Questions, Questions...
Questions To Keep Asking Gender Extremists and "Allies" This Year
Since our fave question “What is a woman?” has become old hat and something of what gender extremists now helpfully call a “dogwhistle” so they can safely ignore it (as well as never answering it without circular reasoning), I’m thinking I personally want to press on with some new and frequent lines of questioning this year. That perhaps might prompt onlookers to have a think, even if the genderists themselves are still too extreme or mantra-spouting to be capable of answering.
So here are my initial 15 questions. I’ll add more as I think of them, but do let me know of any extras you think should be added too.
“What Is Trans?” How does someone objectively know they’re trans, how would they know they’re NOT, and who is and isn’t included in the definition? Be precise. How would YOU test for “transness?”
“Is It Possible For Someone To SAY They’re Trans And Not Be? How Would You Know?” Where is the dividing line and what are the criteria? How would you know if they are not telling the truth or if they are incorrect?
“Who IS “Binary Exactly?” How would YOU determine if someone is binary or non-binary? What questions would you ask them? How would you make the assessment of whether they are nor not? By looking at them, talking to them, what?
“What Is A Man?” Because I think the issue of who “gets to” count as a man and who doesn’t, according to men and “male allies”, and who decides this, is the key to a lot of men’s attitude to this. So let’s keep asking.
What Are “Female” And “Male” Gender Identities, What Do They Consist Of?” And how would you know if you have a “male” one, a “female” one or a “non-binary” one?
Following on from that, “How Does ‘Gender Identity’ Differ From Regressive Sex Stereotypes Exactly, Then?” What are the differences? Can you identify them?
“How Is Fitting Personality Traits, Likes & Dislikes Into “Pink” And “Blue” identity boxes that you call “Male” and “Female” Challenging To Sex Stereotypes?” Is there any reason that they can’t ALL be deemed gender-neutral? Who decides which are “pink” and which are “blue?” Why? Are you aware that feminists and women’s rights advocates have been fighting these limiting definitions for well over a century now?
“Is It Possible, In Your View, For A Person You Call ‘Cis’ Not To Adhere To Stereotypes For Their Sex?” For instance, is a woman who didn’t like dolls and dresses as a child, wears trousers, likes short hair and is good at maths permitted to call herself a woman? Is a man who had dolls he loved as a child, is a nurturing kind of person and happens to love baking and the colour pink allowed to call himself a man? If so, how would you differentiate them from someone “trans” or “non-binary” for example?
“What Beliefs Do You THINK ‘Gender Critical’ Feminists and ‘TERFs’ Have About Sex And Gender? Where Did You Get That Information?” In what ways were Second-Wave Feminists, for instance, known for their adherence and championing of sex stereotypes of ‘femininity’?
“What, In Your View, Is The Correlation Between DSDs (Intersex) Conditions And Spectrums Of So-Called Gender Identities, Personality Traits Or Any Other Measure Of Trans or Non-Binariness?” Can you point us to studies that demonstrate a correlation?
“How Is Having Body Parts Removed & Irreversible Plastic Surgery To Physically Emulate A Member Of The Opposite Sex An Example Of “Authenticity?” Or “being your true self”? Is being medicalised for life with opposite-sex hormones “authenticity”? How? If we gave anorexics liposuction, would that make them more “authentic”? How is the body dysmorphia of an anorexic different from the belief that you are “born in the wrong body?”
“When In History & Globally Were Trans Identifying Males (‘Trans Women’) As A Group Specifically Ever A. Treated As The Property Of Males In Law?” B. Refused Education, The Vote, Equal Pay Or Property/Inheritance Rights On The Basis Of Their Supposedly ‘Inferior Female’ Brains? C. Expected To Vow To ‘Obey’ Their Husband On Marriage? D. Expected To Submit To Sex With Husbands Regardless Of Consent As The Male’s Legal & Moral Conjugal ‘Right’ To Sex? E. Aborted Or Murdered At Birth For “Being The Wrong Sex”? F. Been Expected To Be ‘Naturally’ Subservient To Males In Order To Be A Good Example Of Their Sex?
“What Evidence Can You Show Us That Trans Identifying Males Have Different Patterns Of Criminal Offending Than Other Males, And Akin To That Of Females?”
“Why Were Single Sex Spaces And Services Fought For Historically?”
“Why Is It Unacceptable To Self-Identify As A Race You Are Not, But It Is Completely Acceptable To Self-Identify As A Sex You Are Not?” Which other categories is it okay to identify into? Age? Country of birth? What are the criteria of acceptability, what is beyond the pale, and what criteria are you using to decide that?
I am sure there are numerous others. Do let me know if you think of any - especially if they’ve proved effective in any discussions you’ve had!
Additional Questions
“In What Way Is A Male Who Identifies As Female And Is Still Attracted To Women He Calls “Cis” The Same As A Lesbian?” Are lesbians—women sexually attracted to other women— permitted to be solely same-sex attracted? And if not, can you explain how this isn’t homophobia on your part? How has a male’s sexual orientation changed if he is only attracted to women, given that sex and “gender”, as you keep telling us, are not the same? Surely, regardless of his identity, if he is not sexually attracted to other males, whether they be transwomen or no, he remains a heterosexual male?
“Do you think that lesbians are obliged to consider this individual in their dating pool?” If yes, are you saying that bisexuality should not just be optional, but should be obligatory, or are you okay with gay people saying openly that they’re not going to be sexually attracted to anyone of the opposite sex? Do you think if a gay person says this, it’s “bigotry?” And do you differentiate between gay men and women in how you think about this? If so, why?
(From Ute) “Why do men who ideate they exist as a female persona insist on being called the "mother" of their children, displacing the biological mother?” Where this happens, is it acceptable or fair, either on the actual mother who is being displaced, or indeed the children involved to insist on this? Do they get to have a say? Why or why not? What role does the woman’s 'consent ‘ play in this, and isn’t assuming that the actually female partner should simply submit to her male partner’s wishes rather a misogynist view?
(from Ute) “Why do (so many) female therapists of the "affirming" variety also insist on this for their patient, violating another woman's rights?” Where this happens, is this acceptable in terms of boundaries or fairness? Is the impact on the woman in the partnership also to be considered with as much importance as the male, and her feelings about a fundamental non-consensual change in the terms of her partnership allowed to be aired, or is she expected to simply be supportive? If so, why don’t her needs and feelings matter?
(from Dee) “What is a gender?” Be precise. When should it be used, what does it refer to exactly, and, as above, how does it differ from “sex stereotypes?” If it were to be put into law, how would you define it? And can you give historical examples of where it was “gender” rather than “sex” that defined things like voting rights, property rights, primogeniture, rights on marriage, and employment and pay rights for women in the past? What might happen to those rights in law if you replace “sex” with “gender”? Have the underlying reasons why we had to have those laws to secure women’s rights gone away, do you think, or have they been held at bay by those clear anti-discrimination laws being in place? How will you stop sex discrimination going forward or are you assuming that “gender” will cover it, even if some of those “gender” includes are of the male rather than the female sex?
(from Dee) “Do we also have internal versions of other physical characteristics like height or eye color that could be different from the physical characteristics? If I feel I was meant to be tall and want people to see me as tall, could I identify as tall even though I’m short?” I mean, you could wear contact lenses for eye colour, but is someone wearing stilts that makes them a foot taller the same ‘height’ for say, medical purposes, as someone who actually IS a foot taller? Does my BMI change if I wear stilts?.
(Dee) “What is accomplished by changing words?” If I get someone to call me a “birthing parent” instead of a “mother”, that’s just a different word for the parent who gives birth to the child. Both express the idea that one parent gives birth while the other doesn’t. Why is “birthing parent” inclusive of trans people but “mother” isn’t (however, see Ute’s point above). Why is it considered so important to change words and remove the meanings of words like “mother”, “woman”, “lesbian”. And do you think it’s as important to change or remove words that relate to men’s experience as it is to change the ones that relate to women’s? Why or why not?
(Dee) “How do you know what it feels like to be the opposite sex?” What are you basing it on? Is not feeling. that you fit into the “box” for your own sex the same thing as being of the opposite sex, do you think? What are you basing that on?
An additional excellent set of questions here, from Twitter User Nettleshippy.
1. What is a gender?
2. Do we also have internal versions of other physical characteristics like height or eye color that could be different from the physical characteristics? If I feel I was meant to be tall and want people to see me as tall, could I identify as tall even though I’m short?
3. What is accomplished by changing words? If I get someone to call me a “birthing parent” instead of a “mother”, that’s just a different word for the parent who gives birth to the child. Both express the idea that one parent gives birth while the other doesn’t. Why is “birthing parent” inclusive of trans people but “mother” isn’t?
4. How do you know what it feels like to be the opposite sex?
Q: Why do men who ideate they exist as a female persona insist on being called the "mother" of their children, displacing the biological mother? Why do female therapists of the "affirming" variety also insist on this for their patient, violating another woman's rights?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kto3_5SbAt0&t=14s