Some people find the birds and the bees very confusing

Here's an imaginary group of 1000 people, all aged between 20 and 40:

30 have an intersex condition (let's assume none are fertile)
485 are male: 460 fertile, 20 infertile, 5 transsexual (let's assume post-op)
485 are female: 454 fertile, 30 infertile, 1 transsexual (let's assume post-op)

Apparently, all this variety - the fact that only 91% of the above people are capable of procreation - is very confusing to academic Sara Ahmed. We could go into the effects of perceived reproductive capacity on socialization, and the effects of socialization on both personality and opportunity, but guess what?

There's an easy way to simplify this for confused folk like Sara.

Every single one of those 1000 people above came into existence through heterosexual reproduction. The sperm from a male person successfully fertilized the ovum of a female person. A female person then grew a fetus inside her female body, and eventually birthed a baby, from her female body. THIS IS THE CASE FOR EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE 1000 PEOPLE.

Let's say for this particular group of human offspring, all were single births not involving surrogacy, with no sibling overlap. Then let's talk about those moms and dads: 1000 (fertile) human females, and 1000 (fertile) human males.

Those human females were correctly identified as ova-producers at birth. Was it right for them to be socialized to view themselves as weak, irrational, submissive? Those human males were correctly identified as sperm-producers at birth. Was it right for them to be socialized to view themselves as entitled to dominate and exploit?

BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT WE CALL GENDER.

AND THAT IS WHAT FEMINISTS FIGHT AGAINST.

Not the simple, obvious, fucking *elementary* observation that human beings are male or female. We fight against the idea that our reproductive capacity somehow determines our personality and thus should determine our social role and status. Being female is not shameful. Being female simply means we have the ability, should we so choose and should our health allow, to create human life. It is only through gendered socialization that women come to be viewed/view ourselves as dirty, dependent sub-humans. Being male is likewise not determinative: it is only through gendered socialization that men are excused for the violent, exploitative behavior that props up male supremacy.

Pointing out that socialization based on perceived reproductive capacity (for that is what gender is) should not apply to a certain percentage of people (let's say 10%) for whom perceived reproductive capacity does not match actual reproductive capacity - DOES NOTHING FOR THE 90% LEFTOVER.

One might hope someone with a PhD could grasp this. One might despair for higher education.

The Cotton Ceiling - links and screencaps

Cutting and pasting from TheNewBacklash  

The "Cotton Ceiling" = Trans activists and their allies calling lesbians transphobic for not having sex with male people. Trans activists are never so clear about their central tenet of "women are not allowed to be bigoted TOWARD PENIS" than they are here.

-Transwoman leads a Planned Parenthood workshop entitled "Overcoming the Cotton Ceiling: Breaking Down Sexual Barriers for Queer Trans Women." The cotton in question? Lesbian's underwear.

-In this email exchange, a transwoman explains to a lesbian that penis can be female and to refuse sex with be-penised people is transphobic.
-Often, AFTAs will say the "cotton ceiling" isn't really a thing, and was made up by paranoid feminists. Yet a transwoman posts this: The Cotton Ceiling Is Real and It’s Time for All Queer and Trans People to Fight Back

-Here, a transwoman uses a LOT of words to try to convince the trans community to ditch the phrase "cotton ceiling" while doubling down on the male sexual entitlement.

-Enough With "I Date Women and Trans Men" A masterpiece of jargony doublespeak in which the biological reality of sex is completely erased.

-The Best of Both Worlds ("But being shut off from the very idea of it, not even considering that having my penis inside you is different from having a man’s penis inside you? That hurts.")

-The Struggle to find Trans Love ("And when the overwhelming majority of cis dykes date and fuck cis women, but are not open to, or are even turned off by, the idea of dating or fucking trans women, how is that not transphobic?")

-Shit I cannot believe needs to be said: I don’t dwell on your genitals Shit I cannot believe needs to be said: this shit is bananas.

-More on how lesbianism is transphobic

-Can Cis Lesbians and Trans Women Learn to Get Along? Answer: yes, as long as "cis" lesbians will have sex with transwomen.

-Lesbian porn stars are not allowed to refuse sex with be-penised people
-Some thoughts on the cotton ceiling As per usual - lesbians must prove their "acceptance" of transwomen by having sex with them. To refuse sex with be-penised people is backwards and hurtful.
-Cambridge University student union gets in on the Cotton Ceiling

Er. No.

Hmm. Where have I heard of this "friendzone" before?

Men's Rights Activist or "Trans" Rights Activist?

EITHER WAY, WOMEN DON'T OWE YOU SHIT.

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