After publishing my post Queer, Mormon, and Transhuman, I received some criticism. Most of the criticisms of my character were clichéd projections built upon inaccurate assumptions. However, I’d like to clarify some of the more controversial subject matter. Deconstructing the gender binary is not an “agenda of the alt-left,” it’s a matter of biology. Men and women are not the only genders that “naturally” exist.
I’d like to make
two points in this post:
1. A third biological sex naturally exists in our
human species.
2. Accepting the intersex population isn’t a
matter of progressivism, conservatism, or even philosophy. It’s about
recognizing the natural biological variances that exist within the tangible world
in which we live.
In my
previous post I stated, “The gender spectrum is filled with eight billion uniquely different
genders diverse in biology, identity, embodiment, performance, expression, and
fluidity.”
Sometimes
when people consider the gender binary as a social construct, they often ignore
the biological realties of the natural world. Many aspects of gender may indeed
be the figments of our imaginations perpetuated by socially constructed ideas
imposed on each rising generation. However, I’d like to focus our attention first
on the biology of sex that produces natural variances within a small portion of
the human population: the intersex population.
There are
biological anatomies and chromosomes that categorize a person’s biological sex,
not just ideological or social performances. Females have XX chromosomes while
males have XY chromosomes. However, a third gender exists quite naturally
without any technological, social, or philosophical intervention. Roughly 1 in 1,000 births are of XXY
chromosomes (Klinefelter
syndrome). These individuals are intersex and are not
chromosomally classified as male or female even though their genitalia may or
may not present indicators of their chromosomal variance. This portion of the
intersex population is not solely male or female, chromosomally speaking.
A slightly
larger portion of the intersex community is born with physiological variances
like ambiguous genitalia, although medical experts vary on the definition of
what constitutes a person as intersex. If we include ambiguous genitalia and
chromosomal abnormalities roughly
1.7% of the world population is intersex. Keep in mind less than two
percent of the world’s population consists of redheads. Arguably, depending on
how you define intersex, the intersex population is comparable to the redhead
population. To deny the existence of a third gender within the “natural” world
is to deny the existence of a small, but real portion of the human population.
According to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, intersex
people “do not fit the typical definitions for male or female bodies.”
An intersex
individual may choose to conform to socially constructed standards of the
gender binary, but chromosomally or physiologically speaking the gender binary
would be an inaccurate or incomplete categorical frame.
Some may
wonder, so what? Why does this matter? It’s a matter of human rights and
morphological freedom. Intersex is a non-binary gender that is sorely
underrepresented in gender-related conversations and human rights discussions.
Intersex infants are naturally born, yet hormonally and surgically altered to
conform to socially accepted “norms” to perpetuate the gender binary. These non-consensual,
“normalizing,” aesthetical interventions have little to no firm evidence that
treatment offers medical benefits other than perpetuation of social gender
constructs.
From a
Transhumanist perspective “...the
Council of Europe became the first institution to state that intersex people
have the right to not undergo sex affirmation interventions. The Chilean
government also announced a suspension of non-consensual medical
interventions.” These policies are directly correlated with the
Transhumanist ideas of morphological freedom, which refers to a “proposed civil
right a person to either maintain or modify their own body, on their own terms,
through informed recourse to, or refusal of, available therapeutic or
enabling medical technology.”
Morphological
freedom includes the right to accept or reject one’s own anatomy according to
their volition. It’s about respecting agency, consent, and personhood. Social
conceptions of the gender binary, misogyny, and misconceptions of biological
sex produce undue stress and potentially oppressive procedures on the intersex
population.
Taking gender
biology even further, one could also argue extreme hormonal abnormalities could
constitute a gender variance that is non-binary. For example, women who contain
high levels of testosterone may experience deepening of the voice, increased
muscle mass, enlarged clitoris, or frontal balding, similar to men. Their
hormonal variance can play a significant role in how they experience gender.
High
concentrations of androgens (male steroid hormones) have been associated to
infertility in women, particularly polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Another
interesting aspect of the study conducted by researchers from the London
Women’s Clinic found that lesbians are twice as likely to have an imbalance of
sex hormones. "Our
research neither suggests nor indicates that polycystic ovaries-PCOS causes
lesbianism, only that polycystic ovaries-PCOS is more prevalent in lesbian
women. We do, however, hypothesise that hyperandrogenism - which is associated
with PCOS - may be one of the factors contributing to the sexual orientation of
women."
This could
be the beginning of linking biological sex variances with sexual orientation
and/or fertility. This is one reason it’s important to understand biological
sex, independent of gender performance, before making conclusions about sexual
orientation. We are a product of our anatomies and a better understanding of
our biology could lead us to better understand sexual orientation.
After all,
if an intersex person is biologically both male and female and are attracted to
males they are both heterosexual and homosexual, but not bisexual. However, if
an intersex person is only attracted to other intersex individuals that, too,
could mean they are homosexual. Or does homosexuality only apply when two intersex
people choose the same gender performance independent of their biological sex? As
you can see the limitations of our language and understanding of biology pose
certain complexities concerning gender and sexuality.
From a
Mormon perspective, it’s imperative to the health and well-being of our
siblings that we make space in our language, theology, and dialogue for those
that aren’t of the gender binary. Fortunately, there is room in Mormon theology
for not only better
treatment of cis women, but also the non-binary
population and various sexual orientations.
I am not “a
‘NOM’ and ‘cultural Mormon’ for whom the church is a blob of silly putty upon
which can be imprinted.” I am a Latter-day Saint who embraces Mormon theology
and doctrine authentically and radically.
I was taught “Inasmuch
as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye
have done it unto me.” I was taught that Jesus said, “…lovest thou me? Feed my
sheep.” I was taught in continuing revelation as part of an ongoing
restoration. Are
you sleeping through the restoration? I was also taught, “We
believe in continuing revelation, not continuous revelation. We are often left
to work out problems without the dictation or specific direction of the Spirit.
That is part of the experience we must have in mortality.”
In essence,
I was taught if we love God and Jesus we should show our love through our works
towards our siblings. Although I was taught God reveals more light and
knowledge, we are also responsible for working out discrepancies amongst
ourselves as part of our growth, progression, and development.
Some may
claim broadening our understanding of gender beyond male and female is part of
the “leftist gay agenda” void of conservative values, but in actuality it’s
about realizing the already existing biological variances within the natural
world in which we live.
*Note to my intersex readers: My
perceptions and opinions are based upon academic research only, as I have no
experience as an intersex person. If you think I have inaccurately represented
the intersex community, feel free to contact me. I’m happy to learn more about your unique experiences.
*This post is a personal commentary of my own desires and objectives, and I am speaking as an individual and not as a spokesperson for the many non-profits and advocacy groups that I lead and/or affiliate with.
*This post is a personal commentary of my own desires and objectives, and I am speaking as an individual and not as a spokesperson for the many non-profits and advocacy groups that I lead and/or affiliate with.
