This week’s on gender by taking into account the minority of intersex persons has been both eye-opening and frustrating. First and foremost, I believe that it is important to note the policy of concealment either by doctors or parents so that many intersex people are unaware of their biological status. I definitely believe that this is a travesty on the part of our society. I also side with the at times idealistic author Ann Fausto-Sterling who in her “The Five Sexes…” article hopes for social acceptance in the future. She does make several points, however, that demonstrate issues with this happening any time soon. One of the most prominent examples is simply our society’s obsession with the two sex mentality. When you fill out an application for a job, school, ticket purchase, you must specify gender. In the English language there are sexes associated for every third person pronoun. What are parents of a newborn intersex baby supposed to refer to the child as, no matter how open to the concept of intersex? It? This term has been associated as something out of the Adams Family and no better serves a title for a tiny baby.
After more research driven by the somewhat unnerving comments made in class about hermaphrodites being defects, I came across the scientific explanation that “Most often, but not always, the chromosome composition is 46,XX, and in every such individual there also exists evidence of Y chromosomal material on one of the nonsex chromosomes (autosomes)” (Britannica). Our survival as a population depends on mutations which add variation to our genotype and I see the existence of intersex people as nothing more than, not a mutation, but a variation that exists in our species. The fact alone that intersex people have not only been naturally selected out of existence, but have survived since ancient times should say something.
A criticism with this theory that was brought to light in the class period today where we viewed two videos, one for TLC and another both advocating for intersex, is that there are health issues that intersex people may face in the form of growth and maturation. I admit that I don’t know much about this subject and hope to learn more concerning statistics about intersex babies born that face growth and development issues or other health concerns that may be connected to their special genetic status.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
When we talk about gender next week I think we will find some language that will help with the pronoun quandary you raise. Additionally, I don't believe that intersex advocates are wanting to have children exist in a space of ambiguity when it comes to child rearing. You can raise a child as a boy or a girl without operating on their genitalia or lying to them about their sex.
The growth and maturation piece is difficult to say. Particularly in the TLC piece there was reference to the fact that Patrick would have developed "normally" had his testis not been removed.
And yes! Variance is the argument that intersex advocates are putting forth.
Post a Comment