August 4, 2026
Much of polite society relies on the elision of power: that which hides wealth gaps to reduce friction, interactions with the government which hide its monopoly on force, and so on. Another elision of power lies in gender equality.
This will be written with an egalitarian lens; that the following is true does not imply that our society should rely on power alone. Rather, that there is a difference in power between halves of the population should be remedied by societal and technical means. After all, “if nature is unjust, change nature.” Much is already malleable. Let it continue to be; one day artificial wombs and the like will do much to further this.
Physical power in society seems to be dependent on hormonal makeup. There are exceptions, as nature never cuts cleanly, but they, in bulk, neither prove nor disprove any theses due to their irregularity. A general rule may exist in concert with case-by-case exceptions. The distribution of physical power largely lies in the concentration of testosterone in one’s bloodstream; with a higher concentration comes the capability for increased strength, which in turn allows one to more effectively exercise that power, the exercise thereof being the basis of the male-dominated hierarchies we see through history. To reinforce these structures requires violence; those who are more physically powerful necessarily have a license on it. As such, women and children have been subject to the horror of abuse and sexual assault. To ignore these differences is the fiction which prevents the majority of recurrence.
We live in different times. As we enjoy the comforts of the modern state, we allow it to have a monopoly on the exercise of violence to the point where many forget that they are capable of it altogether. However, reminders still exist for women, especially when interacting with those over whom the government has a tenuous hold. The spaces in which those differences are still recognized are largely in sport, leading to the contemporary debate. Personally, as a competitor in WTNB leagues, I can confirm the effects of testosterone. Cis men or those on T are much more likely to throw harder, based on my experience in getting hit in the head with balls. This is part of why I am in WTNB leagues!
Regardless, there is a societal layer to gender. Downstream of the distribution of power is that of knowledge, and some skills are transferred by the expectations of its use. For example, the old-fashioned dominance of men using tools is likely because many non-powered tools require the use of significant force, even if tools are force multipliers in the first place. Another is sports; there is no physiological difference which causes “that” dodgeball throw (anyone who has played middle school dodgeball knows what I am referring to). Rather, it is a lesson of expectation. We live in a modern age; many power differences may be resolved by machine and should be such that these societal differences fall away. Even the field of violence may be made more equal at the wrong end of a gun. This is also why sport is controversial—it is the celebration of the body, not technology. Suddenly, putting my hand on a hot stove seems alluring as I allow the question:
“WHAT ABOUT TRANS WOMEN IN SPORTS?”
…which I will attempt to handle carefully, though this topic is like walking on DDT-drenched eggshells.
Even by my prior classification, credence ought to first be given to hormonal makeup. An objection may be the existence of cis women with naturally high T; they exist like 7’0” NBA players do. I suspect society would feel differently about a player getting leg-lengthening surgery to become more competitive. Generally, hormone replacement results in a sports performance similar to those with the same natural profile, such that any differences may be treated as natural variation. Pubertal, irreversible differences do exist which may place a player further to the exceptional side of the distribution, but training effects may dominate here. As an example, hormonal profile has a large effect on even cardiovascular endurance; the same sprinting pace may no longer be possible if one were to switch profiles. This can be trained upward, but usually to 2-sigma levels and not more.
This essay exists due to some socially reactionary commentators pointing to the male capacity for violence and “just asking questions” about a fair distribution of power in society. If we are to have a society, it should be one where all are afforded the same rights now (with capability to one day be leveled too). To imply that political power be distributed based on the capacity for physical force is to undermine the basis of the state, which reserves the exercise of violence. The modern egalitarian state is due to the technological augmentation of power and the natural conclusion of the state’s monopoly. To feminism, this serves as a hammer against our era of relative peace. One day the physical will be made as equal, Baruch Hashem.