Scott Alexander examines how the 'typical mind fallacy' might lead some closeted gay individuals to support anti-gay positions, potentially influencing broader anti-gay arguments. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores the concept of 'typical mind fallacy' in relation to anti-gay attitudes. He suggests that some closeted gay individuals might assume everyone is secretly gay, leading them to support anti-gay positions for reasons that make sense from their perspective. The post discusses how this mindset could logically lead to common anti-gay arguments, such as gay marriage destroying straight marriage or teaching about homosexuality turning children gay. While acknowledging this can't explain all anti-gay attitudes, Scott proposes it might have a larger impact than expected by influencing broader arguments and justifications. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander discusses the concept of gender identity, relating it to his personal experience and scientific understanding, and poses questions about the nature of gender identity in cisgender individuals. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the concept of gender identity, inspired by Ozy Frantz's blog post on 'Cis By Default'. He explores the idea that some people have strong gender identities while others don't, relating it to his own experience of being 'cis by default'. Scott describes how his understanding of transgender issues evolved through learning about phantom limb sensations, body integrity identity disorder, and the neurological basis of gender identity. He proposes two hypotheses: Ozy's idea that some people have gender identity and others don't, and an alternative where everyone has gender identity but it's only noticeable when it doesn't match biological sex. The post ends with a question to readers about their experiences with gender identity. Shorter summary