Intersexed people and religion

[Green Gaia]

“Intersex” is a general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male. For example, a person might be born appearing to be female on the outside, but having mostly male-typical anatomy on the inside. Or a person may be born with genitals that seem to be in-between the usual male and female types—for example, a girl may be born with a noticeably large clitoris, or lacking a vaginal opening, or a boy may be born with a notably small penis, or with a scrotum that is divided so that it has formed more like labia. Or a person may be born with mosaic genetics, so that some of her cells have XX chromosomes and some of them have XY.

Though we speak of intersex as an inborn condition, intersex anatomy doesn’t always show up at birth. Sometimes a person isn’t found to have intersex anatomy until she or he reaches the age of puberty, or finds himself an infertile adult, or dies of old age and is autopsied. Some people live and die with intersex anatomy without anyone (including themselves) ever knowing.

Source: http://www.isna.org/

How does your religion deal with intersexed people? Are they allowed to marry? Are parents pressured to "choose" a gender for the child and have surgery performed? If the parents choose the incorrect gender, would the person who, for example, was raised as a female but was really male, be allowed to marry a female? Does your religion base someone's gender on chromosomes or anatomy?

 

[Popeyesays]

“Intersex” is a general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male. For example, a person might be born appearing to be female on the outside, but having mostly male-typical anatomy on the inside. Or a person may be born with genitals that seem to be in-between the usual male and female types—for example, a girl may be born with a noticeably large clitoris, or lacking a vaginal opening, or a boy may be born with a notably small penis, or with a scrotum that is divided so that it has formed more like labia. Or a person may be born with mosaic genetics, so that some of her cells have XX chromosomes and some of them have XY.

Though we speak of intersex as an inborn condition, intersex anatomy doesn’t always show up at birth. Sometimes a person isn’t found to have intersex anatomy until she or he reaches the age of puberty, or finds himself an infertile adult, or dies of old age and is autopsied. Some people live and die with intersex anatomy without anyone (including themselves) ever knowing.

Source: http://www.isna.org/

How does your religion deal with intersexed people? Are they allowed to marry? Are parents pressured to "choose" a gender for the child and have surgery performed? If the parents choose the incorrect gender, would the person who, for example, was raised as a female but was really male, be allowed to marry a female? Does your religion base someone's gender on chromosomes or anatomy?

My faith recognizes it as a medical condition for which there are medical solutions.

Regards,
Scott

 

[Green Gaia]

My faith recognizes it as a medical condition for which there are medical solutions.

Regards,
Scott

And what are those medical solutions?

 

[Sunstone]

A friend of mine was born intersexed. She had XX chromosomes and male gentilia. Her family decided that being raised in Texas wasn't the best for her, so they moved to Colorado. (Ironically, they moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, a town that was soon to become a magnet to fundamentalists.) She was home schooled, and at the age of 16, began undergoing surgery to change her gentalia to female. Seems to me that she is now a well adjusted, happy kid. I think her familie's support and understanding of her has had a tremendous impact on her well being.

 

[michel]

Source: http://www.isna.org/

How does your religion deal with intersexed people? Are they allowed to marry? Are parents pressured to "choose" a gender for the child and have surgery performed? If the parents choose the incorrect gender, would the person who, for example, was raised as a female but was really male, be allowed to marry a female? Does your religion base someone's gender on chromosomes or anatomy?

I don't honestly know. But personally, I believe 'intersexed' people deserve the same amount of love and care as anyone else, and, whatever makes an other human happy (as long as it causes no one else to suffer), is up to that person to persue.

To any one who might come back with a 'but it's not natural.................' I have the answer," Yes it is, because that person was born that way, that is nature".

I think the intersexed person should have total choice of their lifestyle (whichever way that turns out), and that the state should support them in whatever surgery needs to be done to make those people happy.

 

[retrorich]

I don't see why that should be a religious issue. Those people didn't ask to be born that way. To a religious person, shouldn't they be considered part of God's plan?

 

[Valjean]

Such people should be raised with all the love and acceptance of normally sexed persons, but surgical interventions should be withheld until adolescence, when the person's genitalia can be altered to correspond with the sex s/he actually identifies with -- and only with the person's full co-operation and consent.

 

[Popeyesays]

Such people should be raised with all the love and acceptance of normally sexed persons, but surgical interventions should be withheld until adolescence, when the person's genitalia can be altered to correspond with the sex s/he actually identifies with -- and only with the person's full co-operation and consent.

That is basically the guidance that was given in the only Baha`i instance of this of which I am aware. I worked with an individual that was very unhappy in their gender, having been raised one way and never able to identify with it. The situation was rectified when the individual was ready to do so at about age 25.

Regards,
Scott

 

[Popeyesays]

And what are those medical solutions?

hormone therapy, Sexual Reassignment Surgery, immediately come to mind.

Regards,
Scott

 

[nutshell]

I took a zoology class at BYU and while we were talking about this subject the professor said these people need to do the best they can in life, doing what they determine to be right, and a loving God will sort it out in the end.

 

[standing_on_one_foot]

Kinda raises the question of how you decide which gender they'll be, dunnit? I doubt Reform Judaism would possibly have any issue with it.

 

[Valjean]

Kinda raises the question of how you decide which gender they'll be, dunnit? I doubt Reform Judaism would possibly have any issue with it.

Gender is determined by the grammer of the language being used. It is a linguistics term, not a euphamism for sex.

The question of which sex these individuals will be would best be decided simply by asking them.

 

[MdmSzdWhtGuy]

I took a zoology class at BYU and while we were talking about this subject the professor said these people need to do the best they can in life, doing what they determine to be right, and a loving God will sort it out in the end.

Kind of begs the question of how a loving God would have allowed this to happen in the first place, doesn't it?

B.

 

[Divine Androgyne]

My faith recognizes it as a medical condition for which there are medical solutions.

Regards,
Scott

Medical solutions Scott? That kind of sounds like the so-called "final solution" to me!

It sounds like your religion think that all of us intersexed people relate to being either male or female. What's your religions "solution" for those of us who don't and have to live in this male or female society?

 

[Popeyesays]

Medical solutions Scott? That kind of sounds like the so-called "final solution" to me!

It sounds like your religion think that all of us intersexed people relate to being either male or female. What's your religions "solution" for those of us who don't and have to live in this male or female society?

In my point of view an individual who has no specific sexuality is cut rather adrift. The "normal" is definite gender. The few intersexed people I have known wanted one gender or another. One was a true hermaphrodyte, raised female and went through the process to gain male gender. The second was transexual and went through the entire surgical process to convert to female. The third was going through the same process, but I do not know if it was completed or not.

As to you personally, its your decision. The only effect I can see is what the legal situation might be if you decided to marry.

Regards,
Scott

 

[Ðanisty]

One was a true hermaphrodyte, raised female and went through the process to gain male gender.

There is no such thing as a true human hermaphrodite. If you read the information on the Intersexed Society of North America, you will see that it is actually impossible.

The second was transexual and went through the entire surgical process to convert to female. The third was going through the same process, but I do not know if it was completed or not.

These people are obviously adults and are free to make whatever decision is best for them. If choosing a sexual identity is what they feel is best, then I wish them all the happiness there is. My problem is with doctors and parents making decisions for children who have no say in what is done to them.

 

[michel]

Kind of begs the question of how a loving God would have allowed this to happen in the first place, doesn't it?

B.

It never fails to amaze me how you seem to delight in making statements for which the sole purpose is to 'criticise' God (whether it is to make out that God doesn't exist. or is not loving).

There are thousands of children born every year, with varyingly serious conditions; do you somehow imagine that God is at the end of a conveyor belt, sending the new-borns down to Earth ?

 

[Popeyesays]

These people are obviously adults and are free to make whatever decision is best for them. If choosing a sexual identity is what they feel is best, then I wish them all the happiness there is. My problem is with doctors and parents making decisions for children who have no say in what is done to them.

On that I can agree.

Regards,
Scott

 

[Popeyesays]

There is no such thing as a true human hermaphrodite. If you read the information on the Intersexed Society of North America, you will see that it is actually impossible.

Thirty years ago when he was born, that was what they called it.

Regards,
Scott