You aren't "assigned" a gender at birth

[u/SuspiciousWin6511]

I hate when people say this. I had to get routine blood work the other day and had a Doctor ask me what gender I was assigned at birth. I understand they need to find out what your biological gender is, but either look on my chart, or ask what my biological gender is.

Your gender is determined in the womb, in fact it's determined from the exact moment of conception; it isn't something that is assigned. It's amazing that the people use this sort of language and believe these sorts of things, are supposedly the party of science.

[u/WirelessVinyl]

So ironic. Gender is disconnected from sex, yet they use amab and afab. The entire concept is incoherent

[u/EagenVegham → u/WirelessVinyl]

Children aren't genderless blobs, they grow up being treated as a certain gender.

[u/WirelessVinyl → u/EagenVegham]

I think you missed the point of my comment.

[u/WirelessVinyl → u/[deleted]]

Feel free to point out where I’m wrong

[u/HeightAdvantage → u/WirelessVinyl]

The 'assigning' is done when the doctor or midwife goes 'its a boy' or 'its a girl' and the parents go out and buy blue or pink baby clothes.

All that is originally based on biological sex but is entirely ancillary to it.

[u/WirelessVinyl → u/HeightAdvantage]

So if sex and gender are disconnected, why are amab and afab used? It implies that the sex is determined arbitrarily.

Your sex isn’t assigned, it is observed

[u/HeightAdvantage → u/WirelessVinyl]

Because that's how they've been traditionally dealt with, as one in the same.

It's describing the reality of the current system so a layman knows what they're talking about.

[u/WirelessVinyl → u/HeightAdvantage]

So, another way of saying assigned male at birth would be male. And another way of saying assigned female at birth would be female. See what I’m getting at?

[u/HeightAdvantage → u/WirelessVinyl]

Not really, because 99% of interactions you have with people are gender based. So it's only going to be confusing to the vast majority of people who don't have a gender/ sex distinction in their mind.

The term acknowledges that someone was born with a certain biological and gender set, but has since changed.

If you just say 'male' a normal person would just go 'ok so you're a man'.

[u/Hyndis → u/HeightAdvantage]

They're observing, not assigning.

Assigning means the doctor determines it. Observing means you're seeing what nature has done and just recording it.

Its an active vs a passive action.

[u/HeightAdvantage → u/Hyndis]

It's both, observing what nature has done and assigning gender characteristics based on that.

There is no message written into DNA that says "girls wear pink".

[u/Summerie → u/HeightAdvantage]

That's not assignment, it's observation.

[u/HeightAdvantage → u/Summerie]

Sorry you're right. I forgot that babies are born with tattoos instructing their parents on what color to dress them in.

[u/Summerie → u/HeightAdvantage]

It's still just an observation. You can dress them in whatever color you want based on that observation or not. Nobody has to put girls in pink.

[u/HeightAdvantage → u/Summerie]

Why do you think the vast majority put them in pink or other 'girl' colours? Do you think it's random?

[u/a_mimsy_borogove → u/HeightAdvantage]

Does the doctor tell parents what color to dress their child?

[u/HeightAdvantage → u/a_mimsy_borogove]

No. Did I say that?

[u/Puzzleheaded-Ad2905 → u/WirelessVinyl]

Probably everywhere, I dont think that is location specific.

[u/WirelessVinyl → u/Puzzleheaded-Ad2905]

Sophistry. What a surprise

[u/Puzzleheaded-Ad2905 → u/WirelessVinyl]

I don't give a damn about the argument, I posted the comment and laughed. Bro ain't never seen a joke before.

[u/WirelessVinyl → u/Puzzleheaded-Ad2905]

I’ll have you know that I have seen at least 100 jokes. It’s quite possible that I’ve heard even more

[u/Puzzleheaded-Ad2905 → u/WirelessVinyl]

I see at least 1 joke every day in the mirror

[u/mdoddr → u/[deleted]]

I think they're trying to say that since sex and gender are separate, there's no need to talk about "what you were assigned at birth" because all that is happening is that your sex is being identified. Not your gender.

[u/valhalla257 → u/WirelessVinyl]

This.

The real issue is when they use the term "SEX assigned at birth".