Thread by @Saintonge235

This is true, but there is a deeper truth. Some parts of reality are NOT subject to social decision, but some are. "World One", "World Two" and "World Three" were what Karl Popper called these areas. It is important not to confuse them. Keeping them straight can be difficult.

https://twitter.com/Dialogia2/status/1434630392678584320

Worse, these areas interact. How does the covid virus spread? How does it act in the human body? What percent of cases die? What actions will lower the spread? What treatments make the disease less lethal? All those are in World One, physical reality not subject to opinion.

But what actions we choose to take to control the spread of the disease, what treatments we choose to explore and employ, they are all part of World Two, social reality. And they affect how many people catch the disease, and how many die of it.

With the gender issues, much the same, though harder to keep straight. Whether someone is male or female is World One. But the fact that some men feel they are women, some women feel they are men, and some of both groups feel they are neither is ALSO World One.

A man who believes he's "really a woman" is wrong (he's a man), but he DOES believe it. His beliefs are also a part of reality.

Then there's our World Two issues: how will we deal with this man and his belief? Refuse to treat him as a woman, and arrest him if he cross dresses?

Go along with his belief in all circumstances where it is physically possible? (We can check implanted breasts for cancer, but we can't take a pap smear of a non-existent cervix.) Or do we treat the man as a woman sometimes, but only sometimes?

And then there's World Three, the world of logic and reason. Whatever decisions we make will have consequences, many unknown at this time. What will these be? We don't know yet. Seems likely to me that treating men as women will affects our attitudes towards all women, e.g.

But some we do know. One, especially, is that male predators upon women will lie to make it their predation easier.

Another is people's feelings differ, and that we won't be able to make everyone happy all the time. (Though many will _fiercely_ refuse to believe that.)

But we do know that World One always wins within its sphere. The man who feels like a woman will still be a man, and still have his feelings (though feelings MAY change over time). Any policy that pretends EITHER set of facts can be wished away is doomed to failure.

And while some people will regard this man as "really" a woman in all important respects, other people will regard him as "really" a man, no matter what he and the first group insist. Therefore, we can have unending conflict over this, or we can work out a modus vivendi.

If we wish to settle these issues, we need to ask ourselves what CAN happen, what we WANT to happen, and what we can ACCEPT happening. And then argue, bargain, and decide on policies.

But whatever we decide, it will NEVER be universally accepted. That last is a World One truth.

My best guess is that in the end, we'll accept the trans identified as what they wish to be perceived as in some circumstances but not others.

@threadreaderapp unroll please