I know you are /s but I will respond /srs.
The fact that people in support of trans rights often can’t give a satisfying definition of “woman” is certainly not very problematic or even important at all, but it’s a big sticking point for conservatives and it would be nice to have a real answer.
I haven’t tried this on real people yet, but I think that you can use a simple comparison to show that they also can’t simply define identity words. For example, they probably can’t come up with a simple definition of “father” that includes/excludes all the right people. Pester them on this point. Is a sperm donor a father? Is a man who adopts children a father? Is any male caretaker a father? Is a father-in-law a father? Is a step-father a father? Is an absent father a father?
If they end up with a very complicated & unintuitive flowchart definition, ask them: when someone says “as a father, this concerns me” or “I’m not a good father”, what do they actually mean? Are they referring to your definition? or to a vaguely-defined identity that’s really based in feelings and values?
This really easily transitions into talking about gender because then you can ask them to explain what people mean when they say “man up” or “be a man”. Nobody says those things to mean “be a penised adult human”, it’s obviously about feelings and values.
The real strength of the “what is a woman” argument is that theres no answer that puts you ahead. If you draw a line, you get absolutely creamed for being some bigoted transphobe, if you take an open stance now you’re against women. If you say you can have your cake and eat it too you’re ridiculed for the inconsistency.
I know you are /s but I will respond /srs.
The fact that people in support of trans rights often can’t give a satisfying definition of “woman” is certainly not very problematic or even important at all, but it’s a big sticking point for conservatives and it would be nice to have a real answer.
I haven’t tried this on real people yet, but I think that you can use a simple comparison to show that they also can’t simply define identity words. For example, they probably can’t come up with a simple definition of “father” that includes/excludes all the right people. Pester them on this point. Is a sperm donor a father? Is a man who adopts children a father? Is any male caretaker a father? Is a father-in-law a father? Is a step-father a father? Is an absent father a father?
If they end up with a very complicated & unintuitive flowchart definition, ask them: when someone says “as a father, this concerns me” or “I’m not a good father”, what do they actually mean? Are they referring to your definition? or to a vaguely-defined identity that’s really based in feelings and values?
This really easily transitions into talking about gender because then you can ask them to explain what people mean when they say “man up” or “be a man”. Nobody says those things to mean “be a penised adult human”, it’s obviously about feelings and values.
The real strength of the “what is a woman” argument is that theres no answer that puts you ahead. If you draw a line, you get absolutely creamed for being some bigoted transphobe, if you take an open stance now you’re against women. If you say you can have your cake and eat it too you’re ridiculed for the inconsistency.