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[–]ColoredTwice 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (10 children)

they are male

So what now, with this logic they must go to male toilets and be grouped with males?

And this means they are men - adult human males as well, as they can't be adult human females, or women. And if they still should be allowed to women's spaces, why other males don't? This all makes little to no sense.

This thread is so ugly. Both TRA and GC are so intersexophobic. And both can't just leave us alone.

[–]MarkTwainiac 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

Nobody here has said that persons with CAIS should be regarded as boys or men, or that they shouldn't use female spaces. On the contrary, everyone has said that phenotypically and socially, persons with CAIS are girls and women.

But the discussion here is also about the fine points of biology, and in such discussions it's important to use precise terms and accurate descriptions. Doing so is not "phobic" or indicative of animus. I personally have tried to use frank but precise and accurate language in my posts whilst promoting a respectful tone.

You might think that the DSDs/VSCs should never be talked about by persons without these conditions, not even in an effort to get a better understanding them of them and to refute myths and to share scientific information and links to published research. But some of us disagree. Enforcing a code of silence leaves everyone in the dark and allows misinformation and myths to remain alive and to spread.

There are many people on earth who were born with all sorts of rare inherited medical conditions, such as cystic fibrosis, hereditary hemochromatosis, porphyria, primary immunodeficiency diseases - and who over their lifetimes develop other rare, life-changing illnesses that probably are genetic in origin or have a genetic component like Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, lupus and pernicious anemia. Many people with such conditions are stigmatized, ostracized and discriminated against for having them. I and family members of mine have personally been called "defective" and treated unfairly many, many times in our lives for having unusual medical conditions that the general population is unfamiliar with, and which are poorly understood even by a majority of medical professionals. This is deeply unpleasant. However, I don't think it's rude or phobic for people with or without rare medical conditions to discuss them, particularly if the aim in doing so in is to reach a better understanding of them and to counteract the myths and undo the stigma associated with them.

The USA's National Organization for Rare Diseases lists 1,200 specific conditions in its data base. Some of these are known DSDs, but the vast majority affect various other body systems rather than development of sex, although many can and do have repercussions that affect reproductive capacity, sex characteristics and the ability to engage in sex acts and to express sexuality. Many of these conditions are crippling, painful, severely life-limiting and fatal. What's more, many of the conditions in the NORD database are considered "orphan diseases" coz very little effort, time or funding has been put into researching them and coming up with treatment options for them.

https://rarediseases.org/for-patients-and-families/information-resources/rare-disease-information/

You really think the best way to help and show respect for people with these conditions is to say that discussing and looking into them shouldn't be allowed coz doing so is "ugly" and "phobic"?

This thread was started by someone who was coming from a place of profound misinformation re CAIS. I and other posters have responded by trying to set him straight, so to speak - (LOL, Kai, I hope you appreciate my lame attempt at humor) - about the nature of the condition and the terminology/name(s) for it that he was mistakenly using. I personally have taken care to use language that is frank but precise and accurate whilst promoting a respectful tone. No one here has promoted using slurs or ostracizing or "othering" people with CAIS.

IMO, trying to shut down discussion of rare diseases - be they DSDs or any other kinds - is not helpful to people who have these conditions or to the general public. Sunlight is a good thing, even if it makes some people wince and burn.

[–]ColoredTwice 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Nobody here has said that persons with CAIS should be regarded as boys or men, or that they shouldn't use female spaces

You said they are males. And man is adult human male. While woman is adult human female. If they are men, why they are allowed in women's spaces, while other men don't? There no consistensy in this then. No wonder TRA are using people with CAIS as canon fodder, as it makes you undermine your own position.

Ugliness is in that people with rare conditions are dragged into discussion and dehumanized in absolutely and completely irrelevant discussion to our conditions. And none is even trying to help us or support youth with DSD.

[–]MarkTwainiac 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

You said they are males.

In my very first post on this thread I said:

Kai, when TRAs bring up DSDs/VSCs, I think it's best just to say that people with these very rare, distinct medical conditions have repeatedly asked that their often traumatic medical histories not be brought into the convo about transgenderism, coz DSDs have nothing to do with transgenderism.

In the next one that appears I said:

In answer to your questions about whether there's "a better word (or term) to call these people," I suggest calling them people. People with medical conditions known as disorders or differences of sex development (DSDs) that cause them to have variations in sex characteristics (VSCs) that are anomalous.

In another post I said:

Violet, sorry to be a nitpicker, but I don't think it's true that any individuals with testes - internal or not - can be said to have developed to support the type of gamete that is female, meaning ova. These are XY people who originally were supposed to develop to have the potential capacity to produce sperm at some point in life, but whose sex development went awry in utero. As a result, they ended up unable to produce gametes at all.

From a strict biological perspective, this is not the same as female - and it sort of debases the meaning and importance of the female sex to suggest that XY persons with DSDs who can't produce any gametes = female. Though for all practical intents and purposes in everyday, ordinary life, the vast majority of people with CAIS are considered female by others and they see themselves as such - which biologists and many/most "GC" feminists including me have no problem with.

Sexual reproduction is actually very varied, but it always involves the merging of a female gamete with a male gamete. And again, male and female gametes come from male or female gonads. I don't think that it's correct to say someone with male sex chromosomes and male gonads is biologically female. Socially, they can be viewed as girls and women, but not biologically. But this is something perhaps it's best to just agree we disagree on and leave it at that.

In response to some sweeping claims that Violet made that were - and still remain - unsubstantiated about persons with CAIS having anatomy that in utero developed to support ova; that they have "female hormonal reaction and levels, female body structure," female height, skeletons, bone density, hearts, lungs, athletic abilities and brains that make them "same as any female without DSD"; and that persons with CAIS therefore would be able to sustain a pregnancy to term if they got uterus transplants, I did say:

we were talking about the definition of biological sex - male and female - which in all plant and animals across the board is determined by whether a person, animal or plant has anatomy organized around the potential capacity to produce either ova or sperm at some point in life.

In humans and other species, gametes come from gonads, and female gonads are ovaries, male gametes are testes. The fact that someone has CAIS doesn't turn that person's testes into ovaries. Phenotypically, persons with CAIS appear female, and socially most are seen and treated as such. But from a strict biological point of view, they are male coz they have male gonads even though their male gonads can't make sperm.

All of which is considerably more nuanced, precise, thoughtful, respectful and well-researched than the simplistic statement - "they are male" - that you are claiming I said and are insinuating is the one and only thing I said.

Ugliness is in that people with rare conditions are dragged into discussion and dehumanized in absolutely and completely irrelevant discussion to our conditions. And none is even trying to help us or support youth with DSD.

How do you know what people on this sub and thread do on other forums and in our real lives offline? Do you have proof that none of us know, or have children or other relatives with DSDs and never have taught, treated or been helpful to adults or youth with DSDs? Have you examined all the banking transactions of the posters here to see to which persons and organizations we are in the habit of contributing money to?

Seriously, do you think organizations like SEICUS should be shut down? That people like Zach Elliott of the Paradox Institute is phobic and that his videos on DSDs reflect that no one "is even trying to help us or support youth with DSD"? That it's "ugly" and "phobic" "GC" feminists who got advocates like intersexfacts and Claire Graham mrkhvoice thrown off Twitter?

[–]HOWABOUTNO 1 insightful - 5 fun1 insightful - 4 fun2 insightful - 5 fun -  (0 children)

Nobody here has said that persons with CAIS should be regarded as boys or men, or that they shouldn't use female spaces. On the contrary, everyone has said that phenotypically and socially, persons with CAIS are girls and women.

I disagree. I'm not nice and don't care about what anyone "identifies" as, or what anyone has spent years being raised as.

CAIS have testes. They are male. And they should be treated as such.

They can not enter female spaces. There can be compromise to make a third space for CAIS, so they can feel comfortable around each other. Other than that, there is no compromise.

I value truth more than people's feelings. It upsets CAIS to be treated as male? Maybe. Doesn't matter to me.

If I were in control of this society, noone would be able to treat CAIS as female. CAIS would have a third space for themselves, and that's it.

Everyone from an early age would be tested (DNA test, devices that are used to see the internal organs, etc) to make sure they have no DSDs. If they have DSDs, they would be treated as the sex they are, with the DSD considered.

Even if the tests may be "invasive", I value truth more than anything else. It's better to know if someone has DSDs early, than to wait years for them to grow up and learn "oop guys I'm not the sex you claimed I am"

[–]HOWABOUTNO 1 insightful - 5 fun1 insightful - 4 fun2 insightful - 5 fun -  (5 children)

"Intersex" people should be gotten rid of. I'd rather be so-called "intersexphobic" than walk on eggshells around a bunch of disorders.

CAIS are males and should have a separate "disordered male" space for themselves if they are not comfortable in male spaces. They don't get to be claimed to be female, socially or whatever, because they are not female and have no place in female spaces.

If you're CAIS, and claim to be female, you are deceiving yourself and everyone else.

If I controlled society, noone would be able to claim CAIS are female. To claim that would result in imprisonment. Thou shalt not deceive in the name of disorders. Everyone from an early age would be under experiments to make sure they have no DSDs. If they have DSDs, say CAIS, they would be treated as the sex they are, not the sex they and those around them falsely think they are.

The experiments are necessary, no matter how so-called "invasive" they may be. Anything to figure the truth out.

[–]ColoredTwice 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

Wow, are you calling there to murder me? Almost all of 40 DSD conditions are requiring medical treatment and help. In my condition - I need to take adrenal hormones daily, or I will die. Removing category for my disorder makes no sense and it will kill girls with it (boys can survive in most cases). Historically it was the case - girls were receiving boys treatmen and dying, while boys surviving.

If you're CAIS, and claim to be female, you are deceiving yourself and everyone else.

Looks like you have no idea about DSD conditions. There are 40 different conditions.CAIS is just one of them, most people with CAIS do not know they have it until very late in life, as they look completely like females (they have vulvas and breasts, female skeletal structure) and have similar health complications, excluding ones connected with reproductive system. So your ideas would not work, unless to find 10 people in whole UK we will be testing everyone with extra invasive tests. This makes no sense at all - so many extra expenses for...for what exactly? Because you hate people with CAIS for some reason? And why hating them exactly? They are one of the most rare conditions among DSD's. Even more rare than mine SW CAH.

imprisonment

Lol. That's pretty dictatorship and 100% like TRA are wanting society to be.

on eggshells

Just shows how you are ignorant.

You would not need to be on the eggshells - because you would not even know if someone have CAIS. Starting from time in womb, they were going female phenotype. So they look exactly like any other female - even when naked, as they have vulva, vaginal openning, and in most cases even clitoris-like semi-functional structure. So unless they tell you - you would not ever know. Hell, they don't know it themselves until late in life in most cases.

[–]HOWABOUTNO 6 insightful - 5 fun6 insightful - 4 fun7 insightful - 5 fun -  (3 children)

CAIS is just one of them, most people with CAIS do not know they have it until very late in life, as they look completely like females (they have vulvas and breasts, female skeletal structure) and have similar health complications, excluding ones connected with reproductive system.

CAIS are disordered males that "pass as" women on the outside. Although they "pass as" women on the outside, they have no female sex organs on the inside. They have no uteruses, ovaries, etc. They have testes, which means their body was supposed to support sperm, and it failed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complete_androgen_insensitivity_syndrome#Physical

The gonads [in CAIS] are not ovaries, but instead, are testes; during the embryonic stage of development, testes form in an androgen-independent process that occurs due to the influence of the SRY gene on the Y chromosome.

Immature sperm cells in the testes do not mature past an early stage, as sensitivity to androgens is required in order for spermatogenesis to complete

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/androgen-insensitivity-syndrome/symptoms/

CAIS do not have a womb or ovaries

CAIS would know they are not women at puberty. Women get periods. CAIS can not get periods because they have no female sex organ.

Just because their disordered male bodies make people think they are women, doesn't make them women. A woman is not boobies and "passing as" a woman.

Stop with the TRA nonsense.

That's pretty dictatorship and 100% like TRA are wanting society to be.

You: "imprisonment = eww because TRAs want society to be that way".

Give me a break.

like TRA are wanting society to be.

Looks like TRAS got one thing right: imprisonment. They sadly failed, and instead of throwing in prison the people that claim CAIS are women, when they aren't, they throw in prison the people that stand up for the truth.

No matter how "invasive" the tests may be, it's best to run them on everyone to make sure they have no DSDs. If they happen to have DSDs, depending on each case, they will be taught what their sex is.

And if they are too disordered, like CAIS, they will be gotten rid of.

[–]ColoredTwice 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Spend hundreds of millions of dollars to test billion people to find a dozen "wrong" people and put them in prisons? This sounds very unreasonable, insane and vindicative.

And if they are too disordered, like CAIS, they will be gotten rid of

You realize that you are advocating for albeistic fascism?

[–]HOWABOUTNO 1 insightful - 5 fun1 insightful - 4 fun2 insightful - 5 fun -  (1 child)

You realize that you are advocating for albeistic fascism?

The only kind of "ableism" I have no issue with

Spend hundreds of millions of dollars to test billion people to find a dozen "wrong" people and put them in prisons? This sounds very unreasonable, insane and vindicative.

Anything to know whether or not someone has a DSD

[–]ColoredTwice 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

That's what I am saying about overblown reaction and hateful albeism. Prisons for them and doctors treating them? And spend a lot of money, time, resources for no real reason, except you personally knowing that those 10 people in whole country are diagnosed 30 years earlier than they otherwise would. CAIS is not life-threatening, so there no hurry needed. Because of complete insensitivity to testosterone, they would be weaker than most other females as well. All those money and time could be rather spend on reasearching female-specific diseases and female-specific healthcare - as those are underfunded and underresearched. Even 1/10th of needed money on detecting DSD conditions in everyone would be already more than governments are spending on female health related researches.