Woman's hour 2nd April 2024 JKR's 'hate' thread

[WarriorN]

First item is the Hate bill and JK's tweets - they did invite her on but haven't heard back yet

For women Scotland will be on too.

This

Trans is a Latin prefix meaning "across" "beyond" or on "on the other side of". So transwoman or trans woman literally means "not a woman". The only biological qualification you need to be a transwoman is to be male. Women cannot be transwomen. Transwomen are not women.

Nope. You will.not compel my speech. Transwomen.

What is the adjective "trans" describing then?

Seriously, why is anyone bothering to even respond to DJ?

It's so obviously a derail by a TRA.

Aye, it's indicating a transition from or across to.

Trans Women are Men.

Like in transport, transplant, transpose.

And most obviously of course, transition.

Trans Woman = Men

I’m think Felix has done a spot of name changing and is very pleased and satisfied at finding themselves the centre of so many women’s attention.

I get the temptation to refute and correct but agree that the posts are beyond tedious now.

Don’t feed the squirrels 🐿

Can we talk about Latin? I'm doing an online course. It's brilliant.

Its not an adjective. It’s a prefix.
Translucent, transmission, transport.
But like the interpretation of the Law as one wishes it to be (Stonewall’s style), there is grammar as one wishes it to be.

Transitional will be the adjective, but i guess being a transitional person doesn’t have the same glamour?

Agree DJ is a joke played to derail threads.

But then it wouldn't be functioning as an adjective in the sentence, would it?

Adjectives are descriptors. So what does the word "trans" describe in this context?

If you put the adjectives "tall", "short", "fat", "thin", "old", "young", "black" or "white" in front of the word "woman", we have a clear understanding of what characteristic of the woman is being described.

Not so with "trans", which is, as another poster mentioned, a prefix.

At best, you could argue that "trans" as an adjective is short for "transgender", meaning someone whose gender identity does not align with their biological sex.

But there are two problems with that.

Firstly, there is no clear definition of what a gender identity is or how one can align or not align with either biological sex, which is a completely different thing. You're describing trans people as people whose identity does not match their biological sex, but in my view this does not explain how trans people are materially different to non trans people.

And secondly, even if you accept that the feature you are describing is having a gender identity which does not match their biological sex, "trans" or "transgender" only functions correctly as an adjective if it is attached to a noun which means the same thing when different adjectives are attached to it.

For example:

tall + woman = female person of above average height

short + woman = female person of below average height

black + woman = female person with very dark skin

white + woman = female person with pale skin

Logically, then, if we follow the same pattern:

trans + woman = female person with a gender identity which does not align with their biological sex

But no. It doesn't mean that, does it? It means male person with a gender identity which does not align with their biological sex.

So "trans" cannot be properly said to be an adjective here, because adjectives describe nouns, adding context to them, whereas the function of the word "trans" here is to change the meaning of the noun, creating ambiguity.

"Woman" has to mean "female person". It cannot mean anything else, because if it meant "person with a particular gender identity", trans women would not need the "trans" part, because the noun "women" would already describe them without needing an additional qualifier.

And if the word "woman" has to mean "female person", in order for "trans" to be an adjective, "trans woman" would have to mean "female person with a gender identity which does not align with their biological sex".

If it doesn't mean that, "trans" is not functioning as an adjective in any sentence containing the words "trans women".

Which online Latin course are you doing, @AutumnCrow? I’m doing Duolingo but am wondering if I should do something different.

I don't have any experience in learning Latin properly but have an interest in the language, mostly due to a childhood love of Asterix and Obelix.

And I know that sounds like I'm being facetious but it's true!

Interestingly there have been more complaints to Police Scotland about hate speech from Humza Yusaf than about JKR.

Is it hate speech to call the SNP a bunch of useless, self serving idiots who couldn’t draft a sensible law if their lives depended on it?

A woman cannot be a trans woman. So the two are distinct - surely? A trans woman is different to a woman. Trans is not therefore an adjective describing a type of woman. I think?! Argh, is that hate speech I don't know christ talk about fiddling while Rome burns. 🤯

I'm a scientist, PhD, respected academic. Chemistry/Materials Science . The hi jacking of the whole Cis /Trans stuff with respect to Gender ideology really offends me, as its a load of total rubbish.

The whole cis/trans is only chemistry terms, nothing to do with gender stuff!

Latin! I know feck all about Latin but could someone more knowledgeable perhaps help me out?

What does 'nostra dis pater, nostr'alma mater' mean?

I could google it but as someone upthread brought it up...

Tbh I'm not even sure it is Latin. It's from a song.

Thinking about the Italian word nostro/nostra (possibly incorrectly), I would hazard a guess at 'our (something) father, our (something) mother'

Alma mater (your uni) is (roughly) nourishing mother.

I agree father/mother, from Jeeves and Wooster too. Didn't know 'alma mater' meant that.

Notre (french) also means our, so romance language also checks out.

@DadJoke It’s trans woman - trans is an adjective. Outside of gender critical circles “woman” suffices.

Trans woman, then - why is the 'trans' adjective needed in 'gender critical' circles ?

I've been mistaken for a man on numerous occasions, including one memorable occasion when a man assaulted "the gothic freak" (me) in the street. All I have to do is speak for the other person to realise their mistake because my voice is female.

"That's a bird, you pillock" said his mate and he let go of my lapels. I never wore that leather trench coat again.

The number of facial differences between men and women is far greater, and the effects more profound, than the facial differences between homosexuals nd heterosexuals.

Women can tell male from female by face alone and comparing that to faulty gaydar is ridiculous.