All arguments about definitions are about what words should mean to best serve us. All ideas work this way, especially scientific ideas. They're all just tools, not objective or stable forms that we discover. The line between scientifically validated understandings and pseudoscience isn't sacred, but constantly in flux. This isn't a fault of science, but its greatest strength. We only make progress by testing limits and attempting to falsify what we assume to be true.

Using science to exclude other kin from gender identity overestimates our knowledge. I don't personally think it's just a part of gender identity, but related to some other aspect of identity. At the same time, science is barely starting to understand gender, and currently knows almost nothing about nonbinary identities.

There is no scientific explanation for drag, so anything we come up with is total conjecture. As a result, we should just accept our ignorance for now and move on. Doing otherwise is denying the limits to our knowledge.

[–] nifty@lemmy.world 4 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

Yes, science is a tool, and it’s a tool for getting towards a fundamental truth or basis of reality.

Otherkin don’t need to be a part of gender identity to be accepted.

Species are species, species are not different genders.

We don’t know currently how to change someone into another species, but maybe someday we might. We also don’t currently have any understanding or consensus of how to define a dragon or make people into one, but maybe someday we might.

Tbh, I don’t care if someone gets hormonal or genetic therapy to change into whatever they want or identify as, but by definition other kin is not part of a gender.

That’s not gatekeeping, I am simply saying words like cat, tiger or dragon etc are not genders.

[–] TotallynotJessica@lemmy.blahaj.zone -1 points 13 hours ago

You might be right, but it is gatekeeping, and that argument itself isn't an argument I give much merit. People don't need hormones to transition, nor do they need to change their bodies. A consensus for gender isn't something that often works in our favor, even for binary trans folks like me.

The way we characterize species is wack. The whole origin of species is that we like to categorize. Evolution doesn't care about our classifications; only that the organisms can continue replicating. Classifications are just mental boxes that serve a purpose, not anything real. There is no spoon except in our mind.

Like I said, I suspect there is something more to other kin than gender, as they might be simply using the only language they have available. If there is to be another way to define them, it must come from them. When cishets try to categorize trans people, they often use the categories to constrain us, so I'll let the other kin handle how they're defined. Living without having a perfect way of labeling them is hard, but I won't be part of efforts to force them into a box.

Science can get us closer to fundamental truth, but like the speed of light, it isn't something we have any hope of reaching.