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ZoeBrain

Published Letters: 31

Thursday, October 11, 2007 01:23 AM

There's none so blind....

Someone who chose to remain Anonymous wrote:

They buy into the gender constructs imposed on them, and refuse to come to grips with who they actually are. They are not people of an opposite sex trapped in an "incorrect" gender - they are people who can't accept society's assigned genders and, rather than grow a backbone and saying "fuck off - I don't fit the pre-ordained roles," opt to mutilate themselves in an attempt to pass and be accepted.

And your evidence is?

See

Zhou J.-N, Hofman M.A, Gooren L.J, Swaab D.F (1997) : A Sex Difference in the Human Brain and its Relation to Transsexuality.

See also

Kruijver F.P.M, Zhou J.-N, Pool C.W., Swaab D.F. (2000) : Male-to-Female Transsexuals Have Female Neuron Numbers in a Limbic Nucleus

http://www.harrybenjaminsyndrome-info.org/pdf/BSTc.pdf

http://www.harrybenjaminsyndrome-info.org/pdf/brainsex1.pdf

They are not people of an opposite sex trapped in an "incorrect" gender is exactly 100% wrong.

The brain is a complex organ, with many different parts. Many of these parts have morphology that follows a bimodal distribution with strong correlation with sex chromosome configuration.

OK, boys (tend to) have one type, girls another, Ok?

The part that determines whether you are a boy or a girl appears to lie in the area of the hypothalamus and limbic nuclei. If of one configuration, you're a girl, in another, a boy, but there are gradations, and some people could probably function as either.

It may be that sexual orientation is also set by brain morphology (A different part, as Gay Males have strongly male-pattern BSTc layers). I think the evidence is strong that it is, and fMRT imaging will prove this in a few years. Or show I'm full of it. Science is like that, and we must be prepared to abandon even the most cherished beliefs when the facts show we're wrong.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. No-one is entitled to their own facts. But the worst are those whose bigotry is so ingrained that they make unsupported and unsupportable statements contrary to the facts, and then use those as a reason for oppressing others.

Maybe I'm being too harsh. Maybe you just didn't bother following a hyperlink, it's too much trouble. Well here it is again.

http://aebrain.blogspot.com/2007/10/ts-101.html

While we're at it, and talking about "gender roles", what would you say about a woman who is in the space industry, studying engineering, doesn't wear makeup, and is in a legally perplexing marital relationship with another woman. Not exactly "Doris Day" is she?

Now see http://cs.anu.edu.au/~Zoe.Brain/

My mere existence contradicts everything you say and believe.

That happens a lot, especially to Fundies. Many can't handle a fact that completely destroys their whole, snug, comfy world-view.

Oh yes, if your cranium hasn't imploded yet, I'm also a neocon.

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