Joe Rogan Experience #1673 - Colin Wright

Wright argues sex is a binary rooted in whether a body is organized (developmentally) around producing small gametes (sperm, male) or large gametes (ova, female). Secondary traits like voice pitch, testosterone level, or body shape vary within each sex but do not change one’s sex.

Intersex conditions occur in roughly 1 in 5,000 births and represent rare developmental anomalies, not additional sexes. Wright compares this to a coin occasionally landing on its edge; that doesn’t make “heads” and “tails” a spectrum rather than two categories.

Citing recent sports medicine research, Wright notes that male puberty confers large, mostly irreversible advantages (muscle mass, bone structure, height, grip strength). Testosterone suppression for a year or more reduces strength only modestly (~5%), far short of eliminating the typical 10–50% male–female performance gap.

By redefining “woman” as anyone who identifies as such, institutions can allow biological males into female categories (sports, prisons, shelters) without formally changing sex-based rules. Wright stresses that this bypasses public consent while undermining sex-based protections for women.

Wright describes HR-driven political litmus tests (diversity statements), online harassment campaigns, and professional blacklisting that deter academics from dissenting. Many comply or stay silent, not because they agree, but to avoid being called transphobic, racist, or unsafe.