Terms Like Male And Female Are Up For Debate Anyway

For all his virtues, Socrates opened the door to a lot of the nonsense we have to deal with today. 

His “priority of definition,” allowed critical theorists to dismiss anything that couldn’t be perfectly defined as a “social construct.” The Socratic method convinced people they could appear wise just by mindlessly asking questions. And perhaps most irritatingly, Socrates credited his wisdom to the fact that he knows he knows nothing. A sentiment that midwits have used ever since as a justification for ignorance.

In my article, The Trouble With Trans, I wrote about the various types of people huddling under the “trans” umbrella; transsexuals, transvestites, autogynephiles, rapists hoping for an easier time in prison. 

I pointed out that trans activists’ refusal to acknowledge the differences between these categories has led more and more onlookers to conclude there is no difference, and demand that all trans women be barred from all female spaces under all circumstances. 

Lois claims to see so little difference between males and females that we might as well do away with sex segregation entirely. 

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Lois:

You’re assuming that trans people are violent predators, yet most people identify as cis, so wouldn’t the majority of violent criminals be cis? As for trans women abusing biological women in prison, we ARE talking about prison, which is never filled with pacifists. People in prison are violent to one another, whether it’s cis male on cis male, cis female on cis female, or any group against any other group. Instead of demonizing trans people, why not repair the social issues, such as economic inequality, that lead to prison in the first place?

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Steve QJ:

“You’re assuming that trans people are violent predators”

No I'm not. This is incredibly obvious if you actually read the article.

Yes, people in prison are violent. But would you not agree that there's a difference between males being violent to males and males being violent to females?

Is there something unique to male anatomy that makes the consequences of male on male rape and female on female rape different to male on female rape?

Please stop playing word games and actually think about the issue.

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Lois:

Violence is violence and is traumatic no matter who does it.

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Steve QJ:

Sure, though there is such a thing as degree.

But rape only ever leads to unwanted pregnancy if males do it to females. Sexual assault only ever involves being penetrated by a penis if males do it. Males are overwhelmingly more likely to be able to overpower a female and assault her than the other way around. In fact, males are overwhelmingly more likely to assault females than the other way around (this holds true regardless of gender identity).

I don't understand what you think you gain by pretending you're too dumb to realise all of this.

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Lois:

I’m just trying to be inclusive, and it’s time biological women learned to defend themselves more often. We’re capable of being strong.

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“it’s time biological women learned to defend themselves more often. We’re capable of being strong.”

I go into more detail on how stupid this is below. But in my unending quest to understand why some people, especially some women, refuse to acknowledge the differences between women and trans women, I keep seeing this refusal to admit that there are strength differences between men and women.

Some women really don’t like to acknowledge this fact. 

Male strength advantages have been used as justification (or as a means) to oppress women in countless ways. It’s easy to understand why some women don’t want to talk them up. But refusing to talk about them at all just subjects the most vulnerable women to a new kind of oppression.

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Steve QJ:

“it’s time biological women learned to defend themselves more often. We’re capable of being strong.”

I'm sorry, but this is such a stupid thing to say. Females aren't weaker than males because they're not trying hard enough. There are muscular and skeletal differences between males and females. Females can perform the miracle of childbirth, men have greater strength, particularly upper body strength. That’s the trade-off.

Yes, females are capable of being strong. But on average, but quite a margin, males are stronger than females.

Again, this is just so painfully obvious that I'm not going to have a conversation where you pretend you don't know this stuff. I want to be inclusive. I also want to safeguard the rights women have fought for. It's wild to me that you only care about half of this equation.

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Lois:

Well, terms like male and female are up for debate anyway. Someone with a penis might identify as a woman, and someone with a vagina can identify as a man. Yes, people with penises are typically stronger than those with vaginas, yet people with vaginas can fight and fight nasty. It’s not always about strength, and based on what I’ve seen and been told about childbirth, it seems less like a miracle and more like torture. I don’t know why anyone would choose to put themselves through that agony. There are already enough people on earth anyway.

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Steve QJ:

“Well, terms like male and female are up for debate anyway.”

Okay, that's enough. If you aren't clear on what a male and female is, if you don't know the these are clearly defined categories in pretty much every single animal species, not just humans, we're not going to get anywhere. It's like trying to argue with somebody who thinks the Earth is flat.

Tell me, if you identify as a cat, are you a cat? Should you be treated in every aspect of life as a cat? What if you identify as a five-year-old? Should you be treated in every aspect of life as a five-year-old? Can you see no safeguarding concerns that might arise from this?

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It’s not particularly insightful to point out that the people who claim not to understand the differences between men and women are lying. The question is why?

Do they believe that lying is the only way to be inclusive? Are they unwilling to acknowledge their physical disadvantages? Or are they really this ignorant, both of biology, and of the harm they’re doing to women and transsexual people?

Ten years ago, transsexual people enjoyed more support than they do today, transsexual women used women’s bathrooms almost entirely without incident or controversy, and we achieved this gender-non-conforming utopia because nobody pretended to be confused about what a man or a woman is, or about the fact that biology is more important than gendered stereotypes. 

But today, trans activists insist that any man who claims to be a woman, no matter the context, must be immediately and unquestioningly affirmed. That anybody who points to the obvious problems with this strategy is hateful. And they’ve done enormous damage to the cause of genuine transsexuals in the process. 

Because while there are many things we don’t know, there are lots of things we know for sure. Even if people like Lois pretend not to.