Neil DeGrass Tyson vs Ben Shapiro on transgenderism

Tyson's question to Shapiro is pivotal and insightful : why does the personal gender identity of trans persons matter so much to you? What is the big deal?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXyP-H80puQ

When a supposed scientist wonders why you're questioning if something is or is not science, he's already ceded his own high ground. "It's people in society" doesn't refute the scientific facts. Mental illness is also "real and it's there." See how that works?

Notice they cut off a lot of Ben's replies. We do live in a free country and you are free to express whatever you like. Conservatives, by and large, are not trying to stop that. But you are not free to demand others use your pronouns, invade women's spaces and sports, or groom children, as those intrude on the freedoms of others. I assume that is along the lines of what Ben would reply.

I'm guessing MR needs TYTs to tell him what to think and how to argue. Hence not posting the actual Tyson/Shapiro interview.

Quote:"It's people in society" doesn't refute the scientific facts.

Oh? And what "scientific facts"are those?

If being transgender really were a mental illness, which I have already shown it isn't, then why complain about it? How can anyone be against a mental illness? If you really thought it was you'd be advocating mental health services for such people and having compassion for them. But you don't. You just continue spreading hatred against such people and anyone else who stands up for them. Your concern isn't scientific at all. It's political and fanatical and an excuse to rant and whine about something that will never ever change and is no one's fault.

Again, if only you could read, I JUST said that no one cares how they express themselves. They only care when it imposes on the freedoms of others.

Gender disphoria is a mental illness. Trans-women are not biological women. These are scientific facts.

"Is being transgender a mental illness?

No. Being transgender (or trans, for short) isn't a mental health disorder. If you’re transgender, it means that you have a different gender identity than the one you were assigned at birth. (Gender identity is defined as the personal sense of one’s own gender.) The desire to convey your gender in the way you feel most authentic is a normal aspect of human expression.

What is gender dysphoria, and how does it affect trans people?

Gender dysphoria is a condition that affects many transgender people before they transition (begin living as their authentic selves). It describes a sense of unease regarding the mismatch between assigned sex and gender identity — and it can occur at any point during life, from childhood to adulthood. Left untreated, gender dysphoria can lead to severe emotional and psychological distress."--- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/ar...tal-health

Subjective feelings do not somehow override biological reality. It's that break with reality that causes the primary emotional distress.

Subjective feelings, as in one's gender identity, do not rise up in a vacuum. As I have proven in previous posts, the basis for one's gender identity lies in the brain, just as everything does. There is no psychosis or "break from reality". There is just the dysphoria of not being able to live out their inborn gender identity because it clashes with their body's sex. Imagine not being able to identify with your body's sex. That's where the dysphoria comes from.

No, you haven't proven anything. Behavior and especially trauma change the brain through neuroplasticity, but those changes never go beyond the range of the biological sex unless there is an intersex mutation from birth. Believing and behaving contrary to one's biological sex is literally a break from reality, no matter how much the enabling psychs wish to massage it otherwise. Since there is no evolutionary basis for it, it can only be trauma, aberrant behavior, social/environmental contagion, etc.. There is zero evidence that an alternate gender identity is inborn, and lot of evidence that gender norms are inborn, universally across cultures, due to evolutionary psychology.

Yes, not being able to cope with your biological reality is a mental problem.

"Brain activity and structure in transgender adolescents more closely resembles the typical activation patterns of their desired gender, according to findings to be presented in Barcelona, at the European Society of Endocrinology annual meeting, ECE 2018. These findings suggest that differences in brain function may occur early in development and that brain imaging may be a useful tool for earlier identification of transgenderism in young people."----
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20...112351.htm

Odd that neither of you searched for it, and odd that he’s an astrophysicist, not a biologist.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/WBxAQYmPHDA

If someone dresses in a way that aligns with a gender different from the one that they were assigned at birth and does not experience distress or dysfunction as a result, this situation would not typically be classified as gender dysphoria. In this case, their gender expression is a personal choice that does not necessarily indicate a mental health condition.

Gender dysphoria is specifically about the distress and impairment caused by the incongruence between one’s experienced gender identity and assigned sex. If the expression of gender is a source of comfort and congruence for an individual, and does not lead to distress, it does not meet the criteria for gender dysphoria.

Same with body dysphoria. Many people may have body image concerns or engage in activities like plastic surgery, buying clothes, working out, or using makeup as part of their personal expression or to align with societal norms, without experiencing the clinical symptoms of BDD. These activities can be part of a healthy self-care routine or a way to feel more confident and socially accepted.

BDD is characterized by an intense preoccupation with perceived flaws that are either minor or not noticeable to others, leading to significant distress and impairment. It's not just about having concerns or insecurities about one’s appearance—it's about those concerns being overwhelming and interfering with daily life.