Assignment #2.7

Gender and sex is something that cannot be clearly defined. Many people think that a man is a man if he has a penis or a woman is a woman if she has a vigina. This has been disproven. In this class we have read articles on Intersexuality and transsexuality. These articles have outlined that gender and sex is not as clear cut as one might think. We will explore why.
Intersexuality is when a male or a female has masculine of feminine features and the internal biology is opposite. The dilemma of these situations presents itself as the question: are individuals with these conditions male or female? Another question is who will make the decision if they are male or female? I feel that this decision is up to the individual but other have made these decisions. Many women have been disqualified from Olympic competition because they failed genetic test that would classify them as women. I wonder if their biology really gives them an edge.
Transsexuality is when a male or a female feel that they are trapped in the other sex’s body. I first thought that these individuals had psychological problems but the information that I have gained has given me information to the contrary of this. Studies have been done that showed that the part of the brain that controls gender is different in transsexual individuals. Does this prove that they have psychological problems or that something went wrong biologically? For me the ladder seems to be the more plausible outcome. I believe the most important thing is for us to try to understand these individuals rather than judge them.