If Twitter was run by conservatives

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[–]BiologyIsReal 20 insightful - 3 fun20 insightful - 2 fun21 insightful - 3 fun -  (5 children)

Biologists would explain her that there are only two sexes. Gender isn't a biological concept and, honestly, I can't help but feel that this word has only muddied the waters.

[–]lefterfield 10 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 0 fun11 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

It was originally a term used by feminists to describe the experiences of women in society - gender roles. And since so much else about genderism is incredibly misogynistic and anti-feminist, I can't help but wonder if whoever came up with it had exactly this plan in mind. Use feminist rhetoric to shut down feminists, turn back women's rights. It seems too perfect an outcome(from the perspective of someone who hates women) to have been accidental or coincidence...

[–]BiologyIsReal 13 insightful - 1 fun13 insightful - 0 fun14 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Yes, it seems like too much of a coincidence.

And I still think that talking about sex rols or sex stereotypes is clearer than talking about gender, which was being used as an euphemism for sex even before the TRA takeover. Or at least I remember being taugh that the Spanish word sexo was translated as gender in English (when talking about the biological category and not the sexual act). When I was at school during the 90's, the Spanish word género belonged to grammar. It's possible that Spanish speaking feminists may were already talking about gender back then, but I don't know much about the history of the movement. I think I first heard about gender being used in a feminist context in Argentina when more people started talking about violencia de género (meaning domestic violence). About late 2000's or early 2010's, maybe (I would need to look up whether the words violencia de género predates identidad de género -gender identity- or not because I don't remember which came first). And since then this meaning of género has become more common and entangled with transgender ideology rethoric. That being said people are still using the word sexo here, though if local TRAs have their way this may not last long. There is already a lot of newspeak in local Media...

[–]MarkTwainiac 11 insightful - 1 fun11 insightful - 0 fun12 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

This letter to the editor of the NY Times from 27 December 1990 is relevant here:

To the Editor:

The term "gender" is increasingly misused as a substitute for "sex." Does "gender" appear to reflect a greater sophistication, or reluctance to use a term with a possible indecent connotation?

"The Gender Gulf" by Louis Harris (Op-Ed, Dec. 7) misuses the term three times (not counting the headline), including this: "the generation gap is less evident and the gender gap more acute." Among the same day's letters, one ("Sexism on Sesame St.") misuses gender five times including "gender imbalance."

"The Careful Writer: A Modern Guide to English Usage" by Theodore M. Bernstein (New York, 1965) states, "gender is a grammatical term, denoting (in English) whether words pertaining to a noun or pronoun are classed as masculine, feminine or neuter. It is not a substitute for 'sex' (but then, what is?). Indeed, in some foreign languages 'gender' often disregards sex. In German, for example, 'Weib,' The word for woman, is neuter; in French 'plume,' the word for pen, a sexless article, is feminine. To use 'gender' as if it were synonymous with 'sex' is an error, and a particularly unpardonable one in scientific writing."

From Fowler's "Modern English Usage" edited by Sir Ernest Gowers (Oxford, second edition, 1965):

"Gender, n., is a grammatical term only. To talk of 'persons' or 'creatures of the masculine or feminine gender,' meaning 'of the male or female sex,' is either a jocularity (permissible or not according to context) or a blunder."

I can only assume you have elected to permit this misuse, despite a valid and useful distinction between the terms.

SIDNEY WEINSTEIN Danbury, Conn., Dec. 10, 1990

The writer is editor in chief, International Journal of Neuroscience.

[–]MarkTwainiac 8 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 0 fun9 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

It was originally a term used by feminists to describe the experiences of women in society - gender roles.

Lefterfield, can you point me some sources for this claim? I'm not trying to be disagreeable or to challenge you, but as someone aware of feminist issues and changing use of terminology since the 1960s, I have no recollection of feminists in the 60s, 70s and 80s talking about "gender roles." I recall all the discussion back then was about sex roles, sex stereotypes, sexism, sex discrimination, sexual harassment, sex crimes, sex abuse and so on.

I know that Ann Oakley published a book (and a very good one) called "Sex, Gender and Society" in 1972, but AFIAK this didn't usher in a period where feminists started routinely speaking about gender roles rather than sex roles.

Thanks.

[–]lefterfield 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Hmm... could be I'm wrong about that. But I checked and I'd probably need to do a lot more research to find out where the term originally came from. Gender identity didn't come from feminists at least.