The idle musings of a former military man, former computer geek, medically retired pastor and now full-time writer. Contents guaranteed to offend the politically correct and anal-retentive from time to time. My approach to life is that it should be taken with a large helping of laughter, and sufficient firepower to keep it tamed!
Tuesday, August 25, 2026
A snappy answer to a stupid question
I dearly love J. K. Rowling's intelligence, wit and superb choice of repartee. This is one of her best, as she responds to a "woke" gender warrior trying to browbeat opponents.
Zap! End of argument, right there!
Peter
13 comments:
Heidi
said...
In a more general biological way, females produce large stationary reproductive cells and males produce small mobile reproductive cells.
Can't reply to a reply on blogger but also there are critters out there, like sea horses, where the female deposits the eggs in the male and he gestates the young.
"Steve Parker said... I guess Rowling would say a postmenopausal woman has a defective reproductive system, which is a stretch."
This is why many people can't answer the question, because they insist on covering every single possibility, otherwise it's not a "proper" answer. Reminds me of a student who, when I was pointing out the roots of a particular math word, insisted on going off on the abandonment of German diacritical marks by the English, turning an interesting if surface level discussion that was actually engaging students, into a pedantic discussion that nobody cared about at all.
Ya know, you don't have to guess. You can actually look up what she's said. And please do because you are putting words into her mouth. Her definition is one sentence long and implicitly includes the end-of-life cycle. Her short list of irrelevancies are examples, not all-inclusive.
Or there's this definition of hers: “I believe a woman is a human being who belongs to the sex class that produces large gametes. It’s irrelevant whether or not her gametes have ever been fertilised, whether or not she’s carried a baby to term, irrelevant if she was born with a rare difference of sexual development that makes neither of the above possible, or if she’s aged beyond being able to produce viable eggs. She is a woman and just as much a woman as the others.”
It's real easy to figure out whether or not you are male or female by standing in front of a full-length mirror naked—for 99.9% of humanity. The rest might need some genetic testing. And for those who can't accept what they see in the mirror, there is a term in the DSM-IV-TR called "body dysmorphic disorder" that covers your problem. My advice is to seek help for your problem if it is affecting your ability to function in society.
Mr. Deboe I think you mean XXY also traditionally known as Klienfelters Syndrom (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klinefelter_syndrome now usually 47:xxy). Not sure HOW you'd get XYY, we genotypical males have only one Y to donate. The XXY is thought to MOSTLY occur when the process of splitting the genes for producing the gamete fails partial and leaves the XY intact(though the same can happen with an Egg that fails to split that the produces XXX or XXY depending on the donor gamete. XXY persons are phenotypically male although almost always sterile for a variety of reasons. This is actually the ONLY way to get a calico male cat as the genes for Orange and black fur exist on the Cat X chromosome and are exclisive. There are also varying degrees of insensitivity to testosterone. When this occurs in a XY genotype (male genetically) the person is phenotypically female although does not posess ovaries or a uterus but generally undescended testicles. The woman boxer (gold medal?) from the last Olympics Imane Khelif. How often this occurs is highly debated. Without Genetic tests which were NOT easy until the 2000's this would NOT usually be detected until the person tried to conceive or if detailed pelvic X-rays were taken for some other reason. Ms. Rowlings definition clearly places XXY in male and the testosterone insensitive ALSO in male (producing sperm NOT eggs albeit ineffectually.
13 comments:
In a more general biological way, females produce large stationary reproductive cells and males produce small mobile reproductive cells.
They're not the same type of reproductive cells and have different functions, so I think that argument fails.
I've not understood why the distinction that one group contains XX and the other XY chromosomes isn't sufficient to settle this matter.
I have always gone with XX chromosomes versus XY chromosomes, but Rowling says it better.
Generally, those with XX chromosomes are female.
Those with XY are male.
There are abbreations, but generally that's it.
I guess Rowling would say a postmenopausal woman has a defective reproductive system, which is a stretch.
My simpler definition of a female human is one that lacks a Y chromosome.
The Y chromosome is the one that carries all the genetic information that makes a boy a boy and a man a man.
Admittedly my definition ignores DSD's (disorders of sex development), like Klinefelter syndrome. Enjoy that rabbit hole on your own time.
-----Steve
Can't reply to a reply on blogger but also there are critters out there, like sea horses, where the female deposits the eggs in the male and he gestates the young.
Peter, please explain the failure. Perhaps it was not as elegant as J.K Rowlings but never the less hit the point.
"Steve Parker said...
I guess Rowling would say a postmenopausal woman has a defective reproductive system, which is a stretch."
This is why many people can't answer the question, because they insist on covering every single possibility, otherwise it's not a "proper" answer. Reminds me of a student who, when I was pointing out the roots of a particular math word, insisted on going off on the abandonment of German diacritical marks by the English, turning an interesting if surface level discussion that was actually engaging students, into a pedantic discussion that nobody cared about at all.
Ya know, you don't have to guess. You can actually look up what she's said. And please do because you are putting words into her mouth. Her definition is one sentence long and implicitly includes the end-of-life cycle. Her short list of irrelevancies are examples, not all-inclusive.
Or there's this definition of hers: “I believe a woman is a human being who belongs to the sex class that produces large gametes. It’s irrelevant whether or not her gametes have ever been fertilised, whether or not she’s carried a baby to term, irrelevant if she was born with a rare difference of sexual development that makes neither of the above possible, or if she’s aged beyond being able to produce viable eggs. She is a woman and just as much a woman as the others.”
Roughly 1/1000 boys have XYY; usually the effects are mild-to-unnoticed
It's real easy to figure out whether or not you are male or female by standing in front of a full-length mirror naked—for 99.9% of humanity. The rest might need some genetic testing. And for those who can't accept what they see in the mirror, there is a term in the DSM-IV-TR called "body dysmorphic disorder" that covers your problem. My advice is to seek help for your problem if it is affecting your ability to function in society.
Mr. Deboe I think you mean XXY also traditionally known as Klienfelters Syndrom (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klinefelter_syndrome now usually 47:xxy). Not sure HOW you'd get XYY, we genotypical males have only one Y to donate. The XXY is thought to MOSTLY occur when the process of splitting the genes for producing the gamete fails partial and leaves the XY intact(though the same can happen with an Egg that fails to split that the produces XXX or XXY depending on the donor gamete. XXY persons are phenotypically male although almost always sterile for a variety of reasons. This is actually the ONLY way to get a calico male cat as the genes for Orange and black fur exist on the Cat X chromosome and are exclisive.
There are also varying degrees of insensitivity to testosterone. When this occurs in a XY genotype (male genetically) the person is phenotypically female although does not posess ovaries or a uterus but generally undescended testicles. The woman boxer (gold medal?) from the last Olympics Imane Khelif. How often this occurs is highly debated. Without Genetic tests which were NOT easy until the 2000's this would NOT usually be detected until the person tried to conceive or if detailed pelvic X-rays were taken for some other reason. Ms. Rowlings definition clearly places XXY in male and the testosterone insensitive ALSO in male (producing sperm NOT eggs albeit ineffectually.
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