Biology defines woman - maybe this is the best answer.

Warrigal said:
It brings to mind a quote from the 1995 film Rob Roy
Click to expand...
Women are the heart of honor.
And we cherish and protect it in them.
You must never mistreat a woman, or malign man.
Or stand by and see another do so.
Warrigal said:
It would be a wonderful thing if all men saw women in these terms.
Click to expand...
It would be a wonderful thing as well if man were less maligned by all women.
 
In my view, if we are talking about gender, clearly men and women's bodies and genetic make-up are very different and it is those differences which define us. I am refraining from taking the conversation too far as I am not sure if that is the subject of this thread :)
 
Trish said:
In my view, if we are talking about gender, clearly men and women's bodies and genetic make-up are very different and it is those differences which define us. I am refraining from taking the conversation too far as I am not sure if that is the subject of this thread :)
Click to expand...

I’m not sure either. I saw it as attempting to use biology to malign a portion of the population.
 
Anyone who watches archaeology programmes will know that when a skeleton is dug up, it is examined by professionals who determine the gender by the bone structure. You can chop bits off and stick bits on, but you can't change the basic skeleton.
I started a thread on this very subject.
Whatever gender you are born with, you remain for the rest of your life.
 
Lavinia said:
Anyone who watches archaeology programmes will know that when a skeleton is dug up, it is examined by professionals who determine the gender by the bone structure. You can chop bits off and stick bits on, but you can't change the basic skeleton.
I started a thread on this very subject.
Whatever gender you are born with, you remain for the rest of your life.
Click to expand...

Bones don’t determine gender. Gender is more about social and cultural differences than biological ones.
 
I think this is a good explanation:

"The World Health Organisation regional office for Europe describes sex as characteristics that are biologically defined, whereas gender is based on socially constructed features. They recognise that there are variations in how people experience gender based upon self-perception and expression, and how they behave.21 Feb 2019"

My own, admittedly simplistic, view is that whatever our differences may be, we would all enjoy a much better world if we could respect each other's differences rather than let them divide us.
 
Chris P Bacon said:
Women are the heart of honor.
And we cherish and protect it in them.
You must never mistreat a woman, or malign man.
Or stand by and see another do so.

It would be a wonderful thing as well if man were less maligned by all women.
Click to expand...
I think (hope!) it's a small proportion of women who maligned men, Chris. Generally it is extreme views which grab the headlines and that is likely why people who want to make those headlines will express them :)
 
Trish said:
"The World Health Organisation regional office for Europe describes sex as characteristics that are biologically defined, whereas gender is based on socially constructed features.
Click to expand...
Not unreasonable, but I have to wonder why this whole issue is so important to so many people.

It really only makes a difference to a small percentage of the population. Most of us are happy with the XX or XY we were born with. It does matter a lot to the people who are not. I am happy to let them decide what they want to be called or considered. No skin off my nose, and if it makes them happier then I am happy for them.

Can't say I understand why anybody would want to change sex or gender or whatever you call it, but if people do I just say go for it.

I do have a bit of discomfort or squeamishness thinking about the medical procedures, but that's my problem. So long as it doesn't become mandatory so what?
 
Last edited:
Trish said:
I think (hope!) it's a small proportion of women who maligned men, Chris. Generally it is extreme views which grab the headlines and that is likely why people who want to make those headlines will express them :)
Click to expand...

It’s not the majority, in my personal experience anyway. But it doesn’t take a majority to cause unnecessary pain. For example, it doesn’t take a majority of the pebbles in the world to cause me discomfort when only one in my shoe can do that quite well. The difference is though that I can remove the hurtful pebble from my shoe. It’s not so easy a remedy when it’s people, women and some men too, who malign men as a group instead of confronting those considered problematic.
 
Warrigal said:
It brings to mind a quote from the 1995 film Rob Roy


It would be a wonderful thing if all men saw women in these terms.
Click to expand...
Reminds me of something I wrote early on in my tenure here

Nothing's changed;


WIMIN


The most mysterious beings of our planet

I found out long ago, about sixty years or so, that gaining favor with the finer gender of our specie is not necessarily in my best interest.
Whole different frequency
Wired different
Fiber optic vs 9 gauge single conductor
Fascinating, mystical, attractive, you bet
Sensitivities I’d never remotely considered
But, hanging with a group of ladies?

Can’t

Mentally; exhausting

Socially; this ogre doesn’t stand a chance

Spiritually; beyond any reach I may have thought I had

Physically; like looking into the sun, can go blind if obsessing too long

Gaining favor?
Whimsical touches
Nothing of depth
Any more than that and I find myself precariously dangling off a mental precipice

I can do one, maybe two per sitting
and that is mostly because they sense my discomfort to the point of putting forth effort to discuss what I’m interested in
I’ve learned to pick up on this and placate for a bit, then find a way to excuse myself

I don’t avoid ladies, but have learned not to seek them out
It’s what shops are for

I’ve been fortunate

My lady has put up with me for half a century

When I become too much and I (for some unknown reason) anger her,
I found placing my calloused hand on the small of her back will still cause her to flinch
….and she begrudgingly forgives me

We have had this tryst, this romance that has yet to fade

She’s plenty for me

Forever


So, here I remain
Baffled, yet attracted at the mysteries, complexities
A sentry
A defender
A protector
A willing grunt

Keeping the fire

best I can

ol me.jpg



As far as the terms 'sex' or 'gender'
Those terms have been overworked of late
 
Lavinia said:
Anyone who watches archaeology programmes will know that when a skeleton is dug up, it is examined by professionals who determine the gender by the bone structure. You can chop bits off and stick bits on, but you can't change the basic skeleton.
I started a thread on this very subject.
Whatever gender you are born with, you remain for the rest of your life.
Click to expand...
I believe we have talked this thing to death (which is likely why the previous thread was locked), but I cannot stop myself pointing out, again, that what is being referred to in this post is sex, not gender.
Sex cannot be changed, gender can.
 
COVID stuff has been slow of late. The war in Ukraine seems like everyone pretty much agrees that it’s not good. We can’t talk politics on here. Sex and gender seems like one of the last few things we call all disagree about. It’d be a shame if most people spoke civilly to each other. Or so it might seem to an outside observer of these “discussions”.
 
Gary O' said:
Reminds me of something I wrote early on in my tenure here

Nothing's changed;


WIMIN


The most mysterious beings of our planet

I found out long ago, about sixty years or so, that gaining favor with the finer gender of our specie is not necessarily in my best interest.
Whole different frequency
Wired different
Fiber optic vs 9 gauge single conductor
Fascinating, mystical, attractive, you bet
Sensitivities I’d never remotely considered
But, hanging with a group of ladies?

Can’t

Mentally; exhausting

Socially; this ogre doesn’t stand a chance

Spiritually; beyond any reach I may have thought I had

Physically; like looking into the sun, can go blind if obsessing too long

Gaining favor?
Whimsical touches
Nothing of depth
Any more than that and I find myself precariously dangling off a mental precipice

I can do one, maybe two per sitting
and that is mostly because they sense my discomfort to the point of putting forth effort to discuss what I’m interested in
I’ve learned to pick up on this and placate for a bit, then find a way to excuse myself

I don’t avoid ladies, but have learned not to seek them out
It’s what shops are for

I’ve been fortunate

My lady has put up with me for half a century

When I become too much and I (for some unknown reason) anger her,
I found placing my calloused hand on the small of her back will still cause her to flinch
….and she begrudgingly forgives me

We have had this tryst, this romance that has yet to fade

She’s plenty for me

Forever


So, here I remain
Baffled, yet attracted at the mysteries, complexities
A sentry
A defender
A protector
A willing grunt

Keeping the fire

best I can

View attachment 215225



As far as the terms 'sex' or 'gender'
Those terms have been overworked of late
Click to expand...
A lot of this went over or around my head, but I agree with you about the sex vs. gender thing. It's just that it's not that hard. However, I've given my opinion on this (ad nauseam) and I need to bow out of these threads, I think.
 
Chris P Bacon said:
COVID stuff has been slow of late. The war in Ukraine seems like everyone pretty much agrees that it’s not good. We can’t talk politics on here. Sex and gender seems like one of the last few things we call all disagree about. It’d be a shame if most people spoke civilly to each other. Or so it might seem to an outside observer of these “discussions”.
Click to expand...
I don't think we're being all that uncivil to each other; simply disagreeing, repeatedly.

I was wondering about the politics thing because I swear I've seen threads that are most certainly political discussions.
 
Medusa said:
I don't think we're being all that uncivil to each other; simply disagreeing, repeatedly.

I was wondering about the politics thing because I swear I've seen threads that are most certainly political discussions.
Click to expand...
This is one thread of how many. And I too am not blind to the political matters being discussed. It just seems that most people aren’t happy unless most people are unhappy. Maybe it’s a gender or age thing, I don’t know. But I’m sure that there are dozens of people here who know for sure what I do not and aren’t afraid to say so in no uncertain terms.

Why do you think that at almost any given time visitors outnumber the members exponentially so? They look at what’s here and decide, maybe, “Wow, these people don’t get along very well at all.”

There seems to be a core group of ~50 or so members who post most of what’s here. But of those ~50 or so voices, one half generally seems to vehemently disagree with the other. Just my personal perception perhaps. But that you disagree just furthers my personal perception.
 
Chris P Bacon said:
There seems to be a core group of ~50 or so members who post most of what’s here. But of those ~50 or so voices, one half generally seems to vehemently disagree with the other.
Click to expand...
I think that is one of the things that makes this place interesting. So long as the discussions are civil and somewhat reasoned I like hearing both sides. And I do see a lot of the civil and reasoned debate here. Not always, but mostly.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top