Five-sexes

It was interesting that Fausto-Sterling opened up her chapter, Should There Be Only Two Sexes, by stating her idea of having a five-sex system was very controversial and received a lot of complaints from her medical peers, claiming the idea of five sexes was nonsense and extreme. Unsurprisingly, negative feedback mostly came from doctors and positive feedback came from people with intersex conditions. It seems unfair to me that these doctors can impose such dogmatic practices and criticisms when they are not even the ones born with an intersex condition. How are these doctors authorized to tell and educate people with intersex conditions on what is right and wrong? In fact, one doctor that Fausto-Sterling describes takes it upon himself to “fix” one of his patients without even consulting the parents. One analogy Fausto-Sterling uses that makes it easier to see how sex can be a social construct, was comparing genital surgery to cosmetic surgery.

Fausto-Sterling tells Cheryl Chase, Founder of the Intersex Society Of North America, story of her discovery that she had been born with ovo-testes and an enlarged clitoris. Chase did not figure this out, however, until she was 23. The knowledge of her intersex condition was hidden from her not only by her parents, but also by her doctors who refused to tell her what was actually going on. Chase’s parents and doctors went so far to conceal the truth about her condition, that Chase was told she had a hernia operation, when really the operation was to remove the testicular part of her gonads. I cannot imagine the pain and betrayal must have felt after discovering the truth of her condition. Fausto-Sterling discusses the psychological damage these lies and genital surgery can have on children. It is infuriating to think that these doctors are allowed to withhold such vital information from people with intersex conditions. Chase also describes her adulthood and the trouble she has finding doctors who know about her condition who could possibly help her find ways feel sexual pleasure. This part in Fausto-Sterling’s book really brings awareness to the lack of resources, information, and doctors that are available to people born with intersex conditions.


Fausto-Sterling states, “In European and American culture we have defines two genders, each with a range of permissible behaviors” (101). Fausto-sterling goes on to say that we have progressed a lot as a culture and then depicts her vision of the future. Envisioning a future society where there are no gender divisions between males and females, but that these identities will overlap.  Although I agree with what Fausto-Sterling is saying, I can’t help but feel hopelessness because it seems that getting to the point where there are no gender differentiations seems far off and unimaginable at this point in time. Perhaps it is hard for me to imagine such a world when women like Caster Semenya, South Africa’s idolized Olympic runner, is criticized and questioned about her sexuality. In the New Yorker article, it was even stated that she would sometimes have to go to the bathroom with a competitor and show them her private parts to prove that she is a woman. Nobody should have to do that. In this article, I found it particularly sad that in South Africa, Semenya will never be accepted as a “hermaphrodite” because such categorization does not exist according to the South African congress. This is not to say, however, that Semenya was not supported by South Africa, because many stood behind her and defended her femininity. I just don’t understand why our society puts so much importance of placing people in categories and to have some sort of “order”.

- Jane B

Comments

  1. UnknownOctober 20, 2017 at 2:56 PM

    Jane, your blog post really helped put what we are learning about into context for me. I agree with your point about doctors imposing their own beliefs on people and the problems that can cause. I think that while a genderless world may seem far off, a more accepting world is so possible. There is no one absolute marker that decides if a person is a man or a woman. Logically, we know that gender is not an either or. Hopefully, in the future, the population will become better educated and more open minded on the shades of gender.

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