaces?

🤔

Not providing equality of access for them is going to be a bit racist, religious intolerant, ableist, misogynist.... I could go on.

And they've been around a long time, these groups, their needs are pretty well understood, and they've been met so are you rolling back their rights? Inclusion now a TQ only thing? Haven't the lobby noticed these groups exist and have rights and needs too? I thought this was a kind, social justice based, progressive movement?

So what's the plan for them?

people with DSD exist - they are still either male or female not a mysterious third sex

I don’t know how things will develop. I’m just pointing out that it’s never been the case that spaces were divided by who’se “really male” and who’se “really female”. It would never be practical.

Spaces certainly have been divided on male and female lines as indeed has employment, the right to an education, the right to vote, the right to have a bank account, own property, etc., etc.

How did this happen I wonder when no-one can tell who is really male and who is really female.

Before this nonsense I had got bored of her books anyway TBH. She's lost her touch

Same with Joanne Harris. I really don't think I'm prejudiced by her genderwoo beliefs but I tried reading the recent book about menopause and got bored way before the ubiquitous 'undetectable passing transwoman' arrived