Transforming identity, bigotry’s war against the reality of gender diversity

Transgender people make up about 0.5% of the general population. However, the percentage of transgender individuals tends to be higher among younger age groups. About 1.43% of those aged 13-17 and 1.31% of those 18-24 identify as transgender. 

The complexity of sex and gender development

For whatever reason, in the past decade or so, the religious right, aka evangelicals, in both Canada and United States, have taken a visceral hatred towards Trans people to the point they would gas them if they could. (and Trump may yet provide the opportunity).

There have always been Trans people though we didn't call them that. As a kid in the 50's I knew about sex-change operations. People had them when the inside didn't match the outside. My parents, who were very conservative Christians, thought nothing of it. My neice remembers in her early teens watching a CBC documentary on sex-change operations with them and they were amazed at what could be done.    

So now the entire LGBTQ+ spectrum is under assault by "Christians". "There is no hatred like Christian love". Banning any books that could possibly include sexual diversity, firing teachers and harassing librarians. Claiming Drag Queens and age-appropriate sex education is grooming kids. Yet kids taught from Kindergarten the proper names for genetalia and that they have the right to say NO, are far safer from grooming. The groomers and pedophiles are all people in authority. Teaching kids to obey adults unquestioningly sets them up for  exploitation.

Sex is a way of categorizing physical characteristics. Gender is a way of characterizing a social construct, often based on the physical characteristics but is rooted in cultural interpretations of them. And is basically how do you feel inside.

Sex: male, female, intersex. Gender: boy/man, girl/woman, tomboy, gender fluid, nonbinary, femme, transfem, masc, transmasc, depending on culture. Cree and Blackfoot cultures include man/woman and woman/man as genders. In India hijra is the third gender.

Different types of Intersex

It is totally expected from biology that there should be transgender people. Only people who never got past Grade 6 science class still think sex and gender are binary. 

Grade six science

The SRY gene on the Y chromosome blocks certain gene expressions on the X chromosome. If a Y chromosome doesn’t have that gene, the default is female. Some people may have XY chromosomes and the SRY gene, (or XX chromosomes and an SRY gene), but don’t develop as a typical male because their hormone receptors aren’t complete. And that’s a spectrum. 

Rebecca Helm, a biologist and an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina, Asheville US writes:

Friendly neighborhood biologist here. I see a lot of people talking about biological sexes and gender right now. Lots of folks make biological sex seem really simple. Well, since it’s so simple, let’s find the biological roots, shall we? Let’s talk about sex.

If you know a bit about biology you will probably say that biological sex is caused by chromosomes, XX and you’re female, XY and you’re male. This is “chromosomal sex” but is it “biological sex”? Well...

Turns out there is only ONE GENE on the Y chromosome that really matters to sex. It’s called the SRY gene. During human embryonic development the SRY protein turns on male-associated genes. Having an SRY gene makes you “genetically male”. But is this “biological sex”?

Sometimes that SRY gene pops off the Y chromosome and over to an X chromosome. Surprise! So now you’ve got an X with an SRY and a Y without an SRY. What does this mean?

A Y with no SRY means physically you’re female, chromosomally you’re male (XY) and genetically you’re female (no SRY). An X with an SRY means you’re physically male, chromsomally female (XX) and genetically male (SRY). But biological sex is simple! There must be another answer...

Sex-related genes ultimately turn on hormones in specifics areas on the body, and reception of those hormones by cells throughout the body. Is this the root of “biological sex”??

“Hormonal male” means you produce ‘normal’ levels of male-associated hormones. Except some percentage of females will have higher levels of ‘male’ hormones than some percentage of males. Ditto ditto ‘female’ hormones. And...

...if you’re developing, your body may not produce enough hormones for your genetic sex. Leading you to be genetically male or female, chromosomally male or female, hormonally non-binary, and physically non-binary. Well, except cells have something to say about this...

Maybe cells are the answer to “biological sex”?? Right?? Cells have receptors that “hear” the signal from sex hormones. But sometimes those receptors don’t work. Like a mobile phone that’s on “do not disturb’. Call and call, they will not answer.

What does this all mean?

It means you may be genetically male or female, chromosomally male or female, hormonally male/female/non-binary, with cells that may or may not hear the male/female/non-binary call, and all this leading to a body that can be male/non-binary/female.

Try out some combinations for yourself. Notice how confusing it gets? Can you point to what the absolute cause of biological sex is? Is it fair to judge people by it?

Of course you could try appealing to the numbers. “Most people are either male or female” you say. Except that as a biologist professor I will tell you...

The reason I don’t have my students look at their own chromosome in class is because people could learn that their chromosomal sex doesn’t match their physical sex and learning that in the middle of a 10-point assignment is JUST NOT THE TIME.

Biological sex is complicated. Before you discriminate against someone on the basis of “biological sex” & identity, ask yourself: have you seen YOUR chromosomes? Do you know the genes of the people you love? The hormones of the people you work with? The state of their cells?

Since the answer will obviously be no, please be kind, respect people’s right to tell you who they are, and remember that you don’t have all the answers. Again: biology is complicated. Kindness and respect don’t have to be.

Note: Biological classifications exist. XX, XY, XXY XXYY and all manner of variation which is why sex isn't classified as binary. You can't have a binary classification system with more than two configurations even if two of those configurations are more common than others.

Biology is a shitshow. Be kind to people.