It is important to recognize the context-dependent and multidimensional nature of sex. Rather than privilege any characteristic as the sole determinant of sex, “male” and “female” should be treated as context-dependent categories with flexible associations to multiple variables . The usage of “male” and “female” should be explicitly defined in any given study .
Awareness of the distinction between sex and gender is another vital element to inclusive, quality research . Conflating the two harms and invalidates gender minorities by implying that these distinct attributes are inextricably linked. It is in this context that many US states require surgery or sterilization before a person can change their gender on legal documents.
As scientists, we must push back against the misappropriation of biological terms by promoting precise language that focuses on the variables themselves and acknowledging that people express these variables in ways that may not conform with a binary system of sex or gender. This both creates a more inclusive environment for gender-diverse scientists and reinforces that sex is a context-dependent summary of a multidimensional variable space.
'No one trait determines whether a person is male or female, and no person’s sex can be meaningfully prescribed by any single variable.' If we are talking non-human systems, this statement is palpably false. This was probably allowed to print because it says 'person's sex'.
Ignore & Block the anti science bigots to improve your twitter experience vastly
Why are you taunting your brand by advertising your level of ideological capture? Stick to science.
ScienceMag became WOKE. Biological Sex is not about giving privilege to specific characteristics. Stop trying to shove your ideology down people's throats.
Important stuff, thank you for publishing it, even if it does get you all the wrong kind of attention
If we’re interested in facts it might be more effective for trans rights to accept that difference is OK rather than pretend difference doesn’t exist. Sex and sexual orientation based rights depend on sex, so we can’t blur the definition of sex so much they disappear.
Wonderful!
You're confused. Male and female are already very precise terms based on biological facts. You want to make them imprecise, as we can see in your closing statement that 'sex is a context-dependent summary of a multidimensional variable space.' It's subjective mush, not science.
Thank you for this. In my profession (librarian), I've been told: ''science' has frequently been used as a weapon against the oppressed.' Scare quotes theirs. As a reason not to insist on high quality materials for library collections. I believe science (today) is not oppressive.
Thank you for publishing this 🥰
ITT: terfs, numpties, the illiterate
jk_rowling
Excellent science communication, thank you
Thank you for publishing this.
Thank you, sorry you are getting dog piled.
Excellent letter, thank you for publishing it. It's really important that we have terms that accurately describe and include everyone, sorry that GCs seem to think that's somehow a bad thing. Take care ♥️
Great letter. Science is interested in precision and intricacies. Sweeping categorisations are by their nature less scientific.
As a scientist it's good to see this letter. Be prepared for a lot of outrage from those who have little understanding of science.
In political area this very wishful thinking.
ITT: Nonscientists: general transphobic sounds Actual scientists: yeah this makes sense
Nice one!
I'm sorry to see the anti gender cranks have piled on as they don't like their biological essentialist beliefs (and it is a belief as it bears no resemblance to the remarkably complex science involved) being challenged. Keep up the good work!
Excellent letter.
Excellent letter. Thank you for publishing it.
Indeed.
Yep. The binary bio-essentialism used by transphobic bigots is ugly, wrong and unscientific.
I’m a biologist and I’m embarrassed for this publication. Please don’t associate us biologists with this pseudoscience.
Thank you for publishing this paper. Asking scientists to be explicit with their definitions of sex seems very reasonable, so I don’t understand why there’s such resistance (130+ comments) from the Science Mag readership. Explain me?
The precise terms are male and female. Stop this madness.
I am a trans & nonbinary scientist. This is extremely important. Thank you.
Agree.
🤡🌍 science 🧑🔬
Pseudoscience Magazine.
Science? Or Social Science? The stuff real scientists laugh about whilst doing actual medical research? You have no credibility as it is.
scientists should declare conflicts of interest (google the authors...) and should not engage in such blantant (and dodgy) ideology promotion under a false guise of 'science'
🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡
'We should use precise language, except for when such precision does not suit our desired political narrative, in which we case we get to decide what words meaning, including the word 'precise' '. Because SCIENCE. 😂🤡
Oh, bloody hell.
Here's another one for you. As scientists we must push back against corporate publishers that are sucking us dry in exchange for useless, outdated prestige points while trying to placate us with sweet words of empathy. Jeez you're awful...
How are you going to tell us to push back against misappropriation, and then tell us to perform faux inclusiveness? There are only two SEXES: Female and Male. Both SEXES can express themselves however they like WITHOUT obscuring/perverting language.
The binary form of sex is the most relevant form of consensus.
'Inclusive' language is not precise language. That's exactly the problem. In only the last 10 years this Orwellian mass hysteria has taken over every aspect of our society, but we, as human beings, know what a woman is and what a man is. Science is no longer trusted. Guess why?
It is critical that scientific language remains accurate and dare i say ‘scientific’. We do not change fact to make people feel better, would we say evolution is false because it offends religious teachings too? It mocks biological science & thousands of years of evolution.
itt: people who haven't taken a science class since they were 16
One of the most important rules in every science is that one should not vitiate science in any way, which is why types of indoctrinations should be avoided like this. I really hate those attempts to change the structure in a stupidly unnecessary way.
Females don't have the luxury of their sex being viewed as 'context-dependent categories'. Our safety, well-being & opportunities for fair & equal treatment within society depends on the accurate description & RECOGNITION of the reality of sex & that it matters.
nigga wut r u on about
Just stop the nonsense. This trend is backfiring as we speak. I’m all for trans rights but not at the expense of science, hard-fought gay rights, or hard-fought biological women’s rights.
'Precise language' treats biological sex as binary, because it is, for all vertebrates. 'Precise language' acknowledges the existence of sex disorders- abnormalities that do not invalidate the binary nature of sex. What you published isn't science, it's ideological mumbo-jumbo.
What chormozones make up a xi/xer gender?
Still charging scientists thousands to publish articles, charging people to read articles and not paying reviewers? You awful, horrible people. You're what's wrong with modern science. I don't know how you sleep at night.
Science stopped doing science. Welcome to the 2020s.
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John Money molested a child who was so traumatically ruined he committed suicide [also caused his brother to commit suicide as well] and you peddlers only see money to be made. The things I can't say on Twitter to you because I'd be immediately banned.
Stating the importance of precise language in an article that claims sex and gender are not linked, that having a ‘Y-chromosome’ is not associated with being a male, and genitalia are not male or female among other dubious claims is not only unscientific it is completely insane!
Yeah, let's negate biology because 'some don't feel to conform' to it. idiots
As a scientist, we have to use precise language, I agree. But why rely transgender rights on scientific language? Isn't that a legal problem?
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There is a scientifically defined male & female, just like there is a scientifically defined H, HE, O, etc... Lead does not magically become Gold because it identifies as Gold. You can paint lead a gold color and stamp it out into gold colored coins. It doesn't make it Gold.
Agreed, altho folks like jordanbpeterson have discussed the challenges in legislating language - it's tough.
That should also go the other way around. Biologists and Psychologists in particular redefine commonplace terms to lose their meaning or accuracy.
The premise is false.