Thread by Michael Shermer: To be clear: when @jk_rowling says that MTF trans are not women she is simply stating the scientific definition of sex. Biological males produce small gametes (sperm); biological females produce large gametes (eggs). MTF trans cannot produce eggs so

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Michael Shermer
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To be clear: when @jk_rowling says that MTF trans are not women she is simply stating the scientific definition of sex. Biological males produce small gametes (sperm); biological females produce large gametes (eggs). MTF trans cannot produce eggs so by definition are not women
Exceptions to the definition do not gainsay the argument: young boys do not produce sperm yet, but the potential is there. Girls are born with eggs but don't release them until puberty. Anatomy & physiology of bodies develop around gamete potentiality or actuality; much follows
Add ons like breast implants or reconstructive surgery to turn a penis into a vagina does not turn a male into a female because the body doesn't make eggs. If activists want to redefine sex into whatever a person self-identifies as then biological "female" & "male" is meaningless
And none of this has to do with the rights of self-identified trans people who should share the same rights as everyone else, not discriminated against, protected from violence, etc. It is not transphobic to state a scientific definition. Activists can try to redefine sex but...
that doesn't mean we must accept it. Language matters & thoughtful communication & debate depend upon agreed-upon word meanings. So much of the unwarranted attacks on @jk_rowling is the result of activists redefining terms with which few people (especially biologists) agree.
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Colin Wright 2mos

Good thread! We can't let activists obscure the fundamental nature of what it means to be male or female. Chaos will ensue if we do not stop this gender pseudoscience from spreading.