I would note that although fish can change sex and produce offspring, humans cannot. If the day comes when we can, then transgender will be a thing. Until then, it is idiocy. I relate to being different than the norm, but I understand that I live in this society; I do not expect society to change for me. Fortunately, our society allows individuals to live how they wish as long as no one is harmed. It is very unfortunate that so many wish to force society to conform to their philosophy, especially when such conformance harms the young.
I have actually been in forums (pro-trans) where the abject ignorance of of junior high biology was jaw-dropping. I heard there that on attaining the age of 12-13 humans can spontaneously change their sex if they want to, no hormones or surgery necessary. I actually read that, and couldn’t believe it. That’s the level of blind ignorance it takes to believe transgender garbage. You can’t know anything.
There’s also the boy who believed himself a “transgender girl” interviewed on radio who spoke of looking forward to having a baby. Then there is the Scientific American article covering the surgery required for a male to conceive and have a baby.
One procedure recommended was to castrate and form a neovagina from the male genitalia. This would supposedly form a “birth canal.” I seriously doubt the writer or editors ever considered that a surgically formed “neovagina” was not remotely like the natural thing, that it would not stretch to accommodate a baby’s head and thereby serve as a birth canal.
Yes, it all is very interesting to me. I've come to think, however, that the refusal to accept biology is a manifestation of a broader anti-intellectualism and is only tangentially related to the trans issue. I see it as part and parcel of a variety of fantastic points of view such as those who believe in a flat earth, subterranean lizard people, essential oils as a cure for autism, and so on. I would like to see these two issues separated. As I said, being kind, accepting, and inclusive does not necessitate abandoning reason. And, those who abandon reason, have not proven themselves to be kind, accepting and inclusive.
The term is "fantasy ideology" and it is decades' old, previously referring to Lysenkoism & the New Socialist Man, but equally applicable to the post-Marx, post-modern view that all reality is socially constructed, so that changing social viewpoints will change reality.
And, water is where it's at. When organisms evolved to live on land — plants and animals — they acquired adaptations that revolved around carrying their water stores with them and avoiding desiccation. That's the key…
You get the best here, Colin. Here's my take on the recent press surrounding DebbieDavid Hayton and the new book, in which he continues to scratch his head over why Stephanie won't have sex with him~
This is a very useful analysis of scientific reality that can refute all the arguments in the nature of “nature is so malleable and filled with oddities that we might as well do whatever we want with our bodies since it might just be what nature meant for us to do.”
To the contrary, nature has its laws and we have to be aware of what we lose when we tamper with it. Granted, there are many reasons to tamper with nature. We have to be honest that we are doing that, and acknowledge that there will be some price to pay. Sometimes the price is worth it.
But is there a good reason to tamper with our sex organs and hormonal balance whenever a young person is in distress? What is gained and what are the downsides? We have to be honest about these questions and not simply thrown up our hands and refer to clownfish to prove we are doing the right thing.
Terrific essay. Amusing. On point. Thank you.
Double thank you…double terrific!
I would note that although fish can change sex and produce offspring, humans cannot. If the day comes when we can, then transgender will be a thing. Until then, it is idiocy. I relate to being different than the norm, but I understand that I live in this society; I do not expect society to change for me. Fortunately, our society allows individuals to live how they wish as long as no one is harmed. It is very unfortunate that so many wish to force society to conform to their philosophy, especially when such conformance harms the young.
But the sex change, meaning the production of egg or sperm, is always sequential, not concurrent. Are there exceptions to that in fish?
Frederick R Prete is the GOAT
THX! ...I appreciate that.
Nice response. And indeed, why stop at sex? In the spirit of Dodgeson and Poe perhaps, a touch of Ogden Nash:
I WISH I MAY I DREAM I MIGHT
I wish to soar on high with birds in flight,
To flap my hands 'neath sky's unending blue.
Send shocks like eels, with six hundred volts' might,
Walk water's surface as basilisks do.
With mind's control, like knife fish, friends I'd greet,
Absorb the sun, forgo all food in grace.
Like sharks, the air's fine pressure I'd defeat,
Echolocate with clicks, the night embrace.
My young in pouches raise, a marsupial's care,
With skin harpoons sting foes, their end ensure.
Produce my candles' wax, as bees prepare,
Sense muscles' fields, in darkness secure.
Clone self with ease, a Molly's trick so sly,
Cuckoos deceive, their young on others lie.
Change hair with seasons, like the arctic sky,
Antifreeze blood, 'gainst freezing cold defy.
Birth young sans sex, as lizards might engage,
Earth's magnetic fields, like birds, gauge.
In eggs, my babies safe, from life's rough stage,
Regrow each limb, a starfish's sage.
Spray life in waters, like the fish and frog,
My skin a screen, with patterns dialogue.
By thermostat, my offspring's fate I'd log,
Sense infrared, as snakes and beetles cog.
To mates, my lips would fuse, an angler's bond,
Freeze solid, then revive, beyond the pond.
My eyes roam free, a chameleon's wand,
See ultraviolet, a new world's beyond.
Only in fires, my young would come to be,
See light polarized, a cuttlefish's spree.
Jam sonars in war, a moth's strategy,
Change sexes at will, like fish in the sea.
Split myself in half, new beings to form,
See all around, as dragonflies inform.
On ceilings walk, a gecko in the norm,
With seismic waves, to friends, my thoughts transform.
With fungi merge, for water, food entwine,
In slime, my foes ensnare, a hagfish's sign.
Transparent become, as jellyfish align,
Delay embryos, till conditions prime.
Breathe water deep, explore the ocean's floor,
Through winter stop to eat, like bears before.
As spores, survive when food is no more,
From limbs, new life, a regal lore.
In darkness, glow to light the paths I tread,
Inject my sex into another, use their bed.
With scents, to friends, my silent words are spread,
Without oxygen, like turtles, meditate instead.
Self-fertilize, a slug's lone path I'd choose,
Drop eggs in earth, as plants their seeds diffuse.
Like seahorses, my young I'd closely nurse,
And armadillos' fate, fourfold immerse.
‘Tis sad and true, in dreams, I yearn to be
Beyond my nature’s bounds, a fanciful scheme.
Yet, wishing ’gainst the grain of what we see
We know a wish is but a dream.
Wonderful!
***
And I would hope one day to be
Something else but just not me.
A person grand, and tall, and smart
Keen at math, and great at art.
But, alas, I am just me.
Both curse and gift of biology.
***
Sorry, your poem just inspired me…
Thanks :) so many ways to wish to have natural superpowers, but so few people even use what amazing skills they have already.
I have actually been in forums (pro-trans) where the abject ignorance of of junior high biology was jaw-dropping. I heard there that on attaining the age of 12-13 humans can spontaneously change their sex if they want to, no hormones or surgery necessary. I actually read that, and couldn’t believe it. That’s the level of blind ignorance it takes to believe transgender garbage. You can’t know anything.
There’s also the boy who believed himself a “transgender girl” interviewed on radio who spoke of looking forward to having a baby. Then there is the Scientific American article covering the surgery required for a male to conceive and have a baby.
One procedure recommended was to castrate and form a neovagina from the male genitalia. This would supposedly form a “birth canal.” I seriously doubt the writer or editors ever considered that a surgically formed “neovagina” was not remotely like the natural thing, that it would not stretch to accommodate a baby’s head and thereby serve as a birth canal.
Yes, it all is very interesting to me. I've come to think, however, that the refusal to accept biology is a manifestation of a broader anti-intellectualism and is only tangentially related to the trans issue. I see it as part and parcel of a variety of fantastic points of view such as those who believe in a flat earth, subterranean lizard people, essential oils as a cure for autism, and so on. I would like to see these two issues separated. As I said, being kind, accepting, and inclusive does not necessitate abandoning reason. And, those who abandon reason, have not proven themselves to be kind, accepting and inclusive.
The term is "fantasy ideology" and it is decades' old, previously referring to Lysenkoism & the New Socialist Man, but equally applicable to the post-Marx, post-modern view that all reality is socially constructed, so that changing social viewpoints will change reality.
Thank you for this.....this is the first essay on the topic that I've read that discusses importance of water in procreation.
And, water is where it's at. When organisms evolved to live on land — plants and animals — they acquired adaptations that revolved around carrying their water stores with them and avoiding desiccation. That's the key…
You get the best here, Colin. Here's my take on the recent press surrounding DebbieDavid Hayton and the new book, in which he continues to scratch his head over why Stephanie won't have sex with him~
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfM9VYZf1DU
Excellent essay. The argument is irrefutable
Thanks! I am glad you liked it...
This is a very useful analysis of scientific reality that can refute all the arguments in the nature of “nature is so malleable and filled with oddities that we might as well do whatever we want with our bodies since it might just be what nature meant for us to do.”
To the contrary, nature has its laws and we have to be aware of what we lose when we tamper with it. Granted, there are many reasons to tamper with nature. We have to be honest that we are doing that, and acknowledge that there will be some price to pay. Sometimes the price is worth it.
But is there a good reason to tamper with our sex organs and hormonal balance whenever a young person is in distress? What is gained and what are the downsides? We have to be honest about these questions and not simply thrown up our hands and refer to clownfish to prove we are doing the right thing.