As a biologist
In case you’ve been wondering what Robert Winston said on BBC Question Time yesterday (as I had been), zip ahead to about 6 minutes in.
Partial spoiler: the core of it is: “I will say categorically, that you cannot change your sex.”
Tip Jar
What? We’re supposed to believe this crusty old curmudgeon with his letters after his name? What’s he ever done for the most marginalised and opressed? Has he ever met a trans person? Does he even know that science has moved on and been replaced by handwaving, woo, and feelz?
Heh heh yes he clearly does know and doesn’t give a flying fuck. Doesn’t need to. We should all be given asylum in the House of Lords!
Wouldn’t it be nice to see a discussion of the topic with Robert Winston and PZ? Nah, just kidding, PZ would know he was out of his depth before it began.
Roj, perhaps even more relevant is that PZ would not be able to treat Winston high-handedly or flippantly. He’d be forced to explain – to an eminent biologist and educator – just why he thinks geldings and stallions are not the same sex.
Speaking of PZ, he still hasn’t posted about the Loudoun County rapes. Neither has Futrelle, even though I have zero doubt he’d be all over it if the perp hadn’t worn a skirt and there wasn’t the thorny issue of access to female bathrooms in the mix.
I’m actually mildly surprised that PZ hasn’t posted to denounce it as a right wing lie, in the same way he sided with the unspeakable notCursedE over the Marion Millar pub story. I guess there’s still time.
I know, I sound like a broken record. But I can put up with supposed rationalists being idiots about trans issues, offence to my sensibilities though it is, but I can not abide them keeping silent or clinging to the fence when it comes to such specific issues as these.
If PZ hadn’t blocked me on Twitter, I’d ask him to comment about it until he did.
latsos, I have thrilling news for you: FTB blogger Intransitive tackled the event.
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Yes, his take is both stupid and dishonest. I’ll post my assessment of it in misc.
Is this standard procedure then on Question Time for the presenter to announce after every answer or opinion offered by the panel “there are those who would vehemently disagree with you”?
I’m disappointed they didn’t show the reaction of the person who asked the question. They had a look of the non-binary about them.