The Honesty of Transgender Identity

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Sex vs Gender

One is a scientific fact
One is a complex social construct

One can be identified by your DNA
One has to be discovered/experienced

I would argue that sex is binary but that Gender is a spectrum.

The thing I'm confused about is that recently there has been an emphasis on being less gender specific (like not telling boys they cant wear pink, girls cant play football, etc) and it seems like the whole trans thing is about being very gender specific.

 

[Archie Moses]

I don't even understand gender. Is gender a biological thing? I've always assumed it's just enculturation. If gender is a real biological thing in the brain, then that would be mean there is an inherent biological difference between the male and female brain, beside the effects of hormones on mental state and development. Which never made much sense to me.

I'm assuming this is your way of saying gender and sex are different, eh?

Out of curiosity, what pronouns do you use when speaking to kids?

 

[One Brow]

Something I’ve noticed regarding the way people talk about transgender people is that they seem to think that someone being transgender is not about the transgender person, but about them. As if transgender people are trying to trick you, but you’re just too damn clever for that. As if a transgender person is not expressing themselves and presenting themselves according to how they really feel but that they are just trying to sucker you into playing along with their prank.

This has always been an element of the hate for transgender. The notion of being tricked into intimacy, putting one's masculinity into question, motivates a great deal of transgender hate.

One example that came to mind is from the the third The Naked Gun movie, where the notion that another character is transgender causes the hero to throw up into a tuba.

 

[Siro]

I'm assuming this is your way of saying gender and sex are different, eh?

Out of curiosity, what pronouns do you use when speaking to kids?

I use he or she depending on whether they look like a boy or a girl, just like most people. And gender and sex ARE different things. That's what transgender is; a mismatch between sex and gender.

But I am curious as to what people think gender is (so far, the responses haven't been very instructive). If it's a cultural thing, then is it like religion or ideology? Because those things are, in a sense, a choice. That's different from sexual attraction which is an impulsive reaction.

 

[One Brow]

Will being transracial ever be accepted and debated as a social group that need to be protected?

Since race is based entirely on appearance, with neither performative nor biological basis beyond appearance, what does "transracial" mean to you? Is it waht some people have called "passing"?

 

[Ron Mexico]

Most people dont know, or will even ever meet (knowingly), a trans person. I don't understand the whole thing at all, and I think that is largely because I've never known any of them on a personal level.

I've had two relatively close friends come out as women who I previously knew as man. It was eye opening to me. I still struggle to understand it and feel comfortable with it. I've gotten much better though, I think. At least more appreciative of the struggle and more polite about it. After the first friend i thought I understood it better. But then the second friend made me realize I knew nothing and their process and experience was wildly different.

Funny story, at least to me. The day after one friend told everyone they were transitioning to a woman a group of friends met up at the bar. It was 4 guys and this friend. It was a little awkward for everyone at first but we all drank and things got better. One guy started talking about how much he likes beer and that we should make a group to get together and try new beers. Then someone else piped in and said "Yeah! That would be awesome it could be a men only beer club we could all go to!" To which everyone froze and looked down for the next minute or so until someone said well, anyone could join. It was one of the more uncomfortable feelings in a room I've been apart of. We've all laughed about it later.

 

[Siro]

I went to school with a transgender woman. She was a sweetest person. I visited her post-op. She was pretty cute as a guy, and became even cuter as a woman. I also work with a transgender woman. She's a total douche. I avoid her at all costs.

 

[Archie Moses]

I use he or she depending on whether they look like a boy or a girl, just like most people. And gender and sex ARE different things. That's what transgender is; a mismatch between sex and gender.

But I am curious as to what people think gender is (so far, the responses haven't been very instructive). If it's a cultural thing, then is it like religion or ideology? Because those things are, in a sense, a choice. That's different from sexual attraction which is an impulsive reaction.

For me, I think gender is a social construct that as a society, we're still learning about. From what I undeterred, it was introduced this way in the 40s or 50s by a French feminist. Before then, wasn't gender and sex the same thing? (Honestly don't know)

I think a lot of people think they are the same thing. I do feel that they are synonymous in a lot of regards, especially with language. I do feel that they can cross too. For example, allowing trans females who were born males to compete amongst females. I think that's a slippery slope.

 

[One Brow]

Sex vs Gender

One is a scientific fact
One is a complex social construct

One can be identified by your DNA
One has to be discovered/experienced

I would argue that sex is binary but that Gender is a spectrum.

Even physical sex can be a spectrum, or not even on a spectrum. Is some born with XY genotype, but with an insensitiviy to testosterone and therefore female morphology, physically male or female? Are people who are XXY male or female?

 

[gandalfe]

Sex vs Gender

One is a scientific fact
One is a complex social construct

One can be identified by your DNA
One has to be discovered/experienced

I would argue that sex is binary but that Gender is a spectrum.

Except... not really:

https://www.joshuakennon.com/the-six-common-biological-sexes-in-humans/

The six biological karyotype sexes that do not result in death to the fetus are:

• X – Roughly 1 in 2,000 to 1 in 5,000 people (Turner’s )
• XX – Most common form of female
• XXY – Roughly 1 in 500 to 1 in 1,000 people (Klinefelter)
• XY – Most common form of male
• XYY – Roughly 1 out of 1,000 people
• XXXY – Roughly 1 in 18,000 to 1 in 50,000 births

When you consider that there are 7,000,000,000 alive on the planet, there are almost assuredly tens of millions of people who are not male or female. Many times, these people are unaware of their true sex. It’s interesting to note that everyone assumes that they, personally, are XY or XX. One study in Great Britain showed that 97 out of 100 people who were XYY had no idea. They thought they were a traditional male and had few signs otherwise.

Even today, we irrationally, and rather stupidly, think of someone as a “man” if they look masculine and as a “woman” if the look feminine. It’s entirely arbitrary and can lead to some significant misunderstandings of how the world actually works.

 

[One Brow]

I get that and understand it. However, in today's age it's becoming more complicated and more and more issues are arising. If you get a chance, watch the Rogan video and Dr Soh I posted.

Can you give us the exact title of it?

 

[One Brow]

I'm assuming this is your way of saying gender and sex are different, eh?

Out of curiosity, what pronouns do you use when speaking to kids?

When I am speaking to someone, I use "you". What do you use?