I submitted a response at the time.

———————

Correspondence in response to Nature editorial:

Gender is a social construct with no scientific definition. The assertion, however, that “processes for deciding sex…[have] no foundation in science” (Nature 563, 5; 2018) is false.

https://twitter.com/Kiwipally/status/1411257447457595402

Mammals are sexually dimorphic, with the male category producing small motile gametes (sperm) for transfer and the female category producing large immotile gametes (ova) and gestating live young.

‘Sex’ is a scientific description of the two qualitatively different reproductive anatomies evolved to fulfil the function of sexual reproduction.

Read 11 tweets

Emma Hilton

@FondOfBeetles

18 Jun

I’ve just read the Irish Independent story about Noah Halpin and rugby.

Here: m.independent.ie/sport/rugby/as…

I agree with some of the arguments and not others.

Noah should not have been prevented from competing with females if he had not had any medical interventions.

That is discrimination based on gender identity.

I agree that there are considerable safety issues with females playing on male teams. This may be especially true in the absence of medical intervention, but I’d be cautious even with it.

Read 11 tweets

Emma Hilton

@FondOfBeetles

15 Jun

@RaeUK

@RaeUK The inclusion of hypospadias as a DSD/intersex has been crucial to that 1.7% figure. It’s one of the most common anomalies in boys, and it’s almost always isolated - that is, it’s not indicative of any wider ‘syndrome’ or DSD.

@RaeUK

@RaeUK It’s *hard* for embryos to close up two edges of tissue, whether that’s the closing of the penis around the urethra (incomplete>hypospadias), the closing of the spinal column around the cord (incomplete>spina bifida) or the closing of an eyeball (incomplete>coloboma).

@RaeUK

@RaeUK It’s absolutely not a coincidence that those anomalies above, along with others where closure of a fissure has failed/is incomplete (cleft palate etc) represent some of the most common birth anomalies.

Read 8 tweets

Emma Hilton

@FondOfBeetles

12 Jun

The fantasy: gender-critical women planning to bomb Stonewall.

The reality: gender-critical women discussing whether wool might be employed as an effective tool of protest.

In case it’s not clear, I’m referring to the furious imaginings of gender-critical activity being thrown around over the last couple of days.

Terrorists? 🙄

I spend most of my Saturday afternoons listening to international women talk about their domestic campaigns, then chatting with groups of women about various aspects of law, news, and required actions.

A more anti-violence group you could not hope to meet.

Read 6 tweets