• Cethin@lemmy.zip
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    12
    arrow-down
    4
    ·
    edit-2
    6 hours ago

    Assigned male at birth is the term you want to use. “Biological male” is a term used by transphobes to spread misinformation.

    Biology is very complex and not your elementary school version of biology. What makes someone “biologically” male? Is it having a penis, having testis, having more testosterone than estrogen, having XY chromosomes? These can all be intermixed with other characteristics.

    The “basic biology” definition doesn’t work in the real world, and the people using it are actively trying to harm trans people or ignorant. Now you’re more informed so ignorance isn’t an excuse anymore.

    • GrammarPolice@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      7
      ·
      1 hour ago

      Sorry, but what’s so complicated about the biology that we don’t understand “biological male”? The mere fact a child had a penis at birth means that they’re a biological male; therefore, are then assigned male at birth. I’m confused, and need some clarification.

      • Cethin@lemmy.zip
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        7 minutes ago

        What about people with testis but no penis? What about people with XY chromosomes but a vagina? What about people with a penis and vagina?

        “Basic biology” is the problem. You think a high school course was enough for you to have a complete understanding of biology. Biology is complex and messy, which your class didn’t discuss. It taught rigid definitions, which don’t exist in nature. Hormones define biological development. Every individual has different levels of different hormones, and also things just happen strangely sometimes too.

        There’s also an issue with intersex people where some are born with both male and female genitals and the doctor (without consulting anyone else) may remove components the baby was born with to make them fit the rigid definition of male or female that they decided.

        Nature is complex. Not understanding the complexity is fine, as long as you don’t pretend to. If you insist that your understanding is complete though then you’re arrogant and ignorant. It’s best not to be that way because it prevents learning and improving yourself.

      • trashgirlfriend@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        56 minutes ago

        Biological sex is not as cut and dry as you might think.

        Assigned male at birth is overall a better more descriptive term, as through medical transition trans people acquire different sexual characteristics.

        I’m not an expert in the field but this is how I’ve seen people more educated than me in biology describe it.

        • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          20 minutes ago

          Yeah. Biologically, my sex is distinctly transfeminine as someone post transition, before transition, I like many trans people was some variety of intersex, but assigned male at birth puts me into the big bin that means what they were trying to say.

          Though also blaming trans women’s assigned sex at birth for willingness to vote Republican is weird considering how much more likely cis women are than trans women to vote that way.

    • Trae@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      5
      ·
      3 hours ago

      Who assigned them male at birth? What if they were raised like a cisgender female typically would be in our society?

      What makes someone “assigned at birth”? Is it dressing in masculine clothes, is it having a name like Michael and Billy, is it having a circumcision? These can all be comingled with other variations of child rearing.

      Just because a parent assigns a “gender” at birth doesn’t make it someone’s actual identifying “gender”. As a young child they have no say in the matter and it’s quite frankly wrong to whitewash their childhood history and personal trauma like that.

      Now that you’re more informed, I hope moving forward you stop trying to erase people’s adolescent psychological adversity.

      • Cethin@lemmy.zip
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        3 hours ago

        Assigned at birth is referring to what the doctor writes on your birth certificate. It’s not complicated. It has nothing to do with gender.

      • melvisntnormal@feddit.uk
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        3 hours ago

        I’m not a trans person, but I’m pretty sure that “assigned X at birth” refers to whatever gender is assigned on one’s birth certificate.