We used to talk about things that “separated the men from the boys.” And however poorly the phrase may have been used, it had a legitimate point: It’s one thing to be male, it’s quite another to be a proper man.

The same obviously applies to women: It’s one thing to be female and quite another to be a proper woman.

But on whichever side of the biological divide you find yourself, it’s suffering for what you believe in that confirms you as legitimate, solid adult… as someone to be taken seriously.