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  • [–] 75 points 11 months ago (6 children)

    If I remember correctly, not even sex is binary in humans.

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  • [–] 43 points 11 months ago (4 children)

    There are a decent number of combinations of the X and Y chromosomes, not just XX and XY. If I remember correctly there are about 6 more common combos

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  • [–] 42 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (63 children)

    XO, XX, XY, XXY, XYY, XXX, XXXX, XXXY, XXYY, and others have been recorded in humans. In addition there is Swyer syndrome, Chappell syndrome, and mosaicism in which the gonadal phenotype doesn't match the genotype. There are also events during fertilization which can cause an XX zygote to gain the SRY gene from the father. The SRY gene is what initiates male gonad development.

    Sex is not binary just because there are two types of sex chromosomes. They can occur in multiple combinations and result in a spectrum of characteristics. Many of those combinations result in infertility, because they result in a loss of reproductive organs and/or indeterminate genitalia

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  • [–] 34 points 11 months ago (5 children)

    Uncommon like all those other elements in the universe?

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  • [–] 26 points 11 months ago (3 children)

    they exist. they're real. they're just not the majority. and that's ok. they don't have to be.

    Exactly. Just like all of the other non-hydrogen and non-helium atoms in the universe.

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  • [–] 21 points 11 months ago

    I think the issue is that saying “sex is indeed binary” despite the presence of anomalies/mutations (no matter how uncommon) is in direct contradiction to the chemistry analogy being presented.

    If you’re going to stand firm that “sex is indeed binary” you’re (in the context of this thread) also saying “chemical elements are binary just with some quirky occasional variations out there”

    Which might statistically be the case across the entire universe… but also highly oversimplifies the wonders of the natural world. And maybe it’s pedantic but, binary can’t be simultaneously interpreted as both “exactly two states” and “well, mostly two states”. You gotta pick one, at which point the former is more correct.

    So no I don’t think there’s negative connotation either just… a lack of connecting the dots with the analogy in the meme.

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  • [–] 18 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

    huh? no, uncommon in terms of human biology.

    How do you differentiate this from the meme?

    they exist. they're real. they're just not the majority. and that's ok. they don't have to be.

    Like the elements in the meme? How do you differentiate this from the meme?

    I'm not sure what that has to do with elements on the periodic table.

    This post is explicitly about a meme comparing gender to elements.

    I am pretty sure you getting downvoted because it looks like you either forgot or are ignoring the post you are commenting on.

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  • [+] 31 points 11 months ago (27 children)
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  • [–] 24 points 11 months ago (11 children)

    Nobody is born with a body organized around producing a third gamete size

    You say that because you incorrectly categorize genetic variations as a failed attempt at one of two binary options. It’s circular reasoning. You’re looking for a binary to sort things into, so regardless of the underlying truth, you sort everything into it.

    Like all smoking gun “binary” sex characteristics transphobes have honed in on over the years, we’re only talking about it because they arrived there from working backwards towards it. Just a few years ago all of these same talking points were “biological truth” regarding chromosomes (which you now openly concede are not reliable sex determinants)

    A thorough investigation of gametes reveals that like everything else in biology that’s paired off, it’s bipolar in nature rather than binary (strongly gathered up into two categories but with outliers and exceptions).

    Even ignoring gamete manifestation in all other species, which there is no reason to do other than to try and make a transphobic point, just among humans genetic variation occurs somewhat regularly. This is the basic principle that makes evolution possible, and it’s why other species have such insane gamete setups such that that gamete size cannot be used universally to determine sex.

    Ah but I forget we’re still just talking humans. Evolutionary scientists reveal that the simple reason intermediate gamete sizes do not proliferate in our species is because they have historically been outcompeted. This fact could not be true if there were no bodies born with a third gamete type

    An additional issue with this whole train of thought is the baseless presumption that normal biological variation precludes someone who was “supposed to be female” from producing the small gamete. It’s literally the meme we’re looking at in the OP: where the vast majority fits neatly into two categories, but if you were to try to work backwards from there and say everything must fit into those categories, you will have deprived yourself of even the most fundamental biological truths that describe our universe, and on a personal note, you will have deprived yourself of what makes biology beautiful.

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  • [–] 4 points 11 months ago (5 children)

    Most humiliating trash I’ve ever read, thank you! A ridiculous and indecipherable attempt at science. He randomly states nonsense circular reasoning without citation, and he also frequently cites random non-scientific opinion fluff articles from transphobes. How bizarre.

    Ah, and wouldn’t you know it. The author is an explicitly transphobic right wing podcaster, who prattles on endlessly about the “social contagion” of “transgenderism” and cries like a little baby about how he has been “unfairly” excluded from the broader scientific community.

    In conclusion - because you may need this spelled out for you - a single error ridden opinion piece by a discredited loser does not invalidate the overwhelming consensus of experts. By literal whining self proclamation his views are unrepresentative of the consensus of experts.

    My intuition was obviously correct all along, but thank you for proving definitively that your views amount to nothing more than 100% science themed transphobic propaganda.

    Where are you sourcing that from?

    Literally the meta analysis I already linked. The consensus of experts is that gametes are bimodal. You should try listening to scientists if you care so much about science lol

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  • [–] 4 points 11 months ago (3 children)

    It’s comedic actually, your “literally all of biology” is exposed as being an indefensible fringe whack job, and you hand wave it away without further comment. I guess this was always the road you were destined to take, as with all pseudo-intellectual hucksters who are incapable of providing receipts

    As for your continued inflexible adamance that there are perfectly binary biological absolutes, you are almost too dense to believe lol. They even have a graph that explains it for you. I can appreciate the low effort nature of how you are trying to save face with ctrl+f, but at some point scientific integrity demands you actually sit down to understand a topic, rather than just draw transphobic constellations over individual sentences

    Since we are apparently moving now to our closing arguments by addressing our readers, against all odds, we have ended up in agreement. I also encourage readers to go check out the drivel you posted for themselves. The morons seeking a safe space in their little right wing echo chamber will be thrilled to hear their beliefs uncritically asserted at them, and anyone with a brain will be equally amused at how badly the author humiliates himself both in the paper and elsewhere online.

    I’m glad we were able to conclude things so amicably, enjoy your holiday weekend (if you happen to be an American)!

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  • [–] 19 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (3 children)

    I provided several examples of chromosome combinations that result in people who produce no gametes. You've said in several comments that no one is born with a body plan that doesnt produce gametes, and that is incorrect. I'm a biology major, and I'm in a developmental biology class right now There are several points in development that can cause a failure to develop a sexual phenotype.

    I don't know why you're saying it's a hard line that biologists have drawn, when science is about being able to adjust our understanding of the world when we are presented with new information

    Edit: The body plan that you are talking about is a result of several things ranging from transcription factors to hormones working together, not just chromosomes alone. A break at any point can result in a body that isn't "organized" (whatever you think you mean by that I don't know) to produce gametes. I feel like you're trying to play "gotcha!" throughout these comments and have no true understanding of biology. I recommend that you try going back to school

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  • [–] 15 points 11 months ago (16 children)

    Sex is defined by gamete size, because it's the only common factor across so many different species.

    Dawg this isn't even true. What was the publishing date of the last biology book you read? I think you need to update your knowledge. The current scientific and academic consensus is that neither sex nor gender are binary.

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  • [–] 8 points 11 months ago (14 children)

    What's in this for you? Why is it so important for you to believe that sex is binary, to try and convince everyone in this thread that sex is binary? How does this narrow-minded, oversimplified view that ignores modern biology serve you? And, maybe most curiously, why do you think "there's a few extremists pushing for silly things?" What silly things? What kinds of extremists? Let's go down this fucking rabbit hole together my dude.

    It's just so funny seeing you acknowledge all over the place that all these other characteristics of sex are not binary, except for gametes (which in reality, also aren't binary), and that just happens to be the thing you're pinning your definition of sex to. Like, the pieces are all there and it just looks like you're refusing to put them all together.

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  • [–] 9 points 11 months ago (12 children)

    sorry but you are disagreeing with the scientific and academic consensus.

    Hmmm, an interesting assertion, one that would be all the more interesting were it not for the open letter sent to the president, signed by ~3500 scientists, saying sex isn't binary. Weird.

    You wanna know what else is weird? This whole "gametes determine sex" thing is something Donald Trump says, and used as the "scientific basis" for one of his incredibly transphobic executive orders. An order that basically makes it illegal to be trans. The order that that letter I linked, the one signed by 3500 scientists, was a direct response to.

    You're refusing to acknowledge the scientific consensus, and that's really disappointing.

    No, what's disappointing is that you've spent the better part of your day parroting and defending right-wing pseudoscience, then have the gall to tell others that they're refusing to acknowledge scientific consensus.

    The idea you're so vehemently "just being the messenger" for originated over a hundred years ago dude. The science has changed since then. We've learned more. It's time for you to catch up.

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  • [–] 8 points 11 months ago (8 children)

    I think Richard Dawkins is a transphobe because he frequently makes public anti-trans statements and conflates gender and sex in a way that is weaponized against trans people.

    If you think acknowledging scientific truth is transphobic, that's entirely on you.

    Jesus dude this is just boring now. Claiming your outdated view is "scientific truth" hasn't worked all day, maybe find a new slant.

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  • [–] 9 points 11 months ago (2 children)

    Sir is doing biology without brain. Is much cleverer trick.

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  • [+] 22 points 11 months ago (2 children)
  • [–] 13 points 11 months ago

    Exactly. Ring Species are a good example

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_species

    In biology, a ring species is a connected series of neighbouring populations, each of which interbreeds with closely sited related populations, but for which there exist at least two end populations in the series which are too distantly related to interbreed, though there is a potential gene flow between linked neighbouring populations.

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  • [–] 12 points 11 months ago

    Well I think we should caveat this as "in humans there is a tendency for sex to fall under two large umbrellas of typical characteristics" as there's millions of small caveats for many mammals (its speculated parthenogenesis could naturally occur in humans under certain conditions).

    Because of how early some features tend to develop in mammals there's less variation than in other types of animals.

    Outside mammals: Amphibians, Reptiles and Birds have many species that can change sex.

    Outside animals: Plants and fungi are an absolute mess.

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  • [–] 15 points 11 months ago (10 children)
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  • [–] 7 points 11 months ago (4 children)

    SRY gene is part of how sex is determined, but not how sex is defined.

    ..by Donald Trump in his stupid antitrans bill.

    Biologists are quite happy with using chromosomes to describe sex. Spoiler alert: there are more than two possibilities. Even with trump's stupid definition there are at least three.

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  • [–] 8 points 11 months ago (3 children)

    i mean, aren't we all female because of that bill? since sex differentiation doesn't happen until [x] weeks, and the bill identifies sex at conception?

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  • [–] 8 points 11 months ago (2 children)

    Oh, I'd forgotten that additional stupidity, yes you're right. Only one sex, and we're all female. It would explain why trump was blowing off Bubba in the photo that the Epstein files referenced. He's surely not bi.

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  • [–] 18 points 11 months ago (3 children)

    Sex in humans really isn't that binary. XXX and XXY exist for instance.

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  • [+] 10 points 11 months ago (4 children)
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  • [–] 7 points 11 months ago (2 children)

    O person whose comment history is mainly trolling on trans-supportive posts for hours at a stretch, it is you who have it backwards.

    (You are using trump's recently legislated definition of sex, and I'm afraid you're picking the wrong teacher there. Trump can no more legislate a revision to science than whatever state it was that stupidly passed a bill claiming that pi was 3! The liar in chief isn't being factually accurate.)

    Your sex determimes whether you produce sperm or eggs or neither, yes, in the sense that cause has effect, but you're claiming that the effect is the same thing as the cause or that gamete size determines sex. This is a classic logical blunder. Species determines number of legs, but number of legs does not determine species. Typically, species have 0,2,4,6,8 and occasionally more legs (or 1), but this does not mean that there are only 5 species!

    You also claim in other threads that you prefer to use sex over gender in reference to people, which is strongly antitrans despite you pretending that your opponents are anti-trans.

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  • [–] 9 points 11 months ago (3 children)

    There's at least a third gamete size of 0, as in, no gametes, so there goes that binary

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  • [–] 13 points 11 months ago (19 children)

    Powerstruggle is misusing terms from school level biology to make a political point and trolling people who are explaining the mistakes in it.

    "Basic" biology - in fact it's biology that has been oversimplified and misapplied to the point of untruth.

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  • [–] 10 points 11 months ago (12 children)

    And that's what sex means in the context of sex vs gender. Are you new to the concept that words have different meanings in different contexts? This isn't about evolutionary biology.

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  • [–] 7 points 11 months ago (6 children)

    This is an "either I'm stupid or everybody else" moment and I let you decide on your own.

    Words don't have inherent meaning but get meaning by the people who use it in the context they do. It's an collective and context sensitive process. I remember how in one linguistics lecture (typology), we differentiated prepositions from postpositions whereas the syntax prof was like "I don't care if the preposition is before or after".

    Also: Judith Butler discusses your gamete definition as utterly irrelevant in this context in Who's Afraid Of Gender so it's not that they aren't aware. That's all the hint I give you.

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