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Culture War Roundup for the week of April 27, 2026

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But the people reporting it's existence aren't any better at defining or describing it than you are.

Well, they're closer to it, so they have a better view, and their statements are the best data I have.

Isn't that forbidding trans women from what we allow cis women to do, rather than forbidding cis women from what we allow trans women to do?

I reread your comment, and I apparently mis-interpreted it. I apologise for the error.

None of the drama is related to trans women being allowed to do what cis women aren't

Then whence the concern about a man claiming to be a trans-woman 'being given free rein', if he is not doing anything wrong with the acceptance given to him?

We don't, or at least shouldn't, tolerate cis-women harassing other cis-women in the restroom; thus, if trans-women aren't allowed to do anything cis-women aren't, then trans-women, or cis-men claiming to be such, are not being given 'free rein' to harm anyone.

And if you meant the former, didn't you just say you would exclude them from sports, prisons, etc.?

Those are circumstances under which I would compromise from the pro-trans maximalist position. That is not the same thing as endorsement of the anti-trans maximalist position.

Your original definition made no mention of hormone levels, nor did you say it's context dependent.

For most purposes, a woman is someone who either (a.) is of the gender identity found more commonly in people born with vulvas, or (b.) has no gender identity and has a vulva.

"For most purposes" means that some contexts might call for a different definition.

At this point your approach is just more complicated and confusing, while offering no benefits.

Other than being fairer to certain people who, to be honest, are having a terrible enough time of it already.

("Other than that, Mrs Lincoln, how was the play?")

But trans activists want to keep the segregation

Then argue for the abolition of segregation entirely

Are there trans activists who have rejected offers of 'gender-neutral bathrooms for everybody, as long as the wash their hands'?

I, on the other hand, have literally never even heard of Karens demanding genital checks.

I don't know how else one would enforce the bathroom bills being proposed in the red states, given the overlap between, at a minimum, the most female-presenting quintile of trans-women and the least female-presenting quintile of cis-women.

Well, they're closer to it, so they have a better view, and their statements are the best data I have.

That just means the best data you have to support the existence of gender identity roughly rivals the data we have to support astral projection. It's not skin off my nose if you want to believe in it, but if you're demanding a sweeping reform of society, I think you need to back your demands with something better.

Then whence the concern about a man claiming to be a trans-woman 'being given free rein', if he is not doing anything wrong with the acceptance given to him?

I just meant that he'd be allowed to take advantage of any benefits stemming from "identifying as a woman". If you don't see anything wrong with that, what exactly has Mr. Mustache Twirling Villain done wrong in the exact same situation?

We don't, or at least shouldn't, tolerate cis-women harassing other cis-women in the restroom; thus, if trans-women aren't allowed to do anything cis-women aren't, then trans-women, or cis-men claiming to be such, are not being given 'free rein' to harm anyone.

a) Telling someone they're supposed to use the other bathroom is not harassment.

b) I don't recall phrasing "free rein" in terms of harm. I just meant there'd be no barriers to entering into women's spaces.

Those are circumstances under which I would compromise from the pro-trans maximalist position.

If it's a compromise then it's not a definition. The point of a definition is to communicate a concept between different people, so that they can reason about it and debate it. It sounds like rather than trying to do that, you are first trying to reach a specific goal, and are tailoring the "definition" to how far you think you can get.

"For most purposes" means that some contexts might call for a different definition.

Oh, fair enough, the conversation is going long enough that I forgot that.

Other than being fairer to certain people who, to be honest, are having a terrible enough time of it already.

("Other than that, Mrs Lincoln, how was the play?")

I don't think it would make it fairer to them in any way, or how that they're having a terrible time when all of society is not forced to buy into their belief system.

Are there trans activists who have rejected offers of 'gender-neutral bathrooms for everybody, as long as the wash their hands'?

No one I ever talked about responded with "oh, that sounds lovely, actually" when I made that argument, and I'd say that the burden is on the trans activists to initiate the conversation with that demand, if they want to use the "civil rights" argument.

I don't know how else one would enforce the bathroom bills being proposed in the red states, given the overlap between, at a minimum, the most female-presenting quintile of trans-women and the least female-presenting quintile of cis-women.

a) I notice you're showing any examples of Karens demanding genital checks, or denying my point that no Karen has ever actually done so, in any way, thus proving this is a pro-trans shibboleth.

b) An honor system + resolving corner cases with government ID's with sex-based markers, sounds like more than enough to me.