They myth of only two sexes

[Larv]

Why should sex be an either/or situation? With a surgical snip here and an attitude adjustment there you could be breaking down the myth of just two sexes.

“It’s a little bit different in every person and in between what we think of as the all-male male and the all-female female, there is a whole spectrum of people with varying amounts of male-ness and female-ness mixed together.”

Callahan acknowledges that society is still a long way from accepting intersex people, but says the intolerance is largely due to a lack of information.

“I think we need to change the way we teach biology to kids,” he said.

Should we change the way we teach biology in schools? Should we teach our kids about the wonderful spectrum of rainbow sexes that could be available to them if they just became more open minded?

Hey, kids, don't be either/or nitwits. Expand your horizons to include a multitude of sexes. It's the new way to discover who you really are.

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

ovaries and a uterus = female

testes and no uterus = male

Even with hermaphrodites it shouldn't be too hard to figure out their sex (short of them having everything needed to create offspring, carry to full term, and birth them)

It would be soooo nice if people would stop confusing peoples lifestyle choices with biology. (IMHO)

Homosexuality and "gender confusion" are best explored as a psychological rather than biological issue (also IMHO) (please note I have no problem with persons living these lifestyles...I do however have a problem with it being catagorized anything besides a conscious decision...of course engaging in any type of sex at all is a choice and anyone believing otherwise is a fool)

A boy that wants to be a girl or a girl that wants to be a boy is not another sex nor is a girl that simply prefers intercourse (if you can call it that) with girls (or boy with boys....you get the idea).

So no we should not teach alternative lifestyles as different genders. (all apologies for the roundabout path to get to the point)

[Miranda]

Originally Posted by DFINITLYDISTRUBD

So no we should not teach alternative lifestyles as different genders. (all apologies for the roundabout path to get to the point)

I agree all the way up to your last sentence, which just needs a little re-phrasing. Gender roles are socially constructed. Thus, an 'alternative lifestyle' actually is an adherence to a gender role, but it's true that it doesn't make it any more biologically valid. Ones 'sex' is based on the biological, physical characteristics. So, we could teach about how there is a spectrum of sexes, and a spectrum of gender roles that we like to believe are based in biology, but that in reality those gender roles are inherently arbitrary constructs that have little to do with your sex.

[UncleAl]

Heteronormatism problematizes homosocial othering.

There are only two sexes, oral and anal. Anything else is perversity and must be banned with mandatory heinous penalities for accusation. There is no law absent enforcement. God punishes sinners and does not abide sycophants. Test of faith!

[pamela]

how many homosexuality is natural threads later and now this......
pardon me while i go drown myself in tequila.

[Miranda]

UncleAl, you're joking, right?

[freeztar]

You crack me up, Al.

I agree that it's important to draw a line between biology and psychology. Sex, in biology, is not a spectrum. It's male or female (excluding hermaphrodites of course). In psychology, sexual preference is a spectrum.

So, for psychology, I'd argue that it is appropriate for society to recognize the spectrum of sexual preference and teach tolerance.

As far as keeping biology and psych in separate domains though, there is some cross over and that too should be recognized and appreciated. For example, people thinking of a homosexual lifestyle as a purely psychological choice would do wise to study some biology on the subject.

[Miranda]

Originally Posted by freeztar

I agree that it's important to draw a line between biology and psychology. Sex, in biology, is not a spectrum. It's male or female (excluding hermaphrodites of course).

But if you include hermaphrodites, then sex is on a spectrum, yes?

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

You still can narrow them down M or F based on uterus or no uterus ovaries or testes with very rare exceptions regardless of what their genitalia look like.

But if you include hermaphrodites, then sex is on a spectrum, yes?

[Larv]

Biologically, we know that all sexual permutations start with the morphing of female genitalia in the womb. This is true, of course, for males and our genitalia. We got them from a feminine source and the Y chromosome. Indeed, that is why we have nipples.