Why is asking for evidence so hard?
One of the core tenets of the scientific method is that evidence and data are needed before you can draw a conclusion. Another truism is that science is in a constant state of flux, with new ideas and discoveries evolving those of the past. When a person on social media makes statement of fact, especially where they are quoting science and data, asking them for their sources should be an easy ask, one they can refer back to with ease. It turns out that most people do not like it when you ask for the evidence, as gut feeling and tabloid headlines seem to be all the evidence they need. When it comes to gender and sex this gets magnified immeasurably.
One of the things doing a PhD teaches you is to look at the evidence and not draw conclusions until you have had a chance to assess the content. When I ask for evidence it is done in good faith, as I am not someone who is close minded and obstinate. Gender research, especially trans research, has a long and twisty history, with many different shades of understanding over the last 150 years as sexology emerged as a science in its own right. My position today has shifted over the course of my research, especially with respect to the history and purpose of gender and sex within society. Give me the evidence and you may just change my mind.
Yet, this is a red flag for many people because they with to entrench their own views without considering alternatives. Life is complex, messy, and contradictory, and we all have to make sense of it in our own ways. No one has all the answers, indeed even if you had all the answers in this moment it will shift in the next moment. This is why we use science to explore the human condition and the universe around us, deconstructing the world to make sense in way that we can all comprehend. That we may not understand something does not mean that thing is not so, only that we need to research it further.
Gender is such a concept. I ascribe to Butler’s notion of gender expression being a social construct, I also ascribe to the idea that each of us has an innate sense of gender identity. How we express ourselves is different from our gender identity, though we all express ourselves in part based on that gender identity. Yet, as is frequently pointed out, gender is a nebulous concept that changes depending on who you ask. It is subjective because personal understanding is inherently subjective, and that is not a bad thing or bad science. By reducing the human condition to simple genetics we forget that humans have higher order cognitive functions that are more than simple neuro-chemistry and genetics, we are the sum of all the influences on us and our lifetime experiences. There is nothing typical about being human, we are each unique.
This is why science and gender studies are so fascinating. Asking for people’s evidence highlights where they got their influences from, where their ideas have been conceived, and how they present those ideas to the world. Yes, academia can seem intimidating, but complexity does not mean wrong, it just means we need to communicate those ideas better for non-researchers. Much of the anger around gender, especially trans issues, flows from the inability to understand that complexity and how that complexity is presented.
Of course, this is reductive due to the fact that facts and data are seen in certain quarters as machinations of left-wing elites. Gut feeling, common sense, and what we see with our eyes is how they wish to present the world, along with a reactionary reinforcement of how the world was, not how the world should be. Academics are condemned for living in ivory towers, yet when we seek to engage with people we are attacked as idiots, groomers, and worse. If we only stay in our information ecosystems and never engage with those with different views we become much poorer for it. Yet, there is also a mental health consideration to be made here, because engaging with a constant barrage of abuse is wearying and takes its mental toll.
I have two cardinal personal rules when engaging with any audience: act in good faith, and do not be a bully to others. I hate bullies, irrespective of intent or political persuasion, and as such will always act to build bridges with other people. If they choose to attack me personally and attack my integrity then so be it, that is their issue not mine. I use Rejserin as my handle because I do not want to be doxed or attack in real life, so it is a flimsy barrier that gives me a degree of protection. Acting in good faith, honesty, and integrity is a core part of who I am, and I try to avoid sarcasm online because even with emojis it can fall flat. My word is all I have.
Thus, when I ask for evidence I am acting in good faith and want to see new ideas that may indeed change my mind. Being open minded is never a sin, neither is defending minorities from mob justice. Call me naïve or a babe in arms, but I like to believe that if I change on person’s mind or help others see that trans rights are not the antithesis to sex based rights then I am doing something right. Evidence and data should be allies to all folk, not something to be feared and weaponised.
