Nowhere GirlJul 21, 2023
"Sometimes biological reality isn't everything," Kathleen Stock admits sheepishly, and then disappears in a puff of blue logic.
Show threadNowhere Girl

This is, essentially, the entire argument for women's and LGBT+ rights in a nutshell and even a notorious transphobe like Kathleen Stock can't avoid resorting to it.

What people call "biological realities," firstly, are socially determined, as they frequently include mandatory heterosexuality, gender conformity, and subordination of women and AFAB people for the sake for forced reproduction backed up by state and interpersonal violence.

Jul 21, 2023 at 4:15pmWeb
Show threadNowhere GirlJul 21, 2023

Queer and intersex people, as well as women who don't want have children, are frequently labeled "unnatural" under this system even though we obviously exist.

And there is no doubt a great deal of biological nuance and complexity underpinning sex, gender, and sexuality, as emphasized by differences in sex development and the various structural differences which have been observed.

Show threadNowhere GirlJul 21, 2023

The more important point, however, is that whatever biological causes or contributions exist to sex, gender, and sexuality, individual freedom and human happiness are understood by all but the most illiberal, reactionary, and fascist social orders to take precedence over any so-called "biological realities."

We may never know, for example, what causes someone to be gay or trans, but we do know that attempting to suppress them achieves nothing but suffering and misery on a widespread basis.

Show threadNowhere GirlJul 21, 2023

Likewise, women and AFAB people who choose not to be pregnant are exercising their right to bodily autonomy -- a right which is implicit and understood for cis-het men and only becomes "controversial" when it runs counter to their desires and the prevailing white supremacist patriarchal Christian social order.

Whatever "biological realities" may be claimed about women's bodies and our "natural" and "necessary" roles as mothers, we still have the right to choose for ourselves how we live.

Show threadNowhere GirlJul 21, 2023

Kathleen Stock is obviously aware of this argument and the deep feminist history underpinning it; she simply refuses to follow her own argument to its logical conclusion when applied to anyone except other white cis women like herself.

In fact, like a lot of TERFs / GCs, she makes allowances for cis queer women while absolutely refusing to show the same level of care and compassion for anyone else.

No doubt because, as a deep-thinking academic philosopher, she thinks trans people are "icky."

Show threadNowhere GirlJul 21, 2023

There's a reason that arguments based in so-called "biological realities" are extremely suspect, as they have a well-known basis and history in misogyny, racism, and eugenics.

The only people who still use them are fascists, which is indicative of the politics of TERFs / GCs / transphobes.

But as they've started to feel the consequences of allying with fascists, they're compelled to defend themselves with the same arguments as the rest of us.

When, of course, the fascists don't care.

Show threadNowhere GirlJul 21, 2023

There will be a splintering of TERFs / GCs as these useful idiots for fascism find themselves increasingly under attack by the theocrats they've boosted to hurt trans people.

Much as conservative white women in the US have started slowly feeling alarmed by the religious extremism of the GOP, which they previously assumed, apparently, was all talk.

Of course, the wealthier and more bigoted white women will no doubt stick with the fascists in pursuit of status.

Show threadIan Hecht 🇨🇦Jul 21, 2023
@gwynnion Always shocked when the leopard eats their face... 🙄
Show threadisotope239 🥸💻🇺🇦😣Jul 21, 2023
@gwynnion Well said. A couple of things; first, gender and/or sexual preference is like most other characteristics in that it's on a spectrum just like intelligence, personality, hair and eye color, you name it. There's no absolutes and nothing that's categorically "normal". Second, speaking personally, it's none of my business how someone else lives as long as they're reasonably ethical (notice I didn't say "moral") and don't have loud parties next door to which I'm not invited.
Show threadMarty PartyJul 21, 2023
@gwynnion yep biological realities have a nasty habit of confirming the worst biases of the people relying on them. We are all so much fuzzier and mutable than those who deal in simplistic absolutes can tolerate.