I've just had a convo pretty similar to this one. I have strong feelings about the whole sex designation thing.
First of all, gender is not a simple binary. I think a lot of people here might be in agreement with that. If the "sex" designation on official documents is meant to record gender, then not only should it be able to be changed to reflect a person's actual gender, there needs to be more than two options.
Second, sex is not a simple binary either. There are hordes of people with various intersex conditions ranging from slightly ambiguous internal or external genitalia to chromosomal intersex conditions, such as having XXY or XXXY or XO chromosome pairs. Some intersexed people have XX chromosomes everywhere except the ovotestes, which have XY chromosomes, or vice versa. If the designation is meant to record sex, as the folks who say it ought not to be changed seem to hold, there still needs to be a category for intersex.
Third, if the documentation is not to be changed, intersex people or those whose sex has been recorded in error cannot make that correction, and still face discrimination when prospective employers find inconsistencies in their paperwork. Not to mention the discrimination transpeople face when dealing with prospective employers, police, etc.
(rant)
Fourth, why the hell does everyone I show my driver's license to have to know what my genitals look like? Does this bother anyone else? There are three groups of people in the world who need to know this information: my parents, who saw it when I was born; my doctors, who may need to know for medical reasons; and my lovers or people who wish to become my lovers for whom the shape of my genitals might be a concern.
(/rant)
And whether or not an operation can change one's sex depends entirely on how we're defining that word. If we define it as chromosomal sex, then no. But I've already mentioned some problems with that.
Maybe here in the evil empire they'll start defining marriage as "two people, one with XX chromosomes and no noticeable genital anomalies, and one with XY chromosomes and no noticeable genital anomalies, entering a legally and spiritually binding partnership under our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ..." Okay, I'm starting to get facetious. Or sarcastic.
To make it brief, I'm for doing away with the designation on all but medical documents, which need to remain confidential. |
