Biology Professor Explains What “Biological Sex” Really Means, Starts A Heated Debate On Twitter
Sad to say, prejudice, discrimination and bigotry are still a thing in many societies, and part of it stems from people’s convictions regarding things like sex and gender identity.
In today’s case, it particularly ties in with how the term biological sex is thrown about to justify one’s beliefs on what and how humans ought to be.
Well, this one biologist explained on Twitter what biological sex actually is, that it’s not as clear-cut as some might believe it to be, and that it shouldn’t be considered a basis for bigotry and discrimination.
Sex and gender identity debates often include people throwing about the ‘biological sex’ term, which this biologist decided to explain in more detail
Image credits: RebeccaRHelm
Rebecca R. Helm is an Assistant Professor of Biology at the University of North Carolina, who studies ecology and evolution of how animals change through time.
Some time ago, she went to Twitter to tackle the term biological sex. You see, some people make it seem like it’s all very simple, but Helm breaks it down and shows just how simple it really is.
Biologist Rebecca Helm posted a tweet thread detailing how ‘biological sex’ isn’t as simple as some may think
Image credits: RebeccaRHelm
Image credits: RebeccaRHelm
Image credits: RebeccaRHelm
Image credits: RebeccaRHelm
Now, there are several ways of approaching this: on a chromosomal, hormonal, or even cellular level. But none of them would allow you to reach a simple explanation.
Sure, you can say there are the XX/XY chromosomes and the SRY gene that really matters to sex here. But there’s also a chance where SRY can pop off the chromosome and your physical, chromosomal, and genetic sex might vary altogether because of this without you even knowing it.
Helm tackles all aspects of human biology, including chromosomes, genes, cells, and even hormones
Image credits: RebeccaRHelm
Image credits: RebeccaRHelm
Image credits: RebeccaRHelm
And it’s the same level of complexity with the hormonal and cellular definitions too. There are abnormalities whereby women could be able to generate more male hormones than males themselves, but they would otherwise still look very much feminine. Would that make them male?
Same goes with cells—there’s this thing with cells having receptors that hear sex hormones, but sometimes they don’t work. Does that make them stuck between two traditional genders as a non-binary?
Image credits: RebeccaRHelm
Image credits: RebeccaRHelm
Image credits: RebeccaRHelm
Image credits: RebeccaRHelm
As you might have guessed, the possibilities here are endless, where you can be a different sex on a genetic, chromosomal, hormonal, cellular, and even physical level. Yep, this is totally not complicated at all.
Helm concluded that hence biological gender shouldn’t be a basis to discriminate and judge people: “Biology is complicated. Kindness and respect don’t have to be.”
The twitter thread went viral, gaining over 55k likes and even being reposted elsewhere
Image credits: RebeccaRHelm
Image credits: RebeccaRHelm
Image credits: RebeccaRHelm
Image credits: RebeccaRHelm
The tweet thread went viral among several communities. While some found this thread interesting and insightful, others were still trying to counter it on Twitter with constructive and not so constructive feedback.
Regardless, the Twitter thread gained over 55,000 likes and 27,000 retweets, and even found itself on Imgur, where it was viewed by another 80,000 people.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comment section below!
OK, another biology professor here. There is no way you could look at one chromosome in a class. To look at chromosomes you need to do a karyotype of the persons entire genome, and that takes a few weeks. (And costs $$$$$) You cannot do that in a bio lab! Impossible. Also, I have never read about the SRY gene jumping (or translocating) from a Y to another chromosome to another chromosome.
Here's a Nature News article about the SRY gene jumping to the X chromosome. https://www.nature.com/news/2006/061009/full/061009-14.html
Load More Replies...Okay, three things. Yes, yes, and most definitely yes! The world needs to hear this. <3
Sorry, but there are misconceptions and misguidances in that person's post. Lying (augmenting, embellishing and omitting information to fabricate a point) about biology is not what will bring ppl to be less prejudicial
Load More Replies...The amount of people going ‘but intersex people means there’s no sex binary’ are so exhausting. Sex is defined via gametes which is why we define sexes for everything that has gametes. So far not a single intersex individual has been found that produces a unique third type of gamete. Instead, most of them are infertile because of hormone issues or development of the sex organs issues. In the cases where intersex people are fertile, they produce one type of gamete that fits into the known male/female specifics, re: gamete size/mobility/number. We’ve not even managed to find a intersex person who ca do both types of gametes. The X/Y definition of sex is not universal and imagine science is well aware of that and thus has ANOTHER definition that so far fits everything from plants over insects to humans. TL;DR stop conflating gender and sex and intersex conditions which come with varying degrees of medical issues are not some kind of "gotcha".
Exactly. Intersex people exist and need to be treated kindly. But they arent a third category of sex. Our species only have two sexes xx and xy with certain individuals having developmental issues that makes them intersex. It would be like denying that humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes just because some people can have trisomies.
Load More Replies...It is really very easy to ascertain your own gender - it is the gender that you feel you are. As for other people, if the question arises (and most times it has no reason to) then their gender is whatever their mind tells them it is. Sexual preference is a whole other question, and has very little to do with gender identity. So if you're ever wondering about another person's gender or sexuality, just remember this; unless that information is freely offered without coercion, or is somehow life-threateningly critical to the situation at hand, then it's none of your damned business.
I agree, it's nobody's damned business. It only is, when biological men start competing as women because they feel like one (it hurts women in sports) or when it becomes okay to give puberty blockers to children (it can mess them up) or when people go thru all that procedure to end up worse than when they started (they may end up worse than when they began transition) or when people get fired for not believing trans women to be women (it hurts free speech and employment opportunities).
Load More Replies...Some people have heart on the right side of the body. Some people's own immune cells attack their healthy organs. Some people grow 7+ feet high. Human body does not function 100% accurately as it's supposed to. Anomalies exist in nature. But can it be used to change definition of average or typical? Using the different biological sexes that exist to justify that the definition of typical biological men/women can be changed is disingenuous. If 1 in 100 people have 12 toes, that doesn't make 10.02 toes normal. But I agree with her live and let live - as long as it doesn't interfere with lives of others.
You are not a Professional Time Waster when you speak the truth ;)
Load More Replies...Yes, of course, the rare cases are what define the species now.... also they forgot to mention that aside from the rarity issue, the SRY disorder leaves you sterile. The only time I suspected someone could have that disorder was a colleague that had never had her period and was 17 already. Also hormonal deficiency is not sex determinant. Would have been less misleading talking about XXYs or X0s. This person is not very sharp. With love, a Biologist.
Exactly. He took very rare cases and explained them as if they are common. There is only two sexes with ocasional people that have developmental problems. This does not mean in any case that people shouldnt express their gender freely. But it also doesnt mean that there are more than two sexes in our species. Signed another biologist.
Load More Replies...Talking about rare disorders is complicated, just like for any other disorder or syndrome. When there are no rare conditions involved is pretty simple (unless you want the full embryogenesys and hormonal interaction explanation)
Load More Replies...Demagogy... Described mutations are rare and should not be the base for generalizations. In the overwhelming majority of cases, biological sex is easy to establish. But, of course, we should be sensitive to other people
interesting fun fact: no one, like literally no one of trans people deny the existence of biological sex... For heaven sake, it is the cause of why we are that way, and why we are in that mess, and why we need medical treatment to just be ourselves.
Load More Replies...No. Females have vaginas males have penises with a very few individuals with different developments. Boy/girl express gender not sex.
Load More Replies...This is all true, yet at some point you have to say that either the societal definition of sex, the definition that says an Olympic event that results in a woman's world record score, is not a club that anyone can just decide they are or are not a member of. Or alternatively, that it is. I don't have a genuine solution to that, but we really need to have one.
Transsexualism is also not a club. You don't decide to be trans, because no one in the sane mind would ever choose it. You become trans because of prenatal hormones that affect a fetus in the womb.
Load More Replies...SciShow (on YouTube) posted a very good video on this topic that explains things a wee bit clearer, if anyone is interested.
There's a cool explanaton from a German professor (?) about this (but in German, duh) on youtube, and yes, it's complicated! (Sadly forgot the name)
I know and like trans people. All the conversations I've had with them have led me to believe that they (the ones I know) really don't give a s**t. They hate the way society (or just woke people) are trying to make allowances for them and change terms like mother and father. They generally like society as it is and just want to be themselves. Generally they hate the way they get blamed by society for trying to change it when actually nearly all of them aren't. We should respect differences but accept that you don't change everything for 1% of people
I totally concur the factual basis of your post. What I disagree with is that because of this complexity that exist in biology it is hard to determine the sex of every random person you meet. For every person that I know that has procreated in a natural way, I would say it is pretty easy to determine their actual biological sex. I would even take this a step further and say that just by looking at the external genitalia, you have a very high likelihood of getting someones sex right. This is true for the majority of animals, including humans. Trying to give a biological base for the gender narrative, although nobel, the number do not support this. Which is why I always suggest that we keep biological sex separate from gender identity.
For girls is easy, got her period? Then it's female. For males, if the sperm contains spermatozoids than you can safely say it's a male. Not saying that azoospermic would not be male, or ppl with other conditions that leave them sterile are not their sex, of course. But if they are indeed fertile, you can safely tell the sex. But knowing ppl's sex is not important (unless for medical reasons, like prostate/cervical screenings and so)
Load More Replies...Yes very complicated, if its confusing for me then what the hell is it going to be like for my kid when she gets to the age where they start talking about sexuality and gender, its going to throw her big time, I have no bias towards anyone but what I worry about is making big decisions so early on such as hormone therapy when they are at such a confusing age anyway.
Something that I didn't know for a long time either, is that "hormone therapy" for kids is not actually making any changes or any decisions. Adults can take hormones that make changes to their bodies. But no matter how sure a kid is about their gender identity, they will only take hormone *blockers* which simply delay puberty for a while. In cases where a child is having a major disconnect between their brain and their body, such a thing can be life-saving without there being any repercussions down the road if they change their mind.
Load More Replies...This is a great explanation. Unfortunately as evidenced by the comments, the people who most need to learn it never will.
If you had read the comments which do not fit your agenda, you'd see that the explanation doesn't make much sense.
Load More Replies...This article is misleading, if only from a philosophical and logical perspective. As I'm not a geneticist I'm not doubting the science the scientist, and by extension the author base their argument on, though a quick google search will show that there is debate about how often Swyers Syndrome actually occurs. Some estimate as low as 1 in 80,000 births, some as high as 1 in 20,000 births. Irregardless, I think both the author and the scientist quoted, are forgetting that an exception doesn't make a rule. If so, all of science and even rational thought would be put in disarray. We use general rules, though often with exceptions, to simplify and understand the world. Without some kind of framework or metric to organize systems and groups in the world, all becomes chaos. If we are to throw out all biological criteria in deciding the sex of an individual, should we also throw out our conception of colors? Approximately 1 in 12 adults suffer from a form of color - blindness,
Oh wait! Where are the comments from the people I see on other threads calling non-binary ridiculous?...Oh I guess they finally read a post on the internet and learned something that most of us already took the time to research and understand...
The prevalence of SRY alterations is very low, in many cases probably people who have those modifications don't even know about it because they look like any other female or male. So most people (and by a large margin) who declare themselves binaries are not affected by what is explained here.
Load More Replies...Sounds like this biologist took a rare situation and tried to explain away transphobia. Here's a few social points to consider. 1. Everything everyone does influences society we all live in. Stop saying it doesn't matter. 2. Trans don't deserve insults, violence or someone preventing them from being productive members of society. 3. Mental health: I've seen videos of people claiming to be wolves, ghost, a cat, or the white woman who felt black. Mental health eval should be considered anytime someone feels different than what they are to the point it affects their daily life. Not as an insult, but for their own health. But we can't talk about that because it's considered insensitive. Agree or disagree. No reason to be an a-hole to people.
This is a great post!! I know people can be whatever they want to be but I never knew about this many levels of sexual game of chance :-) Thanks!
I respect people's right to identify with any gender and am more than happy to call them by their preferred pronoun. Sex is a different thing though and in my opinion is determined by which reproductive organs you have (I am of course aware there will be exceptions to this rule but in general only females of our species are able to give birth).
It's not about biology. We are humans, our relationships are based in culture besides nature
Out of curiosity, I would love to know if I’m a chromosome female / hormone female, or whatever all the categories are. Who gives a shït really, it should just be a way of showing ourselves that everything isn’t that cut and dry. As a chick with a little extra testosterone, i don’t see the big deal really.
To add to my earlier post: that's over 3 million people in the UK alone? So do we then discontinue our use of color labeling, because a rather large minority, have problems with the current system? If so, where do we stop? When is a rule an accepted rule, and when is an exception to be considered an exception? In writing this no one should make the quantum leap, because I disagree with the premise of this article, and label me homophobic, transphobic, or any other discriminatory term. I don't believe in discrimination, I'm simply making a point that this isn't a valid argument.
"biologist professor" Consistently using "sex" vice the correct "gender"? I seriously doubt this "expert" knows what the hell they're talking about. While agree ALL people should be treated the SAME, throwing bullshit like this into the discussion only makes it worse.
There are as many intersex people (those who don't fit neatly into a male/female binary) as there are redheads. Not SUPER common, but not rare by any means.
Except that redheads have a specific mutation for their colour. Intersex have fetal developmental issues. It is not the same.
Load More Replies...If someone presents themselves as a woman, they're a woman. If someone presents themselves as a man, they're a man. If someone presents ambiguously, I'm socially awkward, and omit gender pronouns and gender-specific forms of address until their preference is clarified. I find it hard to ask for someones preferred pronoun and form of address, as I'm scared that someone I think is presenting ambiguously might actually identify as a man or woman, and I might hurt their feelings by implying that they don't look masculine or feminine. It would be nice to have a polite non-gendered form of address, instead of "Sir/Ma'am".
How do you present as a woman though? By wearing lipstick, having tits, telling people you are a woman? You have to be able to define what a woman is first.
Load More Replies...Here's a bit of reading, if interested: The Dana Foundation: https://www.dana.org/article/cerebrum-sex-differences-in-the-brain/ Harvard: https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2016/gender-lines-science-transgender-identity/ Scientific American with links to some good resources: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/voices/stop-using-phony-science-to-justify-transphobia/
And he didn't even talk about having and extra y or X chromosome.... because that happens too.
Also some people have YXX, YYX, single X, and other genetic variations in the sex chromosomes. Nature is never clear-cut.
I'd heard a little of this before but never in this level of detail. I suppose this actually completely explains the wide range of identities that we see 'out in the wild' so's to speak. What I don't understand is why those who are unaffected by gender identity are so concerned about it? Does it matter if someone identifies as non-binary? Spolier - no, it doesn't..
Even with the science, a lot of people will still insist that they are right
Specially when the science presented is destorted to fit an agenda. This post is really misleading. Sex in humans is only xx or xy with very small individuals that have developmental problems. Pretending otherwise is not scientific. But that does not mean that people shouldn't be free to express their gender as they want.
Load More Replies...It's nice to hear being intersex talked about as something normal, but I don't think that the term 'nonbinary' fits in here. Either this marine biologist is using a weird yardstick for what counts as 'nonbinary', or she's *really* glossing over how very detrimental to one's health lacking the average amount of both testosterone and estrogen one should have, especially when one is pubescent or a grown adult. Also disappointed she didn't go into brain sex, the mismatch between that and the body results in gender dysphoria - and of which is not really possible to be nonbinary, or totally split/lacking/fluctuating in physical structures.
There's no reason for her to go into health issues as related to endocrinology. That wasn't the point of the tweet. And brain sex doesn't exist as you describe it. https://www.dana.org/article/cerebrum-sex-differences-in-the-brain/
Load More Replies...That's the problem. People don't let other people live. Matter of fact, they spend their lives trying to take the rights away from people that don't conform to their ideas of sex and gender
Load More Replies...https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/voices/stop-using-phony-science-to-justify-transphobia/
Load More Replies...https://www.pnas.org/content/112/50/15468 https://www.dana.org/article/cerebrum-sex-differences-in-the-brain/ https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2016/gender-lines-science-transgender-identity/ https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/voices/stop-using-phony-science-to-justify-transphobia/
Load More Replies...What a load of crap! Science is science, whether you like it or not. Are you seriously suggesting that the huge collective of scientists with years of experience in their fields are just making things up as they see fit? That's the problem with you people, you don't trust science anymore because it makes observations that don't fit into your worldview.
Load More Replies...So everything that doesn't fit in your black/white scheme is a birth defect? Sheesh. I bet there's only exactly one way to spell and one accent that's not-wrong, in your cozy world. It's almost as if you haven't read a single word of the article you're commenting on.
Load More Replies...It is science, based on informed interpretations of reproducable observations. Biology doesn't bend to your subjective morality. You sound like the people who don't believe in fossils.
Load More Replies...OK, another biology professor here. There is no way you could look at one chromosome in a class. To look at chromosomes you need to do a karyotype of the persons entire genome, and that takes a few weeks. (And costs $$$$$) You cannot do that in a bio lab! Impossible. Also, I have never read about the SRY gene jumping (or translocating) from a Y to another chromosome to another chromosome.
Here's a Nature News article about the SRY gene jumping to the X chromosome. https://www.nature.com/news/2006/061009/full/061009-14.html
Load More Replies...Okay, three things. Yes, yes, and most definitely yes! The world needs to hear this. <3
Sorry, but there are misconceptions and misguidances in that person's post. Lying (augmenting, embellishing and omitting information to fabricate a point) about biology is not what will bring ppl to be less prejudicial
Load More Replies...The amount of people going ‘but intersex people means there’s no sex binary’ are so exhausting. Sex is defined via gametes which is why we define sexes for everything that has gametes. So far not a single intersex individual has been found that produces a unique third type of gamete. Instead, most of them are infertile because of hormone issues or development of the sex organs issues. In the cases where intersex people are fertile, they produce one type of gamete that fits into the known male/female specifics, re: gamete size/mobility/number. We’ve not even managed to find a intersex person who ca do both types of gametes. The X/Y definition of sex is not universal and imagine science is well aware of that and thus has ANOTHER definition that so far fits everything from plants over insects to humans. TL;DR stop conflating gender and sex and intersex conditions which come with varying degrees of medical issues are not some kind of "gotcha".
Exactly. Intersex people exist and need to be treated kindly. But they arent a third category of sex. Our species only have two sexes xx and xy with certain individuals having developmental issues that makes them intersex. It would be like denying that humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes just because some people can have trisomies.
Load More Replies...It is really very easy to ascertain your own gender - it is the gender that you feel you are. As for other people, if the question arises (and most times it has no reason to) then their gender is whatever their mind tells them it is. Sexual preference is a whole other question, and has very little to do with gender identity. So if you're ever wondering about another person's gender or sexuality, just remember this; unless that information is freely offered without coercion, or is somehow life-threateningly critical to the situation at hand, then it's none of your damned business.
I agree, it's nobody's damned business. It only is, when biological men start competing as women because they feel like one (it hurts women in sports) or when it becomes okay to give puberty blockers to children (it can mess them up) or when people go thru all that procedure to end up worse than when they started (they may end up worse than when they began transition) or when people get fired for not believing trans women to be women (it hurts free speech and employment opportunities).
Load More Replies...Some people have heart on the right side of the body. Some people's own immune cells attack their healthy organs. Some people grow 7+ feet high. Human body does not function 100% accurately as it's supposed to. Anomalies exist in nature. But can it be used to change definition of average or typical? Using the different biological sexes that exist to justify that the definition of typical biological men/women can be changed is disingenuous. If 1 in 100 people have 12 toes, that doesn't make 10.02 toes normal. But I agree with her live and let live - as long as it doesn't interfere with lives of others.
You are not a Professional Time Waster when you speak the truth ;)
Load More Replies...Yes, of course, the rare cases are what define the species now.... also they forgot to mention that aside from the rarity issue, the SRY disorder leaves you sterile. The only time I suspected someone could have that disorder was a colleague that had never had her period and was 17 already. Also hormonal deficiency is not sex determinant. Would have been less misleading talking about XXYs or X0s. This person is not very sharp. With love, a Biologist.
Exactly. He took very rare cases and explained them as if they are common. There is only two sexes with ocasional people that have developmental problems. This does not mean in any case that people shouldnt express their gender freely. But it also doesnt mean that there are more than two sexes in our species. Signed another biologist.
Load More Replies...Talking about rare disorders is complicated, just like for any other disorder or syndrome. When there are no rare conditions involved is pretty simple (unless you want the full embryogenesys and hormonal interaction explanation)
Load More Replies...Demagogy... Described mutations are rare and should not be the base for generalizations. In the overwhelming majority of cases, biological sex is easy to establish. But, of course, we should be sensitive to other people
interesting fun fact: no one, like literally no one of trans people deny the existence of biological sex... For heaven sake, it is the cause of why we are that way, and why we are in that mess, and why we need medical treatment to just be ourselves.
Load More Replies...No. Females have vaginas males have penises with a very few individuals with different developments. Boy/girl express gender not sex.
Load More Replies...This is all true, yet at some point you have to say that either the societal definition of sex, the definition that says an Olympic event that results in a woman's world record score, is not a club that anyone can just decide they are or are not a member of. Or alternatively, that it is. I don't have a genuine solution to that, but we really need to have one.
Transsexualism is also not a club. You don't decide to be trans, because no one in the sane mind would ever choose it. You become trans because of prenatal hormones that affect a fetus in the womb.
Load More Replies...SciShow (on YouTube) posted a very good video on this topic that explains things a wee bit clearer, if anyone is interested.
There's a cool explanaton from a German professor (?) about this (but in German, duh) on youtube, and yes, it's complicated! (Sadly forgot the name)
I know and like trans people. All the conversations I've had with them have led me to believe that they (the ones I know) really don't give a s**t. They hate the way society (or just woke people) are trying to make allowances for them and change terms like mother and father. They generally like society as it is and just want to be themselves. Generally they hate the way they get blamed by society for trying to change it when actually nearly all of them aren't. We should respect differences but accept that you don't change everything for 1% of people
I totally concur the factual basis of your post. What I disagree with is that because of this complexity that exist in biology it is hard to determine the sex of every random person you meet. For every person that I know that has procreated in a natural way, I would say it is pretty easy to determine their actual biological sex. I would even take this a step further and say that just by looking at the external genitalia, you have a very high likelihood of getting someones sex right. This is true for the majority of animals, including humans. Trying to give a biological base for the gender narrative, although nobel, the number do not support this. Which is why I always suggest that we keep biological sex separate from gender identity.
For girls is easy, got her period? Then it's female. For males, if the sperm contains spermatozoids than you can safely say it's a male. Not saying that azoospermic would not be male, or ppl with other conditions that leave them sterile are not their sex, of course. But if they are indeed fertile, you can safely tell the sex. But knowing ppl's sex is not important (unless for medical reasons, like prostate/cervical screenings and so)
Load More Replies...Yes very complicated, if its confusing for me then what the hell is it going to be like for my kid when she gets to the age where they start talking about sexuality and gender, its going to throw her big time, I have no bias towards anyone but what I worry about is making big decisions so early on such as hormone therapy when they are at such a confusing age anyway.
Something that I didn't know for a long time either, is that "hormone therapy" for kids is not actually making any changes or any decisions. Adults can take hormones that make changes to their bodies. But no matter how sure a kid is about their gender identity, they will only take hormone *blockers* which simply delay puberty for a while. In cases where a child is having a major disconnect between their brain and their body, such a thing can be life-saving without there being any repercussions down the road if they change their mind.
Load More Replies...This is a great explanation. Unfortunately as evidenced by the comments, the people who most need to learn it never will.
If you had read the comments which do not fit your agenda, you'd see that the explanation doesn't make much sense.
Load More Replies...This article is misleading, if only from a philosophical and logical perspective. As I'm not a geneticist I'm not doubting the science the scientist, and by extension the author base their argument on, though a quick google search will show that there is debate about how often Swyers Syndrome actually occurs. Some estimate as low as 1 in 80,000 births, some as high as 1 in 20,000 births. Irregardless, I think both the author and the scientist quoted, are forgetting that an exception doesn't make a rule. If so, all of science and even rational thought would be put in disarray. We use general rules, though often with exceptions, to simplify and understand the world. Without some kind of framework or metric to organize systems and groups in the world, all becomes chaos. If we are to throw out all biological criteria in deciding the sex of an individual, should we also throw out our conception of colors? Approximately 1 in 12 adults suffer from a form of color - blindness,
Oh wait! Where are the comments from the people I see on other threads calling non-binary ridiculous?...Oh I guess they finally read a post on the internet and learned something that most of us already took the time to research and understand...
The prevalence of SRY alterations is very low, in many cases probably people who have those modifications don't even know about it because they look like any other female or male. So most people (and by a large margin) who declare themselves binaries are not affected by what is explained here.
Load More Replies...Sounds like this biologist took a rare situation and tried to explain away transphobia. Here's a few social points to consider. 1. Everything everyone does influences society we all live in. Stop saying it doesn't matter. 2. Trans don't deserve insults, violence or someone preventing them from being productive members of society. 3. Mental health: I've seen videos of people claiming to be wolves, ghost, a cat, or the white woman who felt black. Mental health eval should be considered anytime someone feels different than what they are to the point it affects their daily life. Not as an insult, but for their own health. But we can't talk about that because it's considered insensitive. Agree or disagree. No reason to be an a-hole to people.
This is a great post!! I know people can be whatever they want to be but I never knew about this many levels of sexual game of chance :-) Thanks!
I respect people's right to identify with any gender and am more than happy to call them by their preferred pronoun. Sex is a different thing though and in my opinion is determined by which reproductive organs you have (I am of course aware there will be exceptions to this rule but in general only females of our species are able to give birth).
It's not about biology. We are humans, our relationships are based in culture besides nature
Out of curiosity, I would love to know if I’m a chromosome female / hormone female, or whatever all the categories are. Who gives a shït really, it should just be a way of showing ourselves that everything isn’t that cut and dry. As a chick with a little extra testosterone, i don’t see the big deal really.
To add to my earlier post: that's over 3 million people in the UK alone? So do we then discontinue our use of color labeling, because a rather large minority, have problems with the current system? If so, where do we stop? When is a rule an accepted rule, and when is an exception to be considered an exception? In writing this no one should make the quantum leap, because I disagree with the premise of this article, and label me homophobic, transphobic, or any other discriminatory term. I don't believe in discrimination, I'm simply making a point that this isn't a valid argument.
"biologist professor" Consistently using "sex" vice the correct "gender"? I seriously doubt this "expert" knows what the hell they're talking about. While agree ALL people should be treated the SAME, throwing bullshit like this into the discussion only makes it worse.
There are as many intersex people (those who don't fit neatly into a male/female binary) as there are redheads. Not SUPER common, but not rare by any means.
Except that redheads have a specific mutation for their colour. Intersex have fetal developmental issues. It is not the same.
Load More Replies...If someone presents themselves as a woman, they're a woman. If someone presents themselves as a man, they're a man. If someone presents ambiguously, I'm socially awkward, and omit gender pronouns and gender-specific forms of address until their preference is clarified. I find it hard to ask for someones preferred pronoun and form of address, as I'm scared that someone I think is presenting ambiguously might actually identify as a man or woman, and I might hurt their feelings by implying that they don't look masculine or feminine. It would be nice to have a polite non-gendered form of address, instead of "Sir/Ma'am".
How do you present as a woman though? By wearing lipstick, having tits, telling people you are a woman? You have to be able to define what a woman is first.
Load More Replies...Here's a bit of reading, if interested: The Dana Foundation: https://www.dana.org/article/cerebrum-sex-differences-in-the-brain/ Harvard: https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2016/gender-lines-science-transgender-identity/ Scientific American with links to some good resources: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/voices/stop-using-phony-science-to-justify-transphobia/
And he didn't even talk about having and extra y or X chromosome.... because that happens too.
Also some people have YXX, YYX, single X, and other genetic variations in the sex chromosomes. Nature is never clear-cut.
I'd heard a little of this before but never in this level of detail. I suppose this actually completely explains the wide range of identities that we see 'out in the wild' so's to speak. What I don't understand is why those who are unaffected by gender identity are so concerned about it? Does it matter if someone identifies as non-binary? Spolier - no, it doesn't..
Even with the science, a lot of people will still insist that they are right
Specially when the science presented is destorted to fit an agenda. This post is really misleading. Sex in humans is only xx or xy with very small individuals that have developmental problems. Pretending otherwise is not scientific. But that does not mean that people shouldn't be free to express their gender as they want.
Load More Replies...It's nice to hear being intersex talked about as something normal, but I don't think that the term 'nonbinary' fits in here. Either this marine biologist is using a weird yardstick for what counts as 'nonbinary', or she's *really* glossing over how very detrimental to one's health lacking the average amount of both testosterone and estrogen one should have, especially when one is pubescent or a grown adult. Also disappointed she didn't go into brain sex, the mismatch between that and the body results in gender dysphoria - and of which is not really possible to be nonbinary, or totally split/lacking/fluctuating in physical structures.
There's no reason for her to go into health issues as related to endocrinology. That wasn't the point of the tweet. And brain sex doesn't exist as you describe it. https://www.dana.org/article/cerebrum-sex-differences-in-the-brain/
Load More Replies...That's the problem. People don't let other people live. Matter of fact, they spend their lives trying to take the rights away from people that don't conform to their ideas of sex and gender
Load More Replies...https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/voices/stop-using-phony-science-to-justify-transphobia/
Load More Replies...https://www.pnas.org/content/112/50/15468 https://www.dana.org/article/cerebrum-sex-differences-in-the-brain/ https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2016/gender-lines-science-transgender-identity/ https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/voices/stop-using-phony-science-to-justify-transphobia/
Load More Replies...What a load of crap! Science is science, whether you like it or not. Are you seriously suggesting that the huge collective of scientists with years of experience in their fields are just making things up as they see fit? That's the problem with you people, you don't trust science anymore because it makes observations that don't fit into your worldview.
Load More Replies...So everything that doesn't fit in your black/white scheme is a birth defect? Sheesh. I bet there's only exactly one way to spell and one accent that's not-wrong, in your cozy world. It's almost as if you haven't read a single word of the article you're commenting on.
Load More Replies...It is science, based on informed interpretations of reproducable observations. Biology doesn't bend to your subjective morality. You sound like the people who don't believe in fossils.
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