In general, because our species dies out of you don't pair properly. You can pair a colorblind person with a nearsighted person and if the organs don't match up, no reproduction.

Throw in that our society is set up in a fucked up way that we need to increase the population at all times otherwise we won't be able to care for the elderly before us (social security, medical care... Whatever it may be) reproduction matters a lot to our society.

[–] flying_wotsit@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

That may have been true once, but no longer -- there are no shortage of ways for queer couples (or, for that matter, infertile cishet couples) to have children.

Even if we assume that reproductive categories are so supremely important that we should socially categorise based on them (which I reject), that just brings us back to my original point. Why are infertile people still categorised into a binary sex that has nothing to do with their reproductive capability?

Because sex as we culturully underatand it is socially constructed. We use markers that don't reflect reproductive reality. Perhaps once they were the best proxies we had for a guess at reproductive capacity, but not any more.

[–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

All of those ways include a male and a female as far as I know? More steps are added, like moving the sperm or egg, but in the end it is sperm and egg. Gender is what you are describing as socially constructed as per textbook definition. Infertility occurs, if you want to say they aren't male or female, or say they don't have a sex until they are sexually mature and that ends when they are no longer able to reproduce there are other names, but I think that is just overcomplicating something that was painted with broad strokes. Is it "moral/ethical/correct/right" that's for the beholder, but if your battle is just about the terminology of how to classify someone's anatomy, I'm for hoping it goes well. The more people learn, and the less ignorance about how reproduction works should make the world a better place long term I hope. Out of curiosity do you mind me asking what part of the world you live in? It's been nice discussing this, always good to hear what others are thinking/learning.

[–] flying_wotsit@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 2 months ago

All of those ways include a male and a female as far as I know?

Nope! Sperm has been synthesised effectively from egg and used to fertilise another egg. Successful birth with this method has been achieved in animals, in humans birth has not yet been tried, it's slowed down due to regulations

Gender is what you are describing as socially constructed as per textbook definition.

Your textbooks are clearly outdated. That's fine, sociology and gender theory evolve. Read some queer theory, in particular Judith Butler.

if your battle is just about the terminology of how to classify someone's anatomy

It's not just about terminology, it's about the social constructs that are inexorably linked with that terminology. It's not overcomplication to point out that only a tiny fraction of observable sex (fertility) is actually immutable, and even that won't be for long. All others are both mutable and socially chosen to represent sex.

Out of curiosity do you mind me asking what part of the world you live in?

I do mind, sorry, my points aren't linked to any particular country or culture and so I wouldn't want you categorising them as such, intentionally or not.