smiles 0 #1 October 24, 2004 I watched a program on "The Sex Files"...(CTV) about parents with babies that are born that are neither male or female- (intersexual or hermaphroditism) - including interviews with those that are intersexual, and how doctors, parents, clinics.. choose to correct through surgery.... Talk about ignorance- I am a mother, and had absolutely no idea that intersexual births were anything but totally rare. re: 1/500 of the population have a karyotype other than XX or XY. some info here: http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/gender/intersexuals/intersexuality_faq.htm#anchor637790 Genetic sex, or the organization of the "sex chromosomes," is commonly thought to be isomorphic to some idea of "true sex." However, something like 1/500 of the population have a karyotype other than XX or XY. Our culture conceives sex anatomy as a dichotomy: humans come in two sexes, conceived of as so different as to be nearly different species. However, developmental embryology, as well as the existence of intersexuals, proves this to be a cultural construction. Anatomic sex differentiation occurs on a male/female continuum, and there are several dimensions. Intersexual genitals may look nearly female, with a large clitoris, or with some degree of posterior labial fusion. They may look nearly male, with a small penis, or with hypospadias. They may be truly "right in the middle," with a phallus that can be considered either a large clitoris or a small penis, with a structure that might be a split, empty scrotum, or outer labia, and with a small vagina that opens into the urethra rather than into the perineum. The first question at birth is "is it a boy or girl?" Should we question the medical dogma that, without medical intervention, hermaphrodites are doomed to a life of misery? What would be the psychological consequences of raising children as unabashed intersexuals? Imagine a society in which sexuality is celebrated for its subtleties and not feared or ridiculed. Quote Why does our culture conceive sex anatomy as a dichotomy??????????????????????? SMiles Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
storm1977 0 #2 October 25, 2004 QuoteI watched a program on "The Sex Files"...(CTV) about parents with babies that are born that are neither male or female- (intersexual or hermaphroditism) - including interviews with those that are intersexual, and how doctors, parents, clinics.. choose to correct through surgery.... Talk about ignorance- I am a mother, and had absolutely no idea that intersexual births were anything but totally rare. re: 1/500 of the population have a karyotype other than XX or XY. some info here: http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/gender/intersexuals/intersexuality_faq.htm#anchor637790 Genetic sex, or the organization of the "sex chromosomes," is commonly thought to be isomorphic to some idea of "true sex." However, something like 1/500 of the population have a karyotype other than XX or XY. Our culture conceives sex anatomy as a dichotomy: humans come in two sexes, conceived of as so different as to be nearly different species. However, developmental embryology, as well as the existence of intersexuals, proves this to be a cultural construction. Anatomic sex differentiation occurs on a male/female continuum, and there are several dimensions. Intersexual genitals may look nearly female, with a large clitoris, or with some degree of posterior labial fusion. They may look nearly male, with a small penis, or with hypospadias. They may be truly "right in the middle," with a phallus that can be considered either a large clitoris or a small penis, with a structure that might be a split, empty scrotum, or outer labia, and with a small vagina that opens into the urethra rather than into the perineum. The first question at birth is "is it a boy or girl?" Should we question the medical dogma that, without medical intervention, hermaphrodites are doomed to a life of misery? What would be the psychological consequences of raising children as unabashed intersexuals? Imagine a society in which sexuality is celebrated for its subtleties and not feared or ridiculed. Quote Why does our culture conceive sex anatomy as a dichotomy??????????????????????? SMiles Why ???? That is a Dumb and easy question! Answer, because it is a dichotomy! 1 in 500 is rare.... that is .2%, a relatively small number if you ask me. Homosexuals make up about 1-2% of the population, again fairly small. And transgenders are 10-20 time less common than that. ----------------------------------------------------- Sometimes it is more important to protect LIFE than Liberty Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rebecca 0 #3 October 25, 2004 This weekend I read something new to me - all embryos start out female, and then during the course of gestation, they develop into either male or female. Sometimes, the development doesn't make it all the way... you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' -- well do you, punk? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,120 #4 October 25, 2004 >all embryos start out female . . . Well, at the stages we're talking about that's pretty meaningless. I mean, an embryo that looks like a lumpy tadpole isn't noticeably male or female. But I agree that the 'default' phenotype is female; if anything goes awry during development, the fetus will generally develop as a female. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rebecca 0 #5 October 25, 2004 What if, for example, male development is hampered/stopped halfway through? Does it reverse itself? Or would you end up with a transgender female? Interesting topic... you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' -- well do you, punk? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,120 #6 October 25, 2004 > What if, for example, male development is hampered/stopped halfway through? You get ambiguous sexuality; a female phenotype with a large clitoris or a male phenotype with hypospadias, for example. These people are sometimes mistaken for hermaphrodites, but are just expressing partial traits. Depends on where in development it happens. >Or would you end up with a transgender female? As I understand the word, a transgendered female is a male who has undergone surgery to turn them into a female phenotype. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rebecca 0 #7 October 25, 2004 Quote> What if, for example, male development is hampered/stopped halfway through? You get ambiguous sexuality; a female phenotype with a large clitoris or a male phenotype with hypospadias, for example. These people are sometimes mistaken for hermaphrodites, but are just expressing partial traits. Depends on where in development it happens. >Or would you end up with a transgender female? As I understand the word, a transgendered female is a male who has undergone surgery to turn them into a female phenotype. I meant a female who comes into the world and grows up indentifying more male than female, which I believe is a common reason for undergoing a sex change. Same if a boy gets all the physical characteristics, but little of the mental/hormonal 'wiring' to really be all male. you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' -- well do you, punk? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
