# Real Time with Bill Maher **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 10, 2023, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-time-with-bill-maher/991367 "2023-10-10T21:03:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 59
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-time-with-bill-maher/991367/1161 "2025-11-18T19:04:48Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > that the gender box should remain on birth certificates, and it should be up to parents, not government, to decide what goes in it. What purpose would the sex field on a birth certificate serve if it can contain whatever the fuck you want rather than the sex you were assigned at birth? It’s called a _birth_ certificate, and this is why it lists _sex_, not _gender_. The position you are presenting here is simply not consistent with what @Atamasama described as the usage of the terminology on the “woke left” (their term, not mine, although they also put it in quotes): > [@Atamasama](#): > > That doesn’t even make sense, what he’s saying. The terminology used by “woke left” people acknowledges assigning sex at birth; hence why we have the terms “assigned female/male at birth”. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-time-with-bill-maher/991367/1162 "2025-11-18T19:06:35Z")
Not gonna bother trading barbs with a liar who lies about me so easily. I was asked whether I support a hypothetical law - I made it crystal clear I opposed it, and then more lies. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-time-with-bill-maher/991367/1163 "2025-11-18T19:08:18Z")
OK bud. Next time you want to complain about the way Maher paints the far left, try to pick a position where you don’t _clearly agree_ with Maher’s caricature of a leftist. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-time-with-bill-maher/991367/1164 "2025-11-18T19:10:26Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > So just so we are clear; you think that it’s a dumb idea and if PA or CA or any other state _did_ take sex off the birth certificate, you’d _oppose_ that idea, right? I wouldn’t support that legislation, because I think it’s useful to include it, but I don’t object to changing it after the fact as California does. > [@Babale](#): > > The position you are presenting here is simply not consistent with what @Atamasama described as the usage of the terminology on the “woke left” (their term, not mine, although they also put it in quotes): Yeah, I used “woke left” as that’s the language Maher uses when complaining about these things. He uses it as a pejorative. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-time-with-bill-maher/991367/1165 "2025-11-18T19:10:54Z")
More lies about me. I explicitly said the opposite. Not sure how the lies come so easily. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-time-with-bill-maher/991367/1166 "2025-11-18T19:11:58Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > To be fair, it’s not that either of these guys are lazy or demanding; they just have a limited number of shows that are funded, and that’s how the schedules work out. Nice job if you can get it, though! Also, there seem to be a LOT of folks happy to drop stupid amounts of money on Vegas shows during the holiday season (including some spread-age), and these guys’ agents aren’t about to let them leave that kind of money on the table. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-time-with-bill-maher/991367/1167 "2025-11-18T19:14:10Z")
Sad to see Babale join ranks with Steophan as someone who can lie so easily, so routinely, and so baselessly about other posters. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-time-with-bill-maher/991367/1168 "2025-11-18T19:15:37Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > More lies about me. I explicitly said the opposite. Not sure how the lies come so easily. Oh, I guess you didn’t say: > [@iiandyiiii](#): > > For the record, parents, not government, should decide what gender (or no gender) is printed on birth certificates. Oh, wait - you did. What Maher criticized is the idea that you can, on a birth certificate, put no gender at all and just say “We’ll see”. He was WRONG, because he said the California law allows for that, and it does not. But here, you take a stance _more extreme_ than California’s law. California law allows the birth certificate to be changed to nonbinary after the fact. You express support for the parents deciding that “no gender” is printed on the birth certificate. Hence, while Maher is wrong about what California’s law is, he is _right_ about criticizing people (like you) who want to go _too far_. Hope that clarifies, but I expect you’ll just screech “liar” again rather than engaging with anything I said. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-time-with-bill-maher/991367/1169 "2025-11-18T19:18:32Z")
After your false fantasies about me, you asked me if I supported removing the sex box from birth certificates. I very clearly indicated that I opposed this. Then you doubled down on your fantastical lies. You’re just another internet liar. You don’t have to be this way. This is a choice you’re making. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-time-with-bill-maher/991367/1170 "2025-11-18T19:19:21Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > After your false fantasies about me, you asked me if I supported removing the sex box from birth certificates. I very clearly indicated that I opposed this. You _very clearly indicated_ that you would render the field completely useless by letting parents put in “any or no gender”, correct. You _very clear indicated_ that you’d support exactly what Maher described: putting no gender on the birth certificate and saying “we’ll see”. Maher was wrong about this being allowed in California, but clearly he’s right about people supporting this. You’re smarter than this; you know _exactly_ what you’re doing here. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-time-with-bill-maher/991367/1171 "2025-11-18T19:20:50Z")
Fuck you, liar. Still making up words, different than the ones I actually posted. You asked a question and I answered. And now you’re lying about my answer. Government shouldn’t get to see inside my kid’s underwear. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-time-with-bill-maher/991367/1172 "2025-11-18T19:22:06Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Fuck you, liar. Still making up words, different than the ones I actually posted Oh, in that case, you need to change your password, because someone used your account to post this: > [@iiandyiiii](#): > > For the record, parents, not government, should decide what gender (or no gender) is printed on birth certificates. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-time-with-bill-maher/991367/1173 "2025-11-18T19:23:17Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Government shouldn’t get to see inside my kid’s underwear. “Government” doesn’t see inside your kid’s underwear nor fill out a birth certificate. A doctor does that, when your kid isn’t wearing any underwear because they just popped out you or your partner. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-time-with-bill-maher/991367/1174 "2025-11-18T19:23:23Z")
I’ve got a question for you - and it’s a serious question. Why would it be a dumb idea to take sex off the birth certificate? It’s not like “sex” is particularly effective as an identifying characteristic - there are plenty of people with “F” on their birth cerficate who look like men and vice-versa. And I’m not talking about transgender people- I’m talking about people who have “F” on their birth certificate and due to their body shape, hairstyle, choice of clothing and accessories are frequently taken for men. I have a friend who I once ran into at an event with someone who resembled her .I asked if that was her brother- it was her sister. I was of course embarassed but my friend said it happens all the time. She was wearing jeans, a golf shirt, sneakers, had a unisex hairstyle, wasn’t wearing any jewelry, didn’t have a purse of any sort. I’d bet she gets funny looks when she shows people her driver’s license and I’m sure some of them think she changed the gender marker on the license and /or birth certificate. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-time-with-bill-maher/991367/1175 "2025-11-18T19:24:49Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > I’ve got a question for you - and it’s a serious question. Why would it be a dumb idea to take sex off the birth certificate? Because your sex has legal implications, so there should be official government record of your sex. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-time-with-bill-maher/991367/1176 "2025-11-18T19:24:56Z")
Thank you for quoting my actual words, in which I clearly disagreed with your hypothetical law. Those are different words than the fantastical lies you used. You’re really weird, you know? Are you sure you’re not a Republican? It seems like you might have the same interest in government involvement in children’s genitalia. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-time-with-bill-maher/991367/1177 "2025-11-18T19:27:50Z")
What legal implications does my sex have? I can’t think of any except maybe which jail/prison I go to, which isn’t something most people need to worry about. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-time-with-bill-maher/991367/1178 "2025-11-18T19:34:04Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > What legal implications does my sex have? It could be relevant to cases of discrimination, to joining teams or clubs or signing up to schools, to benefiting from scholarships or other programs, and so on. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-time-with-bill-maher/991367/1179 "2025-11-18T19:37:30Z")
Sounding like DemonTree influenced someone more than they influenced DemonTree. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-time-with-bill-maher/991367/1180 "2025-11-18T19:38:38Z")
Doh, I forgot one! Steophan, Babale, and DT. Routine, easy, and apparently shameless liars about other posters. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-time-with-bill-maher/991367.md?page=58) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-time-with-bill-maher/991367.md?page=60)