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Culture War Roundup for the week of March 6, 2023

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The fact is that gender is indeed totally distinct from sex. ...Gender on the other hand refers to a socially created psychological programming that every tribe and society imbues its members on upon.

I could compromise on that, were it not that the movement now seems to have moved on and changed its mind yet again about this, so now we have trans people talking about their gender and meaning the exact same thing as sex. Now they are female-gender, which is the same thing as being female-sex, and if you raise any queries you are a transphobe and TERF.

I'm tired of the entire conversation, and we haven't even reached a workable consensus yet. I do find my attitudes hardening: there are only two sexes, male and female. Intersex is a different, real thing and you don't get to invoke it to cover your notion of "well uh I'm obviously female but apart from cutting my hair and wearing baggy jumpers I make no difference, but I do identify as non-binary and get VERY UPSET if you refer to me as 'she/her'".

The way that DEI is now, seemingly, DEIB - "B" for "belonging", because "inclusion" was not inclusive enough, it seems. This is the kind of thing that pisses people off: just when you think that at last there is something that everyone finally agrees on, the most progressive of the fringe go off and change it all and the entire argument gets reset back to the beginning all over again.

The way that DEI is now, seemingly, DEIB - "B" for "belonging", because "inclusion" was not inclusive enough, it seems. This is the kind of thing that pisses people off: just when you think that at last there is something that everyone finally agrees on, the most progressive of the fringe go off and change it all and the entire argument gets reset back to the beginning all over again.

Oh, I see you are not educated enough yet. The term belonging means one has to take vigorous action to support the DEI initiative. Inclusion means no microaggressions, you just make sure you do not alienate protected groups and their DEI shepherds from HR. Now belonging goes one step further, it is implemented once the organization is committed enough. Belonging requires action from your side to be actively welcoming and supporting DEI initiatives. So belonging means that you put on BLM t-shirt or participate in black month event or that you rat on your colleague who was not inclusive enough because he committed microaggression today. You see, all people who clapped after Stalin's speech were expressing their mutual belonging, therefore one who does not clap, or he who does not clap loud enough or long enough can be even viewed as not being inclusive. It's kind of genius, isn't it?

Nah, it's probably just to stop people from being able to call them "DIE".

Now it's DIEB. German for Thief.

The way that DEI is now, seemingly, DEIB - "B" for "belonging", because "inclusion" was not inclusive enough, it seems

I have qualms about the term of "belonging" to an organization: they don't own me, and never will. I realize it can also refer to more affirmative group membership, but it's such an obviously two-faced word choice that I have trouble taking it seriously.