Sex/Gender

[The Hammer]

Is it more complicated then we think?

Chinese scientists propose a new theory of sex determination

Researchers have come up with a new hypothesis for how gender is determined after studying a patient with chimerism.

amp.scmp.com

 

[The Hammer]

I'm surprised, and pleased, this didn't get more traffic.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

I just wasn't sure what there is to debate on this...

Clearly, any scientific research can be questioned to test its validity...but I don't feel qualified to address their research design or conclusions...

I was thinking, however, that it sounds like the genetic tests to identify this situation are difficult and rare...and I wonder if maybe in fact it has some impact on individuals' reproductive problems...more than on gender expression, at least...

 

[The Hammer]

I just wasn't sure what there is to debate on this...

Good

Clearly, any scientific research can be questioned to test its validity...but I don't feel qualified to address their research design or conclusions...

Fair enough

I was thinking, however, that it sounds like the genetic tests to identify this situation are difficult and rare...and I wonder if maybe in fact it has some impact on individuals' reproductive problems...more than on gender expression, at least...

I wouldn't discount that at all. But also point out that it does make a bit of sense that gender and/or sex, is not a binary.

 

[Kfox]

I wouldn't discount that at all. But also point out that it does make a bit of sense that gender and/or sex, is not a binary.

If not 2, how many?

 

[ChristineM]

If not 2, how many?

Church out the Kinsey scale. There are degrees from 100% hetro to 100% homo.

 

[Kfox]

Church out the Kinsey scale. There are degrees from 100% hetro to 100% homo.

View attachment 89561

Hetro vs Homo does not address the question of Gender.

 

[PureX]

Everything is more complicated than we think. Seriously.

 

[ChristineM]

Hetro vs Homo does not address the question of Gender.

There are people with other identifies than male or female, hermaphrodite for example

 

[Valjean]

If not 2, how many?

With what they're calling "gender," there seems to be a lot of variation, of several factors, and much of it not discrete variations but points on a spectrum or continuum.
Whatever it is in the brain that causes most males to "feel" male, to have male interests and sexual attraction to females; or the converse in females, is little understood, but it is something in brain anatomy, physiology, neural pathways &c, all of which vary from individual to individual. Variations causing non-typical expressions are pretty common.

With sex There are all sorts of variants: X. XX. XXX. XXY XYY, XXXX. XXYY, XXXY. XXXXY, XXXY. XXYY. XXXXX, and others. There are also those with mosaic cell lines, with, for example, both XY + XXY, or X + XXX or other variations in a single individual.

Combine XY variation (aneuroploidies) with neurological variation in the brain, and you can get a lot of natural, (not learned) variation.

 

[Valjean]

There are people with other identifies than male or female, hermaphrodite for example

Those are usually anatomic anomalies, not necessarily "identities."

 

[ChristineM]

Those are usually anatomic anomalies, not necessarily "identities."

Or gender fluid...

 

[The Hammer]

If not 2, how many?

A spectrum has no numerical value

 

[ADigitalArtist]

Is it more complicated then we think?

Chinese scientists propose a new theory of sex determination

Researchers have come up with a new hypothesis for how gender is determined after studying a patient with chimerism.

amp.scmp.com

Most things are, particularly when talking about psychology, sociology and biology, their overlap and independent interplay.

 

[Kfox]

There are people with other identifies than male or female, hermaphrodite for example

Hermaphrodite is a biological male or Biological female with a specific type of deformity. But their biology is still binary.

 

[Kfox]

With what they're calling "gender," there seems to be a lot of variation, of several factors, and much of it not discrete variations but points on a spectrum or continuum.

Just because something is blue, doesn’t mean there can’t be different shades of blue while remaining blue

Whatever it is in the brain that causes most males to "feel" male,

What does it mean to feel like a male? What is this feeling that only males have that females don't?

to have male interests and sexual attraction to females; or the converse in females, is little understood,

Just because a person is sexually attracted to females doesn’t mean they are male

With sex There are all sorts of variants: X. XX. XXX. XXY XYY, XXXX. XXYY, XXXY. XXXXY, XXXY. XXYY. XXXXX, and others. There are also those with mosaic cell lines, with, for example, both XY + XXY, or X + XXX or other variations in a single individual.

Combine XY variation (aneuroploidies) with neurological variation in the brain, and you can get a lot of natural, (not learned) variation.

Anything other than XX or XY is an abnormally. If we go by the science, If you have a Y sex Chromosome, you are male; if you have all X’s you are female regardless of abnormally.

 

[Kfox]

A spectrum has no numerical value

So 7 billion different biological sexes and genders; since everybody will be at a different place on the spectrum?

 

[ChristineM]

Hermaphrodite is a biological male or Biological female with a specific type of deformity. But their biology is still binary.

Hermaphrodite

noun

1. an organism having both male and female sex organs or other sexual characteristics, either abnormally or (in the case of some organisms) as the natural condition.

adjective

1. of or denoting an organism having both male and female sex organs or other sexual characteristics.
   "hermaphrodite creatures in classical sculpture"

From Oxford languages

 

[The Hammer]

So 7 billion different biological sexes and genders; since everybody will be at a different place on the spectrum?

If that's the logical conclusion you've drawn. Although I'd call that a "slippery slope".

 

[Kfox]

Hermaphrodite

noun

1. an organism having both male and female sex organs or other sexual characteristics, either abnormally or (in the case of some organisms) as the natural condition.

adjective

1. of or denoting an organism having both male and female sex organs or other sexual characteristics.
   "hermaphrodite creatures in classical sculpture"

From Oxford languages

Yes! In mammals (humans) we go with #1, and it is due to an abnormally.