Latest

Journal of Science & Nature: Defining gender based on genitals one is born with ‘has no foundation in science’

November 21, 2018 | | Print Article

A so-called science journal is being raked over the coals for claiming there is “no foundation in science” for defining someone’s gender based on the genitals they were born with.

An editorial in the international journal of science, Nature, declared that the “move to classify people on the basis of anatomy or genetics should be abandoned.”

(Image: Flickr)

The op-ed was in response to a proposed US Department of Health and Human Services plan to use the genitals one is born with to establish a legal definition of whether they are male or female.

According to Nature:

The proposal — on which HHS officials have refused to comment — is a terrible idea that should be killed off. It has no foundation in science and would undo decades of progress on understanding sex — a classification based on internal and external bodily characteristics — and gender, a social construct related to biological differences but also rooted in culture, societal norms and individual behaviour. Worse, it would undermine efforts to reduce discrimination against transgender people and those who do not fall into the binary categories of male or female.

 

The idea that gender is a “social construct” and that there is no scientific foundation for the proposal sparked instant backlash on social media.

The op-ed’s remarks on the plan’s effect on those born with several variations in sex characteristics also generated a load of reactions.

“The research and medical community now sees sex as more complex than male and female, and gender as a spectrum that includes transgender people and those who identify as neither male nor female. The US administration’s proposal would ignore that expert consensus,” the Nature op-ed stated.

“The idea that science can make definitive conclusions about a person’s sex or gender is fundamentally flawed,” it continued.

The so-called science journal also presented a very non-scientific argument.

Political attempts to pigeonhole people have nothing to do with science and everything to do with stripping away rights and recognition from those whose identity does not correspond with outdated ideas of sex and gender. It is an easy way for the Trump administration to rally its supporters, many of whom oppose equality for people from sexual and gender minorities. It is unsurprising that it appeared just weeks before the midterm elections.

 

The publication’s attempt to get political – and naturally blame President Trump – was not received well.

DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW

Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!

$10
$15
$25
$50
Other
$
Success! Thank you for donating. Please share BPR content to help combat the lies.
Frieda Powers
Latest posts by Frieda Powers (see all)

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.

BPR INSIDER COMMENTS

Scroll down for non-member comments or join our insider conversations by becoming a member. We'd love to have you!

Latest Articles