Well, are they Napoleon by the simple fact that their "bodies" tell them that they are?
You tell me. You're the one who thinks it's related. How is it related? What research into people who think they are Napoleon leads you to the conclusion it's a related phenomenon?
I want to understand how you define what makes someone the thing they claim to be. I'm still not sure how you define "man" and "woman" outside of "they feel like they are so".
How consistently do they feel they are so? How much satisfaction do they get from steps of transitioning?
Being a 'man' or a 'woman' isn't and has never been one thing. It is a clustering of sexually dimorphic traits combined with social constructions on what those 'mean'. Taking out any six of them ultimately doesn't make them not the gender they are. A woman has breasts. Does a flat-chested woman not a woman, or even
less of a woman? Is a man who develops female breast tissue not a man? Women can have children. Is a woman who cannot less of a woman, and a man who can't get a woman pregnant less of a man? Men and women respond differently to catecholamines, is a man who does not respond with excitement to them less of a man?
Ultimately the only person who could figure that out is the
person themselves. Their conclusion isn't just 'a feeling'.
If you look back at the post you quoted, and presumably read, I was talking about the culture of validation.
Yeah, I know. You also indicated what you believe 'the culture of validation' means, and that's listening to the people's claims of what their gender is.
That's at least one thing we agree on.
Who said it had to be simple?
Those asking for single definitions on what it 'woman' means are asking for something simple, whether or not they realize it.
Okay let's try a more grounded comparison.
Rachel Dolezal. Remember her? The white lady (German, Swedish, and Czech ancestory) that "identified" as black and headed a chapter of the NAACP?
Is she black? "Race" is certainly a near totally social construct.
See the above about Napoleon people as it applies here too. In addition, this indicates that you think I'm saying that gender is only a function of biology OR a social construct, and that something being a social construct means it's completely arbitrary. This isn't the case.
In short, those phenomenon don't relate closely, unless you have something to show they do.
Which multiple body systems? All I'm seeing is brain/mind.
Sorry, it might not actually be in that link. The other systems include different patterns of transmitting, regulating, and processing biomolecules. Keeping in mind the point I made above about 'clustering of traits' and that these are
tendencies of various strengths, some other different reactions are to things like testosterone, aromatase, serotonin, vasopressin. There are also differences in things like cholinergic system that helps in sleep and reactions to opioids. For example, women's bodies tend to not develop muscle as readily even taking male levels of steroids that do work on males. Opioid reaction tends to be stronger in women and trans women.
The first link notes how both ways are still used and debated. I'm for the cutting down on red tape, but that consulting with professionals is always going to be advisable. It's just too damn complicated. Depending of course, on what stage or behavior is being challenged. That is to say, I think asking for ID or anything besides self-identification to use the restroom is wrong. In the overwhelming number of social interactions, self-identification should be way more than enough.
I'm no essentialist, but if you didn't notice from my criticisms of some of the ways transgender issues are advanced and push in places they are not salient I'm not above disagreeing with some of the transgender community. There is a lot of discussion about that in community, and I'm well aware of it. As a matter of fact, I've learned a lot from my friends and family who are part of that community venting about what they see as the anti-science and emotional reaction based reasoning of those doing things like denying biology has any effect at all or demanding to be part of abortion safe-spaces and the like.
