Lexicon: Aces and Demis

Excerpts from https://lascapigliata.com/2021/11/01/on-human-asexuality/ (emphasis mine): Aces (Asexuals): “Recently in the news we were presented with sexualised images of a beautiful young model dressed in BDSM-like lingerie. Her name is Yasmin Benoit and she wanted us to know that she was asexual. In a very interesting and somewhat heartbreaking article she penned for Huffington Post in 2019,

Lexicon: LGBTQIA+

Excerpts from https://lgbausa.org/definitions-2/ (unquoted italics mine): Lesbian* – “Colloquial term for a woman who is sexually attracted exclusively to other women.” Gay* – “Colloquial term often used as a blanket description for both homosexual men and women, but primarily referring to a man who is sexually attracted exclusively to other men.” Bisexual* – “Attraction to

Lexicon: “Queer” and “Queer Theory”

Note — while the term “queer” has migrated from postmodernism to issues of gender identity, it is not an established synonym for “lesbian,” “gay,” or “bisexual” and is still considered a slur by many when conflated with sexual orientation. — Excerpts from https://ceriblack.substack.com/p/queer-praxis (emphasis mine): “The central concept of queer theory is that Western thought

Lexicon: “Gender Identity”

On “identity,” excerpted from http://sheila-jeffreys.com/the-insult-of-transgenderism-wdi-talk-12-february-2022/ (emphasis mine): “‘Identity’ today mainly means a sexually exciting fantasy in a man’s head. It is a very dangerous notion politically because it destroys the meaning and use of categories of oppression in social justice politics, something that took decades in the building and that many feminists and lesbian feminists

Lexicon: The Elements of Rhetoric (How to Build a Logical Argument)

Here are some useful terms for constructing and evaluating arguments (including published opinion pieces) — no previous experience necessary. Because of their origins in the Greek Classics rather than Postmodernism, you’ll rarely see them used in “trans” activism. Regardless, they’re time-tested cornerstones of rational discourse. A while back, in one of my rare social media-based

Lexicon: “I’m Credited with Having Coined the Word ‘Terf.’ Here’s How it Happened” by Viv Smythe

Smythe’s essay: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/29/im-credited-with-having-coined-the-acronym-terf-heres-how-it-happened Written in 2018 (before the chilling fallout from Tavistock and self-ID practices), this explainer now seems sentimental and overly idealistic. Note that Smythe refers to activism around MichFest in the U.S. (2008) — see the related link below for a fuller accounting, including Davina Anne Gabriel’s renouncement of “trans” ideology and activism.

A Lexicon and an Invitation

Words mean things. They also have evolutionary trajectories. And so it is with all things “trans.” Beyond the agitprop and sloganeering and attempts to hijack grammar and to enforce agenda-driven journalistic standards, words have legacy. Some have relatively shallow roots in Postmodern thought. Others have had their definitions co-opted outright. All are used by activists

Lexicon: The Origins of “Transvestite,” “Transexual,” and “Transgender” – With Excerpts from Dr. Em

All of Dr. Em’s excerpts below are from her essay “Sexist History at the Heart of the ‘Science’ on Transsexualism” Part I (https://uncommongroundmedia.com/sexist-science-transsexualism-part-i-benjamin-ihlenfeld-money-ehrhardt/) and Part II (https://uncommongroundmedia.com/robert-stoller-true-trans/). Her work will give you extensive detail and context about the experience, ethics, and stated aims of these physicians. — Background: “The idea of human sex change, usually

Lexicon (Semiotics Edition): “Trans Flag Creator Worked at a Porn Shop While ‘Transitioning’ to a ‘Lesbian'” by Genevieve Gluck

Origins matter. — Related: Origin of the terms “ace” (asexual) and “demi” (demisexual) — https://estellekolner.wordpress.com/2023/03/05/lexicon-aces-and-demis/ Origin of the term “cis” — https://estellekolner.wordpress.com/2023/01/25/modern-feminist-classics-cis-coined-by-pedosexual-apologist-by-genevieve-gluck/ Origin of the term “gender” — https://estellekolner.wordpress.com/2022/03/06/modern-feminist-classics-on-the-origin-of-the-term-gender-by-sheila-jeffreys/ Origin of the term “gender identity” — https://estellekolner.wordpress.com/2023/03/03/lexicon-gender-identity/ Origin of the acronym “LGBTQIA+” — https://estellekolner.wordpress.com/2023/03/04/lexicon-lgbtqia/ Origin of the terms “queer” and “queer theory” — https://estellekolner.wordpress.com/2023/03/03/lexicon-queer/ Origin of the

Lexicon: “‘Cis’ Coined by ‘Pedosexual’ Apologist” by Genevieve Gluck

“Use of the term ‘cisgender’ has been steadily rising in popularity over the past decade, largely due to the push of trans activists who define the word as the opposite of ‘transgender.’ However . . . it originated with a German sexologist who also believes pedophilia is a sexuality. A 1991 publication by Volkmar Sigusch, ‘Die Transsexuellen