Agreed. I don’t think we should be basing advocacy for trans individuals’ rights on shaky science that could change at any moment. Just like I never personally found the argument that gay people should be extended equal rights because they were “born this way” compelling (though that has a lot more evidence), when…

Yes, your last point is exactly what I mean. And I would actually say that there is much research still to be done on the science of sex and gender. For instance the idea that there is a distinctive “man” brain and “woman” brain is not super conclusive, and is definitely something that can be debated while still…

Well said!

Eh I dunno, people can hide things from their partners for years. And I’m sure it’s easier if you’re both rich and travel a lot and all that. Like I doubt she knew he was a serial cheater, considering they divorced after that broke, so it seems quite possible she didn’t know what a scumbag he was in other ways.

Gender is not biological. Even sex, which is biological, is a set of categories created by humans, and thus is fallible and subject to cases that fall outside its parameters. I suggest you read up on intersex, secondary sex characteristics, and chromosomes before commenting again. You are not coming from the place of…

I appreciate you bringing up the research on this issue. But these “man” and “woman” brains exist on a pretty wide spectrum, don’t they? You say brain determines gender, but what do you make of someone born biologically female who calls herself a woman but whose brain is squarely in the “man” camp? I don’t think you…

You probably think you are coming from a rational, scientific understanding of sex and gender, but I assure you, as a Biologist, you are not. Try reading up on the science of sex and gender, as well as intersex people:

But I think you’re conflating being anti-trans’ rights with being unsure about the relationship between sex, gender, and society. And those things aren’t the same. I see a lot of people who are pro- trans rights, i.e. they believe they should have legal protections, use the bathroom of their choice, have access to…

I think that’s my main issue here. I definitely think trans women are women and I have always and will always support their right to exist as who they are, use the restrooms they wish to, etc. And as a biologist I understand that most people’s ideas of biological sex, to say nothing of gender, are way too simplistic.

“No, racists are out these days because identity politics is in vogue. They exists BECAUSE you are after white people, I mean how come no one who started pushing identity politics thought that this would go wrong?”

Those are exactly my thoughts, vis-a-vis ducks, geese, and swans. EXACTLY. I would also like to submit that turkeys can appear to be assholes but are really just goofballs.

Okay I dunno how to embed tweets so I’m just gonna copy and paste:

Oh yeah for sure I agree she shouldn’t be taking her frustration out on her kids. That’s just gonna fuck them up in addition to the poverty. But having a safety net for her will help them too, since they’re dependent on her.

But why does it matter if she made poor choices (which is an if, we don’t know her)? She’s poor and she has 4 kids to raise NOW. Do you think people who make poor choices shouldn’t have health insurance? Do you think her children should be punished for her poor choices?

I didn’t think he was annoying, and I still appreciate him using his platform for good, but oh my GOD the pinned tweet at the top of his twitter page is the smarmiest, most self-congratulating thing ever.

Only tricky bit is you don’t get to choose *where* he lends that hand

Well, guess what? Thousands of women die or have serious and dangerous complications with their pregnancy each year, largely due to a lack of quality prenatal care. The US has the highest maternal mortality rate of any industrialized nation (and higher than Iran and Libya). That serious, life-threatening inequality is…

Yeah, I agree that it is very hard to pull off a general strike in the US today. But I am hopeful that striking and talking about the powerful history of strikes can reignite our appetite for collective action in this country. More tangible goals and maybe a group that is more narrowly defined economically, like…

Just makes me wonder what in the fuck are we teaching in our history classes in schools? Or is it just going in one ear and out the other? One month of “I have a dream” and Rosa Parks per year is not enough. I feel very lucky that my high school US history teacher had us read A People’s History of the United States to…

“Because real lefty-liberals hate Indians and Asians for not embracing the victim mentality and actually being ambitious, and not falling into the trap of crime and community disintegration caused by poverty that you see among other immigrant and ethnic groups.”