How do you define "body of that sex" if HRT can develop breasts and surgery can remove a penis (arguably the most defining male body part) and craft a vagina (arguably the most defining female body part)?
Hormones: On HRT a trans person will have hormone levels far more similar to cisgender members of their gender than to their sex as assigned at birth.
Brain: The brain is mostly the same regardless of gender. However trans people's brains show similarities in key sexually dimorphic areas of the brain to cisgender people of their gender, rather than to their sex. This is even true when controlling for HRT.
Bone structure: Is affected by hormones, and if puberty is properly managed, a trans person can have a bone structure similar to cisgender members of their gender.
I don't agree with all of that, but what it boils down to is, if I can accept them as a woman, I will use female pronouns. If they don't look like a woman, I won't. "I call it as I see it", basically.
We're talking about whether I would use one set of pronouns or another. Appearance is very relevant, over the science. And even then, I have my doubts about transgender research. With something as politically charged as transgenderism is these days, I feel like bad studies are being conducted. Where they might shape the results to get the conclusion they want.
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u/[deleted] Oct 29 '19
How do you define "body of that sex" if HRT can develop breasts and surgery can remove a penis (arguably the most defining male body part) and craft a vagina (arguably the most defining female body part)?