• Cypher@lemmy.world
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    5 hours ago

    “Biological male” is a scientifically misleading phrase

    The phrase seems to be very clear in meaning, could you tell me what you find misleading about it?

    • Cethin@lemmy.zip
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      5 hours ago

      Which biological process do you think that term refers to? If you can’t pinpoint a single specific one, and have that make sense and have every person agree with you, then it’s clearly not useful.

      The only thing thats useful about it is it allows someone to be a bigot and act like they’re intellectually superior (while also managing to be less precise and generally incorrect).

      • Cypher@lemmy.world
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        4 hours ago

        If you can’t pinpoint a single specific one

        So my answer must be simple, when discussing a complex topic, but you will circle back to claims of complexity to dismiss anything I say.

        That is hardly a good faith response.

        I would say it is the sum of biological processes that result in the expected sexual dimorphism observed within the majority of the population, resulting in biologically male or female traits.

        • Cethin@lemmy.zip
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          4 hours ago

          It only needs to be simple if you say it should be simple. Biological male is a bad term because it implies some simple binary, which doesn’t exist. If it does exist, then you should be able to tell me specifically which biological process it refers to.

          I would say it is the sum of biological processes that result in the expected sexual dimorphism observed within the majority of the population, resulting in biologically male or female traits.

          Fine answer. OK, so when someone takes HRT they are modifying these biological processes to fit with their chosen gender, correct? So they are now biologically their chosen gender, according to your definition, right? They are not the gender assigned at birth anymore.

          • Cypher@lemmy.world
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            3 hours ago

            HRT is gender affirming care and is not a ‘sex change’ which is outdated and offensive.

            It’s odd that you’re trying to ‘debunk’ what you see as a bigoted term and you’ve come full circle to something even worse.

            You should look up the difference between sex and gender before you continue arguing down this route.

            • Cethin@lemmy.zip
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              2 hours ago

              I never said HRT was “sex change” though I would argue it potentially changes your sex, based on some definition of sex.

              I did in another comment refer to a sex change surgery, which may be what you’re referring to. Yeah, that has other names, but the point of that comment was the language is something we’re working backwards to, and not something we should work forward from, unlike what you implied with your comment that was on. Whatever it’s called, that’s not an argument for what effect it has. We change the names of things as we evolve our understanding. We don’t understand based on what things are called.

              I know the difference between sex and gender. My point has been consistently that sex is hazy. It is not a binary, and calling someone “biologically male” who does not want to be called that is a snobby way to be an asshole, particularly because “biologically male” doesn’t mean much, if anything. Assigned gender at birth is clear and there are no questions, so use that. If they’re undergoing HRT and/or gender reassignment surgery, their biology is no longer that of their birth, so they are not “biologically male.” Do you agree with this, or are you going to continue arguing that you were totally right the whole time? If you think you were right, which part of biology is the sex identifier? You haven’t answered that.

              • Cypher@lemmy.world
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                26 minutes ago

                If you think you were right, which part of biology is the sex identifier? You haven’t answered that.

                I have already very clearly articulated my answer to this. Go back up a couple of comments and read it again if you need to.

                though I would argue it potentially changes your sex

                Then you are arguing against the prevailing medical and scientific opinions, gender affirming care can assist with aligning secondary sex characteristics but does not change the patients sex.

                It has long been an argument of the trans community that gender and sex are different, which Im not disputing at all but you are trying to make unclear.

                Feminizing hormone therapy is used to make physical changes in the body that are caused by female hormones during puberty. Those changes are called secondary sex characteristics.

                https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/feminizing-hormone-therapy/about/pac-20385096

                For your convenience you can check the difference between primary and secondary sex characteristics here:

                https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_characteristics