Simon: Even WITHOUT any other standards, I don't think it's OKAY to define gender as biological sex.
Lily: I get that, but I like to acknowledge different definitions. It's an efficient way to get past semantic issues and get to the HEART of the beliefs people cling to.
Simon: In most cases I'd agree, but this isn't just about semantics. The way we use language affects the cultural messages we perpetuate.
Lily: True, but that hardly matters if you fail to communicate at ALL. Words are just VEHICLES to transport ideas from one mind to another, and if they convey the WRONG ideas, you won't know WHAT message you're perpetuating.
(A train car is carrying drinking glasses, and in the next panel it becomes eye glasses. A person picks them up and says: Why do we need eight of these a day? Other person: I don't know, but I listen to the health experts. )
(Person wearing four pairs of glasses: Ugh, I have a huge headache. Other person: Maybe you're not drinking enough water. )