The Freaky Friday thing doesn't work out super well. It's a tempting thought experiment, but the brain is kindof a dumb design, and designed by a pretty dumb process that mostly stumbles on things that work and runs with it. The "software" (read who you are) in the brain is encoded in the physical structure of the brain. There isn't really any copy/paste option.
There was a human head transplantation in 2019. But it's like putting a Ford engine into a Chevy. What it is, is a Chevy with a Ford engine.
I guess if the thought experiment invokes magic then fair enough. But it's hard to draw a lot of conclusions when you need Gandalf or Merlin.
I think...I wrote it here? Maybe? Caesar was arguably the most manly man who ever manned. And he fucked, or was fucked by (probably) some of the men who presided over his divorce from his wife. It's not unlimited, but I'm open to the possibility that there is some wiggle room there. He also did this thing with Cleo. So he still liked boobs. It's not really a neat fit into modern terminology.
Gender roles are at least flexible enough that Caesar can return home with his enemy in chains and sleep with a Senator instead of his wife. Is that brain stuff or social standards? If someone thinks that's purely brain stuff, then they need to explain how Cleo was married to her brother.
I think I mostly disagree with you on this topic, but I want to engage in good faith, because I think you've written this article in that same spirit.
I would identify as part of the left-wing as you've described it: that 40% of Americans who think someone can transition from one gender to another and support their right to do so, but I don't find any of the three positions you describe to be contradictory.
Regarding the moderates: even if I didn't think of people's transitions as medically necessary or advisable, I would still defend their right to cosmetic surgeries (phalloplasty/vaginoplasty), hormone supplements (estrogen/testosterone), or to participate in public events (drag shows, etc) as I would not oppose similar surgeries, supplements, or public performances for those who do not identify as trans. As a believer in liberalism, I believe that the government should not prevent people from exercising their preferred gender presentation, whatever their sex. Most drag queens and kings identify with their birth sex, but I still support their right to cross-dress in public.
Thanks for the comment. I didn't spell out my own views in this article, to be clear. My own view is that trans is real, so we aren't in disagreement about that. And I also agree that the moderate and left positions overlap when it comes to basic legal protections and the right of adults to do as they please with their bodies. Where the two diverge, as I said, is in the edge cases. Sports, prisons, shelters, bathrooms, changing rooms, etc. And of course, on anything to do with youth gender medicine. We can — and have — built a broad coalition around basic rights (see the Pew graphic above), but the edge cases are where all the voltage is.
I’m one of the right who don’t think anyone can transition from one sex to another, just as no one can transition from one ethnic group to another.
Here’s the big elephant in the room that I think you and many ignore:
Do you notice that this only goes one way?
Do you notice whose definition is being erased?
Do you notice whose rights are being totally denigrated?
Why isn’t anyone asking Women--hey do you mind if we use your rest room? Do you feel uncomfortable with we share your locker room? Is it unfair that we want to play on your sports team?
Does it bother you that we can dress up like blackface and act out all if the ridiculous and infantile stereotypes of women?
No one ever asks because the alphabet crew doesn’t give one whit for women, (notice whose not dressing up and hosting a float at Pride Parades? Lesbians) and the medical complex backs them because they are taking in the dough. It’s all a huge misogynistic sham, and the kids are the one suffering the most, while the women are just mocked.
Bruce Jenner, for all of the glory and praise he’s received as Caitlyn, knows the truth. When playing golf, he still hits from the men’s tees.
Got here via a Sheluyang Peng note. Just have to respond.
"Suppose a Japanese grandmother’s mind was swapped into the body of an NFL linebacker. Would this person be a woman, despite having the body of a man? I think most people’s intuition would say that yes, this is a woman."
Japanese, really? What the fuck does that have to do with it?
And no: this would be a man. Period, absolutely, no question. A person with a body of a man goes into spaces, places, and events for MEN, and is excluded from spaces, places, and events for WOMEN.
Please read up on women's sex-based rights before you mansplain again:
For me, I can summarize my position easily - briefly, I believe adults can choose whatever they wish and want to be as regards sex. I do not believe that minors should be able to elect physical surgeries that may not be reversed in their future adult lives. I do not agree with your view that all those to the right of center are bigots. Yes, some are - just as some to the left are bigoted.
No one should face discrimination due to their birth or subsequent surgeries - nor should anyone 'push' their views/choices on others - who may not have their interest in such subjects - brief and simple.
Getting surgery does not change your sex, which is determined at conception and observed at birth (with a 99.98% accuracy rate). And no, you should not face "discrimination" because you got surgery, but you still go into the single-sex spaces, places, and events of your conception sex, which is unchangeable.
I think you are wrong about Freaky Friday. Most people believe men's bodies go in multi toilet men's restrooms, especially when there is no ambiguity about appearance.
More disturbingly, it is not anyone, or the state's job to be pro anyone in a liberal society. It is our job to be pro liberty, other things being equal. An agnostic does not need to believe faith alone will save our souls to believe that born again Christians have the right to words and worship that express their opinions. Nor do born agains have the right to demand of me that I believe what they believe. Likewise, if the state demands someone be pro-trans when trans is a matter of faith alone (self ID), then the state massively abridges human rights.
Frankly, I can't peer into anyone's soul and neither can you. So when someone says they feel like they were born in the wrong body I have no way to evaluate that. Nor can I tell you if that feeling is healthy and should be affirmed medically or if it is a maladjustment that should be ameliorated with counseling. And that is not our job. Our job is to allow people who feel that way to pursue their own course within our basic legal framework and social contract.
As soon as we start claiming to peer into souls instead behavior, we are lost as a democracy.
I think that the freaky Friday scenario you have is misguided. Your "brawny grandma" should OBVIOUSLY use the men's room and play on men's teams, because those are things about bodies. There is absolutely a conflict there, because get participation in sports would endanger the other players, and her presence in bathrooms would make others very uncomfortable. And our role in society is not just to make ourselves happy and comfortable, but also to consider the feelings of others.
If your hypothetical brawny grandma wanted to do things to her new body to feel right in it, sure, that's fine. But I don't actually care how people feel "inside" when something is about bodies. The body matters (a lot) too. Which we actually all know, because there are plenty of reports out there about how hormones affect your thinking and your feeling and your general awareness in the world.
Would you say then that someone who had changed their body and appearance to the point that they outwardly pass as the other sex should be allowed in the bathrooms of their preference? I'd agree that there is an inherent unfairness with athletic competitions regardless of gender identity.
I think that the key point is that if you pass and do not make people uncomfortable, you can use the space. If you are making people uncomfortable, REGARDLESS OF YOUR SEX OR YOUR GENDER IDENTITY, your using of the space may be problematic. (I say MAY BE, not IS, because situations are complicated, and having very hard and fast rules never works for human behavior.) But I think that we can all agree that a person running around and shaking their butts/genitals/chests in people's faces would make people uncomfortable, and their usage of the space is problematic, regardless of which space it is. I think that we can all agree that a person quietly changing in the corner and not drawing any attention is likely not a problem. (I can imagine exceptions, but, again, not regarding sex or gender identity, but rather behavior.)
The Freaky Friday thing doesn't work out super well. It's a tempting thought experiment, but the brain is kindof a dumb design, and designed by a pretty dumb process that mostly stumbles on things that work and runs with it. The "software" (read who you are) in the brain is encoded in the physical structure of the brain. There isn't really any copy/paste option.
There was a human head transplantation in 2019. But it's like putting a Ford engine into a Chevy. What it is, is a Chevy with a Ford engine.
I guess if the thought experiment invokes magic then fair enough. But it's hard to draw a lot of conclusions when you need Gandalf or Merlin.
It's limited, but I think still useful to imagine some kind of scenario that would allow people to stretch themselves with some concepts.
I think...I wrote it here? Maybe? Caesar was arguably the most manly man who ever manned. And he fucked, or was fucked by (probably) some of the men who presided over his divorce from his wife. It's not unlimited, but I'm open to the possibility that there is some wiggle room there. He also did this thing with Cleo. So he still liked boobs. It's not really a neat fit into modern terminology.
Gender roles are at least flexible enough that Caesar can return home with his enemy in chains and sleep with a Senator instead of his wife. Is that brain stuff or social standards? If someone thinks that's purely brain stuff, then they need to explain how Cleo was married to her brother.
I think I mostly disagree with you on this topic, but I want to engage in good faith, because I think you've written this article in that same spirit.
I would identify as part of the left-wing as you've described it: that 40% of Americans who think someone can transition from one gender to another and support their right to do so, but I don't find any of the three positions you describe to be contradictory.
Regarding the moderates: even if I didn't think of people's transitions as medically necessary or advisable, I would still defend their right to cosmetic surgeries (phalloplasty/vaginoplasty), hormone supplements (estrogen/testosterone), or to participate in public events (drag shows, etc) as I would not oppose similar surgeries, supplements, or public performances for those who do not identify as trans. As a believer in liberalism, I believe that the government should not prevent people from exercising their preferred gender presentation, whatever their sex. Most drag queens and kings identify with their birth sex, but I still support their right to cross-dress in public.
Regarding my own left-wing position: I think gender dysphoria is real - as does the [NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/gender-dysphoria/), [APA](https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/gender-dysphoria/what-is-gender-dysphoria), and [NIH](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532313/) - and given that gender reassignment surgery has such a high satisfaction rate ([87.4%](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4261554/)), I believe people suffering gender dysphoria should have access to it. I am generally opposed to discrimination for any mental disorder or condition, and I believe that denial of medical care to individuals suffering from gender dysphoria is a form of discrimination.
And I just think it's cruel.
Thanks for the comment. I didn't spell out my own views in this article, to be clear. My own view is that trans is real, so we aren't in disagreement about that. And I also agree that the moderate and left positions overlap when it comes to basic legal protections and the right of adults to do as they please with their bodies. Where the two diverge, as I said, is in the edge cases. Sports, prisons, shelters, bathrooms, changing rooms, etc. And of course, on anything to do with youth gender medicine. We can — and have — built a broad coalition around basic rights (see the Pew graphic above), but the edge cases are where all the voltage is.
Thank you for your thoughtful essay.
I’m one of the right who don’t think anyone can transition from one sex to another, just as no one can transition from one ethnic group to another.
Here’s the big elephant in the room that I think you and many ignore:
Do you notice that this only goes one way?
Do you notice whose definition is being erased?
Do you notice whose rights are being totally denigrated?
Why isn’t anyone asking Women--hey do you mind if we use your rest room? Do you feel uncomfortable with we share your locker room? Is it unfair that we want to play on your sports team?
Does it bother you that we can dress up like blackface and act out all if the ridiculous and infantile stereotypes of women?
No one ever asks because the alphabet crew doesn’t give one whit for women, (notice whose not dressing up and hosting a float at Pride Parades? Lesbians) and the medical complex backs them because they are taking in the dough. It’s all a huge misogynistic sham, and the kids are the one suffering the most, while the women are just mocked.
Bruce Jenner, for all of the glory and praise he’s received as Caitlyn, knows the truth. When playing golf, he still hits from the men’s tees.
You should definitely look into Buck Angel
Got here via a Sheluyang Peng note. Just have to respond.
"Suppose a Japanese grandmother’s mind was swapped into the body of an NFL linebacker. Would this person be a woman, despite having the body of a man? I think most people’s intuition would say that yes, this is a woman."
Japanese, really? What the fuck does that have to do with it?
And no: this would be a man. Period, absolutely, no question. A person with a body of a man goes into spaces, places, and events for MEN, and is excluded from spaces, places, and events for WOMEN.
Please read up on women's sex-based rights before you mansplain again:
https://womensdeclarationusa.com/the-declaration/
https://www.thedistancemag.com/p/giving-birth-and-mens-appropriation
For me, I can summarize my position easily - briefly, I believe adults can choose whatever they wish and want to be as regards sex. I do not believe that minors should be able to elect physical surgeries that may not be reversed in their future adult lives. I do not agree with your view that all those to the right of center are bigots. Yes, some are - just as some to the left are bigoted.
No one should face discrimination due to their birth or subsequent surgeries - nor should anyone 'push' their views/choices on others - who may not have their interest in such subjects - brief and simple.
Getting surgery does not change your sex, which is determined at conception and observed at birth (with a 99.98% accuracy rate). And no, you should not face "discrimination" because you got surgery, but you still go into the single-sex spaces, places, and events of your conception sex, which is unchangeable.
I think you are wrong about Freaky Friday. Most people believe men's bodies go in multi toilet men's restrooms, especially when there is no ambiguity about appearance.
More disturbingly, it is not anyone, or the state's job to be pro anyone in a liberal society. It is our job to be pro liberty, other things being equal. An agnostic does not need to believe faith alone will save our souls to believe that born again Christians have the right to words and worship that express their opinions. Nor do born agains have the right to demand of me that I believe what they believe. Likewise, if the state demands someone be pro-trans when trans is a matter of faith alone (self ID), then the state massively abridges human rights.
Frankly, I can't peer into anyone's soul and neither can you. So when someone says they feel like they were born in the wrong body I have no way to evaluate that. Nor can I tell you if that feeling is healthy and should be affirmed medically or if it is a maladjustment that should be ameliorated with counseling. And that is not our job. Our job is to allow people who feel that way to pursue their own course within our basic legal framework and social contract.
As soon as we start claiming to peer into souls instead behavior, we are lost as a democracy.
I think that the freaky Friday scenario you have is misguided. Your "brawny grandma" should OBVIOUSLY use the men's room and play on men's teams, because those are things about bodies. There is absolutely a conflict there, because get participation in sports would endanger the other players, and her presence in bathrooms would make others very uncomfortable. And our role in society is not just to make ourselves happy and comfortable, but also to consider the feelings of others.
If your hypothetical brawny grandma wanted to do things to her new body to feel right in it, sure, that's fine. But I don't actually care how people feel "inside" when something is about bodies. The body matters (a lot) too. Which we actually all know, because there are plenty of reports out there about how hormones affect your thinking and your feeling and your general awareness in the world.
Would you say then that someone who had changed their body and appearance to the point that they outwardly pass as the other sex should be allowed in the bathrooms of their preference? I'd agree that there is an inherent unfairness with athletic competitions regardless of gender identity.
I think that the key point is that if you pass and do not make people uncomfortable, you can use the space. If you are making people uncomfortable, REGARDLESS OF YOUR SEX OR YOUR GENDER IDENTITY, your using of the space may be problematic. (I say MAY BE, not IS, because situations are complicated, and having very hard and fast rules never works for human behavior.) But I think that we can all agree that a person running around and shaking their butts/genitals/chests in people's faces would make people uncomfortable, and their usage of the space is problematic, regardless of which space it is. I think that we can all agree that a person quietly changing in the corner and not drawing any attention is likely not a problem. (I can imagine exceptions, but, again, not regarding sex or gender identity, but rather behavior.)
That's a reasonable and nuanced stance.