Replying to Uta Frith's views, one by one.
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@pathfinder @dedicto @Tooden @KatyElphinstone @adelinej I inadvertently participated in a Si B-C study recently. They were recruiting intersex subjects. Working through their study (1) it was clear he wanted to use intersex people as a new angle on male brain / female brain, and (2) it tested for empathy and apparently I don't have any. I complained to their ethics board as I felt their recruitment process was deceptive.
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@KatyElphinstone @SecondUniverse @adelinej Uta #Frith was a coauthor, with Simon #BaronCohen, on the original 1985 paper introducing the hopelessly muddled "theory of mind" concept, the phlogiston of autism science. She certainly doesn't have any legitimate claim still to be taken seriously in 2026.
"phlogiston of autism science" is a hellava phrase and I'm gonna hold on to that.
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Replying to Uta Frith's views, one by one.
With thanks to all the members of the autistic community who've informed me & inspired me to write this thread.
For those lucky not to know about her article in The Times, and various other related statements, links at the end.
CW: it's upsetting
A thread 🧵
#UtaFrith #Research #Autism #Autistic #ActuallyAutistic #Neurodivergent
@KatyElphinstone hahaha, have you seen this?
Women in male fields! This female autism researcher hates women
A prominent autism researcher has reportedly proven she can shit on autistic women as well as any man in the field. In a recent interview, Professor Karen Hoyland argued that women who claim to be autistic are just angling for a diagnosis, since researchers like...
The Daily Tism (thedailytism.com)
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@KatyElphinstone hahaha, have you seen this?
Women in male fields! This female autism researcher hates women
A prominent autism researcher has reportedly proven she can shit on autistic women as well as any man in the field. In a recent interview, Professor Karen Hoyland argued that women who claim to be autistic are just angling for a diagnosis, since researchers like...
The Daily Tism (thedailytism.com)
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@KatyElphinstone hahaha, have you seen this?
Women in male fields! This female autism researcher hates women
A prominent autism researcher has reportedly proven she can shit on autistic women as well as any man in the field. In a recent interview, Professor Karen Hoyland argued that women who claim to be autistic are just angling for a diagnosis, since researchers like...
The Daily Tism (thedailytism.com)
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Yes
It troubles me that so often they wheel out women to support the dominant paradigm, and essentially very patriarchal views & interests.
I think it's not a coincidence. It's just too convenient. I think they're being played. I never really want to attack the individual, just the views.
@KatyElphinstone *waves with hands* I believe that's because getekeeping and pressure to conform selects for people who can conform, and makes sure they don't have enough spare capacity to consider changing things, so they rationalize their actions instead
and I believe this is not individual, nor systemic, nor group-driven alone but all of them plus their complex interactions, and setting up a gate-keeping self-sustaining group is easy compared to maintaining an open, equal group
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@KatyElphinstone *waves with hands* I believe that's because getekeeping and pressure to conform selects for people who can conform, and makes sure they don't have enough spare capacity to consider changing things, so they rationalize their actions instead
and I believe this is not individual, nor systemic, nor group-driven alone but all of them plus their complex interactions, and setting up a gate-keeping self-sustaining group is easy compared to maintaining an open, equal group
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Yes
It troubles me that so often they wheel out women to support the dominant paradigm, and essentially very patriarchal views & interests.
I think it's not a coincidence. It's just too convenient. I think they're being played. I never really want to attack the individual, just the views.
@KatyElphinstone @Tooden Tokenism is a powerful wedge they can use, if detractors oppose them they can say they're being sexist or whatever. The minority they've chose to use is their human shield, redirects the argument against the speaker not the words being spoken.
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