Selection13 - Bhakti Ananda Goswami... a man or a woman is a whole as a person, not defined as a part of a person.

WE NEED, NOT MORE LUMPING-IN.   FOR EXAMPLE, AS YOU KNOW, SOME FETALLY
ESTROGENIZED XY PERSONS ARE EXTREMELY FEMININE. SUCH PERSONS ARE OFTEN
CLASSED AS SEXUALLY RECEPTIVE 'HOMOSEXUALS'.   OTHER 'HOMOSEXUALS' ARE
EXTREMELY MASCULINE, NEVER RECEPTIVE IN ANY SEX ACTS, BUT SIMPLY DO NOT
RESPOND TO THE SEX-SIGNALING OF WOMEN. THERE ARE OTHERS WHO ARE ALSO
LABELED 'HOMOSEXUAL', WHICH DO NOT FIT EITHER OF THESE FIRST TWO 'GAY'
STEREOTYPE CATEGORIES.   FOR THE PURPOSES OF BETTER UNDERSTANDING, THESE
DIFFERENT KINDS OF PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE ALL LUMPED-IN-TOGETHER UNDER THE
SINGLE LABEL 'HOMOSEXUAL' OR 'QUEER'. FOR EXAMPLE, A SEXUALLY RECEPTIVE
FETALLY ESTROGENIZED XY PERSON, WHO IS EXTREMELY FEMININE, IS NOT AT ALL
LIKE A HYPER ANDROGENIZED HETEROSEXUAL MALE WHO FORCES PENETRATING SEX ON
OTHER MEN AS PART OF AN 'ALPHA MALE' DOMINANCE PROBLEM.

SEX DIFFERENTIATION IS A BIOLOGICAL PROCESS, BUT THE ASSIGNMENT OF SEX AT
BIRTH, AND THE CATEGORIZATION OF BODIES, BEHAVIORS AND SOCIAL ROLES IS PART
OF A SOCIAL CONSTRUCT.   PEOPLE ARE NOT BORN TO BE OUTCAST AND DAMNED. THEY
ARE JUST BORN DIFFERENT, AND SOCIETY DECIDES WHETHER OR NOT TO CAST THEM
OUT AND DAMN THEM.     MY PLEA IS TO MOVE AWAY FROM ANY PURELY PARTS (OR
CHROMOSOMAL)-CENTERED CRITERIA FOR 'SEXING' / ASSIGNING PEOPLE, TOWARDS A
PERSON-CENTERED SYSTEM, IN WHICH PEOPLE ARE GIVEN PRIORITY OVER THEIR PARTS.
THE MEDICAL, CIVIL-LEGAL AND RELATED RELIGIOUS IDOLATRY OF DISEMBODIED
IMPERSONAL PARTS (FROM GENITALS AND GONADS TO CHROMOSOMES) BEING EXALTED
OVER REAL AND AFFECTIVE PEOPLE MUST END. PARTS DO NOT DEMAND RIGHTS AND HAVE
RESPONSIBILITIES, PEOPLE DO. PARTS MAY TOUCH, BUT IT IS PEOPLE WHO FORM
AFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIPS. RELIGIONS OF LOVE AND GRACE HAVE CONSISTENTLY
ASSERTED THE PRIMACY OF PEOPLE OVER THEIR MERE PARTS. IN FACT THE ENTIRE
IDEA OF HOLY MARTYRDOM IS THE ULTIMATE ASSERTION OF THE PERSON OVER THEIR
TOTALITY OF PARTS. THE MARTYR CHOOSES TO GIVE UP ALL OF THEIR PARTS, RATHER
THAN TO VIOLATE THE PERSONAL LOVE THAT THEY HAVE COME TO REALIZE !

WHILE IT IS TRUE THAT UNCONTROLLED PARTS HAVE OFTEN COST PEOPLE THEIR LIVES,
IN THE CASE OF HOLY MARTYRDOM OR HEROISM, THE 'SELF' FREELY CHOOSES TO
SACRIFICE THEIR BODILY LIFE FOR SOME GREATER CAUSE OF LOVE. THUS THE HEROIC
PERSON MAY ASSERT THEIR ULTIMATE RIGHT AND RESPONSIBILITY OVER THEIR OWN
BODY. SUCH HEROISM IS A LIFE-AFFIRMING POSITIVE ACT OF OTHER-CENTERED LOVE,
NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE DESPAIR, SELF-LOATHING OR VENGEANCE THAT
SOMETIMES LEADS TO SUICIDE. HOLY MARTYRDOM IS NEVER SUICIDE. IN EITHER
CASE, THE GIVING-UP OF ONE'S LIFE FOR ANOTHER, OR ENDING OF ONE'S OWN LIFE
IN SUICIDE, IS AN ASSERTION OF THE SELF OVER THEIR OWN FLESH.   FROM THE
BEGINNING OF LIFE, WHEN THE BABY STRUGGLES TO ASSERT ITS WILL OVER ITS OWN
FLESH, TO LIFE'S END, WHEN THE LUCID SELF STILL WANTS TO CONTROL ITS OWN
DEPARTURE, PARTS DO NOT POSSESS PEOPLE, PEOPLE POSSESS THEIR PARTS. PEOPLE
SAY 'MY FOOT', 'MY BRAIN', 'MY GENITALS', ETC. IT IS THE POSSESSOR OF THE
PARTS WHO HAS RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES. THE PERSON DECLARES THEIR
FIDELITY TO MILITARY SERVICE, MARRIAGE, A FAITH OR EMPLOYER ETC.   A
COLLECTION OF PARTS WITHOUT ITS POSSESSOR IS JUST A DEAD BODY. WHEN THE
MYSTERIOUS 'SELF' DEPARTS, ALL THE REMAINING PARTS LOSE THEIR RELATIONSHIP
TO PERSONHOOD AND DECOMPOSE. NO REASONABLE PERSON CONFUSES A ROTTING CORPSE
FOR THE VITAL PERSON THAT ONCE INDWELLED IT. A DEAD BODY CANNOT CONVERT TO A
NEW FAITH, ENLIST IN THE MILITARY, OR PLEDGE ITS LOVE TO ANYONE. SO LAW,
WHICH RECOGNIZES THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A LIVING PERSON AND A DEAD BODY,
SHOULD RECOGNIZE THAT PERSONAL CIVIL SOCIAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
BELONG TO PERSONS, NOT A PART, SOME PARTS OR EVEN THE ENTIRE COLLECTION OF
PARTS THAT WE CALL THE BODY. HOWEVER, AT THE PRESENT, GLOBALLY THE RIGHTS
AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF HUMANS ARE BEING DEFINED BY SOME SINGLE PART OR
COLLECTION OF PARTS, WITHOUT REGARD FOR THE PERSONS WHO OWN THOSE PARTS.
THIS IS FRANKLY GHOULISH !   TO IMPOSE A SINGLE PART OR PARTS-BASED
DEFINITION UPON HUMANS, AND THEREFORE TO IMPOSE A SOCIAL VALUE OR ASSIGNMENT
OF RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES UPON THEM BASED ON A PART OR PARTS IS AS
PERVERSE, PREJUDICIALLY CRUEL AND IMPERSONAL AS THE SELECTION OF LABORERS
AND GAS CHAMBER VICTIMS IN THE NAZI DEATH CAMPS. THE NAZIS DECIDED WHICH OF
THEIR SUBJECTS OR PRISONERS WERE HUMAN OR ANIMAL, WHICH DESERVED TO LIVE OR
TO DIE, WHICH WERE TO BE GIVEN WHAT RIGHTS OR RESPONSIBILITIES ETC., ALL BY
THEIR WHITE RACIST AND EUGENICS ASSESSMENT OF BODILY PARTS AND 'BLOOD' OR
'GENETICS'.   THE CIVILIZED WORLD HAS REJECTED THE NAZIS' RACIST AND EUGENIC
PROGRAM. HOWEVER, IT HAS NOT REJECTED THE PSEUDO-SCIENCE OF GENETICS AND
FORM / MORPHOLOGY / PHENOTYPE THAT WAS FOUNDATIONAL TO THE NAZI AND
PROTO-NAZI GENEALOGY OF THOUGHT. IT IS THIS IMPERSONAL PARTS-BASED WAY OF
ASSESSING AND DEFINING HUMANS THAT WE MUST OVERCOME TO ACHIEVE A JUST
SOCIETY.

THE WAY TO CHANGE OUR PART / PARTS-BASED THINKING ABOUT SEX IS TO FINALLY
BEGIN TO STUDY AND UNDERSTAND IT. STUDYING SEX DIFFERENTIATION IS THE FIRST
THING WE MUST DO TO BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND XY-MALE AND XX-FEMALE AND EVERY
OTHER SEX-DIFFERENTIATION VARIATION IN THE ANIMAL AND HUMAN SPECIES. FOR
EXAMPLE, THERE ARE NATURALLY XX SEX-REVERSED MEN AND NATURALLY XY
SEX-REVERSED WOMEN. THERE ARE OTHERS WHO DO NOT SIMPLY HAVE EITHER XX OR XY
SEX CHROMOSOMES. SO ETHICALLY XX AND XY CANNOT BE USED AS THE CRITERIA FOR
ASSIGNING SEX IN EVERY CASE. HOW THEN CAN COURTS USE XX AND XY TO DECIDE
MANY MATTERS OF LAW, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO MARRY?   HOW CAN THE CHURCHES
USE XX AND XY TO DAMN TRANSSEXUALS, WHEN SEX-REVERSAL OCCURS NATURALLY
CREATING XX MEN AND XY WOMEN?    IF THE CIVIL OR CHURCH AUTHORITIES
IGNORANTLY DECLARE THAT INVARIABLY XX=FEMALE AND XY=MALE, AND THUS
TRANSSEXUALS CANNOT BE ACCEPTED AS REAL WOMEN OR MEN, THEN WHAT IS THE
STATUS OF NATURALLY SEX-REVERSED HUMANS? WHAT IS THE STATUS OF PERSONS WHO
DO NOT HAVE THE STANDARD XX OR XY CHROMOSOMAL PATTERNS? HOW CAN MAN'S LAW
FORBID THE EXISTENCE OF SEX-REVERSED AND INTERSEXED HUMANS, WHEN GOD'S LAW
HAS NOT FORBIDDEN THEIR EXISTENCE? BUT, TRAGICALLY, THE CHURCH AND STATE
LIKE TO INVOKE THE SECULAR IDEAS OF SCIENCE AND 'NATURAL LAW' TO SUPPORT
THEIR MISUNDERSTANDING OF HUMAN SEXUALITY. INVOKING THE 'BIRDS AND THE
BEES' IS DONE TO FORCE HUMANS INTO AN ARTIFICIALLY STRICT AND SIMPLE SEXUAL
DIMORPHISM THAT SIMPLY DOES NOT EXIST IN NATURE! THE OBVIOUS CURE FOR THIS
OPPRESSIVE NONSENSE TO REAL 'SEX EDUCATION' THAT INFORMS THE LAW MAKERS AND
ENFORCERS OF THE REAL ' FACTS OF LIFE'. THE SCIENTIFIC TRUTH IS THAT
LIKE REAL HUMANS, THE 'BIRDS AND BEES' COME IN A VAST VARIETY OF
SEX-REVERSED AND INTERSEXED CONDITIONS. UNDERSTANDING THE VAST COMPLEXITY OF
ALL SPECIES OF LIFE AND HUMAN LIFE IN PARTICULAR, CAN ONLY RESULT IN
CIVILIZED SOCIETIES MOVING AWAY FROM THE NAZI-LIKE PARTS-BASED ASSESSMENT AND
VALUATION OF PEOPLE, TO A NEW PARADIGM, ONE THAT IS PERSON OR 'SELF' BASED,
RECOGNIZING THE EQUAL VALUE AND PRIMACY OF PERSONS OVER THEIR PARTS.

HERE IS SOME INFORMATION ON SEX DETERMINATION AND BEHAVIOR, THAT I HOPE YOU
DERIVE SOME BENEFIT FROM.

WISHING YOU PAX AND PREMA !

BHAKTI ANANDA GOSWAMI (DAVID SHERMAN)

Subject: David Sherman's Introduction to Sex Differentiation and Sex
Dimorphic Behavior in Vertebrates

COVER LETTER TO MY RECENT SURVEY OF THE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH REGARDING SEX
DIFFERENTIATION AND SEX DIMORPHIC BEHAVIOR IN VERTEBRATES

To Whom it may concern,

Peace and prema (divine love) to you !   My name is David Sherman aka Bhakti
Ananda Goswami. I am a research historian by training, and also have some
scientific and medical background. As a Catholic hermit and Vaishnava
Siksha Master (Sannyasi) and religious counselor, I have known and
ministered to intersexed and transgendered persons for over 30 years.   I
thought you might like to see this. As both a person involved with the
pastoral counseling of sex and gender-different people, and as an intersexed
person myself, I am concerned about the sad state of humanity's general mal
education regarding sexual differentiation and biologically determined
sexually dimorphic behavior. After searching a major bioethics institute
site, and finding no reference at all to human intersex (previously called
hermaphroditism), or the basic biological and medical ethics issues of sex
assignment and gender identity, I decided to personally try to address this
appalling lack of information.

So I went on the internet. Using my research, scientific and medical
background, I began searching the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the
Internet in general for outstanding and up-to-date research on sex
differentiation and sex dimorphic behavior in vertebrates. For the purpose
of establishing a biological baseline of information, regarding the real
'facts of life', I especially focused on intersex (hermaphroditic)
conditions in both animals and humans, as illustrative of the complexities
of sex differentiation and sex-dimorphic related behavior. There was such a
tremendous amount of relevant information that I selected only about one out
of every 20 papers that I read, and downloaded an abstract of it. I
organized all these references and abstracts into categories and compiled a
report on my entire survey of the literature. I'm sure it is a unique
resource on the neuroendocrinology, and the chromosomal, reproductive, and
phenotypic differentiation of sex and sex-dimorphic behavior in vertebrates.

Sometimes in the struggle for human rights and justice, it is necessary to
disturb people with the facts. The facts of sex differentiation are
profoundly different than what most even well-educated people, and even
medical field professionals imagine. Medical intervention based on erroneous
ideas harms people. It is past time that we came out of the Victorian era
pseudo-scientific idea of what makes us male or female, and face the reality
of our complex physical and psycho-social sexuality. Sex is not a SIMPLE
matter of chromosomes, internal and external organs. There are NATURALLY
( FROM BIRTH ) XX sex-reversed men and XY sex-reversed women, and every
possible condition between these extremes and the normal of XX= female and
XY= male. These variations occur pervasively in both humans and in subhuman
species. Intersex conditions are common in humanity and in the rest of
nature, and they are on the rise due to pollution and related 'environmental
estrogens'. There is such a vast amount of internet accessible information
on environmental estrogens alone, and the consequent 'intersex' feminization
of all males, including humans, due to estrogenic endocrine disruptors in
the environment, that I included a special section on it in the report.

Please note that the report's focus is not either 'transsexualism' or
same-sex sexual orientation, etc.; however, important fundamental truths
relative to these conditions are found throughout. Also note that the term
sex-reversal as used here in does NOT refer to human transsexualism, but to
documented biological states of hermaphroditic "sex-reversal" (the
scientific term) found in both animals and humans; for example, the rodent
species with both XX and XY 'sex reversed' females.

I hope that you find this information useful. Sex and gender justice is a
fundamental human rights issue. I am a religious person, and to me, much of
the religious community's problem regarding sex and sexuality is based not
at all in religion, but in secular 19th-century erroneous ideas about sex.
Religions are relying on these flawed ideas to define humans not by their
persons, but SOME PARTS (seen or unseen) according to bad, outdated 19th
century science. Under the old system, every baby was assigned a sex at
birth, based on specific and sometimes irrelevant parts. Sometimes the sex
assignment was erroneous, resulting in a tragic life for the child and
family.   With the advent of chromosome testing, a new way to err in sex
assignment was introduced, and with it came more great injustice and more
suffering for intersexed persons. Modern science tells us that
intersexuality in most species is much more common than previously
recognized, and reaching 'epidemic' status due to the global problem of
environmental estrogens, or estrogen-mimicking endocrine disruptors. This
is a problem that is not going away, and is in fact creating a crisis in the
bioethics field, as 'gender teams' fight over how to assign sex, and whether
or not to continue to surgically alter intersexed infants. Since no one
system of defining a person's sex by gross anatomical or microscopic parts
is correct / accurate in all cases, the ultimate, purely scientific
conclusion is that all persons must be ultimately allowed sexual and gender
self-determination. It is the person who is precious and inviolable. A
collection of parts without the person is just a dead body. In the final
analysis, we must ask each person who and what they are.   We should no
longer tolerate the sexual mutilation of helpless intersexed infants, as
their 'gender team' GUESSES what they will grow up to be, and removes the
parts that they THE GENDER TEAM don't want ! The outcome of these surgeries
on non consenting babies is often tragic, as the doctors commonly guess
wrong, condemning the patient and their loved-ones to a life of misery and
heart-break.

We must move to a new paradigm for defining people, which abandons
19th-century pseudo-scientific, impersonal and invalid definitions of people
based on any particular part or collection of parts, gross or microscopic.
Our new spiritual and human rights-centered paradigm must be personal, not
impersonal, and people, not parts-centered / oriented.   Parts exist to
serve people, and people should define their parts, not the other way
around. Intersexed infants should not be routinely castrated or otherwise
sexually mutilated , and adults should be allowed corrective surgeries and
sex reassignment when needed. Doctors and pastors need to begin serving the
best medical, emotional and social / legal interests of their patients.
Educators need to introduce the truth about intersexuality into our
educational systems.

The best scientific information should inform all our medical and pastoral
care of souls.   In the absence of such education, sex and gender-variant,
and even 'normal' people suffering via a loved-one from some sex or
gender-related problems in life, are not cared for appropriately either
medically, psychosocially or spiritually. Intersexed people suffer
unspeakably because of this, and all their loved ones, as well as the rest
of 'normal' society, suffer with them. Those of us who are aware of the
problem have a responsibility to address it.   For this reason, I am
currently working on presenting the results of my recent research survey in
book form, for the benefit of all those who are effected by these problems,
as well as for the general enlightenment of society. It is astounding that
in our time educated people still don't know the real facts of life. Below
is a topical index to my survey of the recent scientific literature
regarding sex differentiation and sex dimorphic behavior in vertebrates. I
invite all interested persons to familiarize themselves with these facts,
and thus become part of the solution, instead of remaining part of the mal
educated problem.

David Sherman / Bhakti Ananda Goswami

About the Author, a Devoted Catholic Hermit and Shiksha Master (Sannyasi) in
the Vaishnava Tradition

In 1972 David Sherman, a Christian historian of religion, began his formal
study of bhakti yoga. Over the years he served the Indian and global bhakti
yoga Vaishnava communities at various locations and eventually took the vows
of the renounced order of vanaprastha and then, after more than 20 years of
study and service, the final religious vows of sannyasa. His sannyasi name
was given and the traditional Indian fire sacrifice for his vows was
performed by His Holiness Srila Radhanatha Swami of the ancient and
venerable Gaudiya Vaishnava Lineage from Mumbai, India.   Since becoming a
Vaishnava Siksha (instructing ) Master, he has served the international
Vaishnava community with distinction for ten years.
David Sherman / Bhakti Ananda Goswami has a bachelor's degree, successfully
completed the oral presentation of his master's thesis and has five years of
accredited graduate-level college education in his special field of
comparative bhakti (divine love) tradition studies. He has been honored by
his college's department heads and faculty, and by interfaith leaders in
India, Nepal and Sri Lanka for his pioneering discoveries in this field. He
was asked to contribute to an important Catholic text on ecology, Embracing
Earth: Catholic Approaches to Ecology, edited by Albert J. LaChance and John
E. Carroll, Orbis Books, Maryknoll, N.Y., 1994. (see Council of Churches
recommendation of this text at
http://www.mnchurches.org/media/pdfs/ecojustice/Bibliography.pdf), and his
scholarly papers have been accepted for presentation at international
academic conferences. He also has professional certification and extensive
education and work experience in the medical and human services fields. He
has especially worked with troubled youth, and in respite and hospice care
for the multiply disabled and people with severe organic mental illness and
brain injury. During his time as a medical biophysics research assistant, he
also pursued his education in the neuro-biology of behavior as a way to
improve his human services work in caring for the mentally and emotionally
ill.

Born with an undiagnosed intersexed condition, he was sex-assigned as a
female at birth, and raised as a girl, but was eventually diagnosed with a
rare form of late virilizing 'true' hermaphroditism. Then in his
gender-ambiguous youth and young adulthood, despite his desire to simply
live a virtuous life, he was first sexually harassed and persecuted by
misunderstanding people as a masculine girl/lesbian and then, as he further
masculinized, as a feminine gay man. Later after complete masculinization,
he was subjected to experimental medical abuse from curious university
medical 'gender groups'. After his legal gender re-assignment to male, he
was again mislabeled by the uneducated as a 'transsexual' and persecuted as
such.

The situation has not improved much for intersexed persons today. Thus after
a lifetime of being intersexed, raised as a girl, and spending his entire
adult life as a man, Bhakti Ananda Goswami has remained amazed that despite
the very large number of intersexed persons, the normal population still
seems completely unaware of their existence. Like many intersexed persons
who identify as a heterosexual male, he has never considered himself to be
lesbian, gay, bisexual or transsexual, but at times has been persecuted as
all of these, by uneducated and cruel people. This has given Bhakti Ananda
Goswami some unique insights into the perception and nature of sex and
gender, along with great empathy for persons who have been rejected and
persecuted for being 'different.' As a result of all the persecution he
personally experienced, in 2001 he decided, with the permission of his
family, to make a public statement about his medical condition and to
publicly use his extensive experience and education in the field of
behavioral neuro-biology to help others suffering from medical and pastoral
abuse and various forms of misunderstanding and persecution. As a public
service, he is now providing a Topical Index to his pioneering 2001 review
of the scientific literature regarding sex differentiation and sex-dimorphic
behavior in vertebral species including man. Following his topical index
(immediately below), is an article about homosexuality derived in part from
his pastoral experience with sex and gender different people, and from his
recent review of the research literature on sex differentiation and sex
dimorphic behavior in vertebrates. In his essay on same-sex attraction, he
distinguishes between fetally androgenized or estrogenized persons, who have
no choice regardiing their gender identity or sexual orientation, and those
for whom gender role- playing and same-sex sexual activity is a matter of
choice.      He also discusses so-called homosexuals who are compelled by
pathological dominance and submission obsessions, and points out the
difference between sexual activity motivated by social-animal 'pecking
order' behaviors, as opposed to pair bonding in human and divine love.

In spite of illness related to post-polio syndrome, Bhakti Ananda Goswami
has continued his service to the Vaishnava community through religious
scholarship and pastoral care. In 2001 he was appointed Coordinator to
establish an Interfaith Committee for the World Vaishnava Association, and
as a Catholic he has continued his Christian bhakti-yoga practice of
life-long devotion to Jesus Christ. He advocates holiness of life for
everyone in both celibate chastity and marital faithfulness, believing that
sensual self-mastery is a key to both self-respect and the spiritual freedom
to love unconditionally.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----

...For All Are One In Christ Jesus

    IMPROVING MEDICAL AND PASTORAL RESPONSES

TO THE NEEDS OF INTERSEX PERSONS

A Resource

                                                                SEX
DIFFERENTIATION AND BEHAVIOR, AN INTRODUCTION TO ANIMAL AND HUMAN STUDIES

Compiled by David Sherman

August, 2001

OVERVIEW

SECTION I

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BIOLOGY OF SEX DIFFERENTIATION, AND THE ROLE OF
NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY IN SEX DIMORPHIC BEHAVIOR

A. SOME DEFINITIONS, SOURCES AND EXPERTS

B. THE INCREASE OF ENDOCRINE DISRUPTERS IN THE ENVIRONMENT AND THEIR
GROWING INFLUENCE ON SEX DIFFERENTIATION IN ALL SPECIES, INCLUDING THE
HUMAN SPECIES

C. SEX HORMONES, NEUROLOGY AND BEHAVIOR

SECTIONS II THROUGH VII: ANIMAL STUDIES

II   COLD BLOODED SPECIES

III   AVIAN SPECIES

IV   RODENT SPECIES

V CANINE AND OTHER SPECIES

VI BOVINE AND OTHER SPECIES

VII PRIMATE SPECIES

SECTIONS VIII THROUGH XIII: HUMAN STUDIES

SEX DIFFERENTIATION AND BEHAVIOR, SEX REVERSAL AND INTERSEX: WHEN GENOTYPE
DOES, AND DOES NOT, PREDICT PHENOTYPE

SECTION VIII

CHROMOSOMES, HORMONES, BODY AND BEHAVIOR IN THE HUMAN SPECIES, BIOLOGICAL
SEX REVERSAL, INTERSEX AND GENDER IDENTITY

A. SOME DEFINITIONS OF INTERSEX, SOURCES AND EXPERTS

B. CHROMOSOMES AND SEX DIFFERENTIATION, SEX REVERSAL AND INTERSEX
CONDITIONS

C. INTERSEX, GENDER IDENTITY, BEHAVIOR AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION, SEX HORMONES
AND THE SEXUAL DIMORPHISM OF THE BRAIN

SECTIONS IX THROUGH XIII

SOME SPECIFIC DISORDERS, ESTIMATES OF FREQUENCY, CHALLENGES IN DIAGNOSIS AND
TREATMENT

IX   KLINEFELTER SYNDROME

X 'TRUE' HERMAPHRODITISM

XI SEX REVERSAL SYNDROMES AND INTERSEX

A. XX MALE CONDITIONS AND CAH RELATED INTERSEX

B. XY FEMALE CONDITIONS AND AIS RELATED INTERSEX

XII PENILE AND VAGINAL DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS AND THE SURGICAL STANDARD OF
TREATMENT

XIII EXAMPLES OF SOME OTHER INTERSEX CONDITIONS

DETAILED TOPICAL INDEX

SECTION I

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BIOLOGY OF SEX DIFFERENTIATION AND THE ROLE OF
NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY IN SEX DIMORPHIC BEHAVIOR

I A. SOME DEFINITIONS, SOURCES AND EXPERTS

1 MIT DEFINITION OF NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY, AND A LIST OF PUBLICATIONS

2 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, HORMONES, BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR IN VERTEBRATES

3 VOLUMES ON HORMONES, BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR EDITED BY J. BALTHAZART

4 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 5th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HORMONES, BRAIN AND
BEHAVIOR

5 EXAMPLES OF SEX RELATED NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY STUDIES, FROM A LIST OF
PUBLICATIONS ON REVIEWED JOURNALS, ALESSANDRA D. GENAZZANI

6 TEXT REFERENCE "HORMONALLY INDUCED CHANGES IN MIND & BRAIN" BY J.
SCHULKIN

I B. THE INCREASE OF ENDOCRINE DISRUPTERS IN THE ENVIRONMENT, AND THEIR
GROWING INFLUENCE ON ALL SPECIES, INCLUDING HUMAN SEX DIFFERENTIATION

7    THE USA NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE SIS SOURCE, AND SIS TOXNET DART /
DEVELOPMENTAL AND REPRODUCTIVE TOXICOLOGY INFORMATION SERVICE

8    MEDLINE REFERENCE TO THE ENDOCRINOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ESTROGENS
ENDOCRINE SOCIETY ETC. RESOURCES

9    NATIONAL WOMEN'S HEALTH INFORMATION CENTER REFERENCE SHEET ON
ENVIRONMENTAL HORMONES

10 THE ENDOCRINE SOCIETY, PATIENT FACT SHEET ON THE HUMAN HEALTH DANGERS OF
ENVIRONMENTAL ESTROGENS, "FEMINIZATION OF MALE OFFSPRING" ETC.

11 EXAMPLE ; TOPICAL SEARCH, HEALTH EFFECTS OF ENDOCRINE DISRUPTERS

12 REPRODUCTIVE EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ESTROGENS, DR. EARL GRAY, USA, EPA

13 ENDOCRINOLOGY INTEREST GROUP PRESENTATION, ACTH AND PHENOTYPIC
HETEROGENEITY

14 TULANE UNIVERSITY, EMERGING FIELD OF STUDY, ENVIRONMENTAL ENDOCRINE
DISRUPTERS

15 TURKU UNIVERSITY, FINLAND, SEXUAL DIFFERENTIATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL
ENDOCRINE DISRUPTERS

16 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH ENVIRONMENTAL ESTROGENS, HEALTH DANGERS

17 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, ENVIRONMENTAL ESTROGENS AND INTERSEX

I C. SEX HORMONES, NEUROLOGY AND BEHAVIOR

18 SEX HORMONE MODULATION OF NEURAL DEVELOPMENT IN VITRO

19 ROLE OF HORMONES IN SEX DIFFERENTIATION OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM IN
ANIMAL AND MAN

20 TEXT REFERENCE, SEX-REVERSED GENE Sxr IN MAMMALS

21 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, HORMONAL MECHANISMS OF COOPERATIVE BREEDING IN
PRIMATES

22 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, HORMONAL MECHANISMS OF COOPERATIVE BREEDING IN
MAMMALS

23 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, XY FEMALES / SEX REVERSAL

24 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, HORMONES AND PAIRING / PARTNER PREFERENCE etc.

25 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, HORMONES, SEX DIFFERENTIATION AND BEHAVIOR

26 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, CHROMOSOMES AND INTERSEX

27 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, OVOTESTES

SECTIONS II THROUGH VII

ANIMAL STUDIES, SEX DIFFERENTIATION AND BEHAVIOR, SEX REVERSAL AND INTERSEX

SECTION II

CHROMOSOMES, HORMONES, BODY AND BEHAVIOR IN COLD BLOODED SPECIES

1    XX - TO - MALE SEX REVERSAL IN SALMON

2    XY - TO - FEMALE SEX REVERSAL IN MEDAKA

3    XX AND XY DISORDERS FROM HORMONE EXPOSURE IN MEDAKA

4    DDT- BASED ENDOCRINE DISRUPTERS CAUSE INTERSEX IN MEDAKA

5    THE SEXUALLY DIMORPHIC BRAIN STRUCTURES OF GOLDFISH

6    EFFLUENT IN RIVER ESTROGENIZES FISH

7    TEXT REFERENCE, "ATYPICAL MODES OF REPRODUCTION IN FISH"

8    NEMATODE INTERSEX AND SEX REVERSAL

9    "AMPHIBIAN SEX DETERMINATION AND SEX REVERSAL"

10   TURTLE HORMONES AND INTERSEX

11   ESTRODIAL CAUSES SEX REVERSAL IN GECKOS, TURTLES AND ALLIGATORS

SECTION III

CHROMOSOMES, HORMONES, BODY AND BEHAVIOR IN AVIAN SPECIES

1    JAPANESE QUAIL, FINCHES ETC., J. BALTHAZART ET. AL. PUBLICATIONS

2    POST-NATAL DEMASCULINIZATION OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR

3    CONTAMINANTS AND FEMINIZATION IN COMMON TERNS

4    EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, ZEBRA FINCH SEX DIMORPHIC BEHAVIOR

5    EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, SEX REVERSAL AND SAME-SEX PARTNERING IN ZEBRA
FINCHES

6    EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, SEX REVERSAL IN FOWL

7    EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, SEX REVERSAL CHICKEN

8    XX - TO - MALE SEX REVERSAL IN CHICKENS

9    SEX REVERSAL IN CHICKEN GONADS

10 TEXT REFERENCE, OVARY TRANSFORMATION INTO FERTILE TESTES IN XX FOWL

11 TEXT REFERENCE, "GROUP SEX RATIO AND SEX REVERSAL"

12 TEXT REFERENCE, "SPONTANEOUS" SEX REVERSAL, MALE BIRD GONAD CULTURE

13   "SEX REVERSAL IN BIRDS"

SECTION IV

CHROMOSOMES, HORMONES, BODY AND BEHAVIOR IN RODENT SPECIES

1    EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, MICE SEX REVERSAL

2    EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, MICE SEX REVERSAL

3    FETAL ESTROGENS EFFECT BEHAVIOR OF ADULT MALE MICE

4    XY FEMALE MICE OUT- BREED XX FEMALES OF A. AZARAE

5    MALE COPULATORY BEHAVIOR IN ANDROGENIZED XX MICE

6    ERROR, SAME PAGE AS ABOVE

7    FETAL HORMONE EFFECTS ON SEX BEHAVIOR AND AGGRESSION IN MICE

8    TEXT REFERENCE, MALE COPULATORY RESPONSE PATTERN IN MASCULINIZED XX
HAMSTERS

9    PRENATAL HORMONES ORGANIZE SEX DIFFERENCES, OBSERVATIONS ON GUINEA
PIGS AND NONHUMAN PRIMATES

10 SEXUAL DIFFERENTIATION OF THE RAT BRAIN

11 SLOS DISORDERS OF MASCULINIZATION, AN ANIMAL MODEL, RATS

12 EARLY ANDROGEN SYNDROME IN FEMALE AND MALE RATS

13 SEXUAL ORIENTATION, PROCEPTIVITY, AND RECEPTIVITY IN THE MALE RAT AS A
FUNCTION OF NEONATAL HORMONAL MANIPULATION

14 TEXT REFERENCE, "HORMONAL CONTROL OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR
IN ANDROGEN-INSENSITIVE (TFM) RATS"

15 NEONATALLY ANDROGENIZED XX RATS DISPLAY MALE-LIKE MOUNTING, INTROMISSION
AND EJACULATION PATTERNS

SECTION V

CHROMOSOMES, HORMONES, BODY AND BEHAVIOR IN CANINE AND OTHER CARNIVOROUS
MAMMALIAN SPECIES

1    XX FERRETS' BEHAVIOR MASCULINIZED BY FETAL ANDROGENS

2    SEX BEHAVIOR OF FEMALE FERRETS MASCULINIZED BY FETAL ANDROGENS

3    EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, INTERSEX IN DOGS, GENETIC AND HORMONAL

4    EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, INTERSEX IN DOGS AND CATS, HORMONES ETC.

5    "TRUE HERMAPHRODITE" DOGS (MIXED GONADS)

6    SEX-REVERSED TRAITS ACTIVATED BY HORMONE IN XX HYENAS

7    TEXT REFERENCE, "CHROMOSOME STUDIES IN 14 CASES OF INTERSEX IN
DOMESTIC MAMMALS"

8    TEXT REFERENCE, "USE OF THE SEX-REVERSED GENE (Sxr) TO INVESTIGATE
FUNCTIONAL SEX REVERSAL

      AND GONADAL DETERMINATION IN MAMMALS"

SECTION VI

CHROMOSOMES, HORMONES, BODY AND BEHAVIOR IN BOVINE AND OTHER SPECIES

1    EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, EFFECTS OF PRENATAL ANDROGENS ON XX SHEEP

2    TEXT REFERENCE, PRENATAL TESTOSTERONE COMPLETELY MASCULINIZES XX
OFFSPRING

3    HORMONES AND 5 INTERSEX PIGS WITH OVOTESTES

4    XY SEX-REVERSED FEMALE PIGS

5    BOVINE XY SEX-REVERSED FEMALE

SECTION VII

CHROMOSOMES, HORMONES, BODY AND BEHAVIOR IN PRIMATES

1    A SOURCE REFERENCE, U. S. NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, PRIMATOLOGIST
LUCI R. ROBERTS, AREA OF INTEREST, BEHAVIORAL ENDOCRINOLOGY ETC., IN
MARMOSETS

2    MARSUPIAL SEX REVERSAL

3    "THE SEXUAL BEHAVIOR OF THE PRIMATES"

4     CHILDREN AND MONKEY COGNATE GENDER DIFFERENCES

5    GENITAL AND BEHAVIORAL MASCULINIZATION IN XX RHESUS IS INDEPENDENT

6    PRENATAL ANDROGENS MASCULINIZE XX RHESUS JUVENILE PLAY BEHAVIOR

7    THE SEXUALLY DIMORPHIC BRAIN IN MACAQUES

8    POSTNATAL TESTOSTERONE AFFECTS PENILE GROWTH, BUT NOT BEHAVIOR

9    XX RHESUS HERMAPHRODITES ACHIEVE INTROMISSION AND EJACULATION, BUT MAY
ALSO RESPOND TO ESTROGENIZATION.

10 MIXED RESULTS IN HORMONE STUDY OF 22 ADULT RHESUS

11 MALE-TYPICAL BEHAVIOR IN PRENATALLY ANDROGENIZED XX RHESUS COMPARED TO
"LOWER MAMMALS"

12 SEXUALLY FUNCTIONAL XX MALE RHESUS WITH VAGINOPLASTY RESPONSIVE TO MALE
( compiler's note, this is one of the animal studies in this survey that I
find particularly immoral )

13 PRENATAL TESTOSTERONE EFFECTS ON JUVENILE MACAQUE SOCIAL BEHAVIOR

14 PRENATAL ANDROGEN EXPOSURE AND MASCULINE ADULT BEHAVIOR, RHESUS

15 BOTH INFANT AND ADULT DIMORPHIC BEHAVIORS ORGANIZED BY PRENATAL ACTIONS
OF ANDROGEN

16 PRENATAL ENDOCRINE FACTORS IN BEHAVIORAL DIFFERENTIATION OF MALE AND
FEMALE RHESUS

17 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, PRIMATE SEX LINKED BEHAVIOR

18 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, PRIMATE SEX LINKED BEHAVIOR

19 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, PRIMATE SEX LINKED BEHAVIOR

SECTIONS VIII THROUGH XIII

HUMAN STUDIES, SEX DIFFERENTIATION AND BEHAVIOR, SEX REVERSAL AND INTERSEX

SECTION VIII

CHROMOSOMES, HORMONES, BODY AND BEHAVIOR IN THE HUMAN SPECIES

VIII A. SOME DEFINITIONS, SOURCES AND EXPERTS

1    MEDICAL EXPERTISE AVAILABLE, NORTH AMERICAN TASK FORCE ON
INTERSEXUALITY

2    INTERSEX SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA INFORMATION SHEET...HOW COMMON IS
INTERSEXUALITY ? STATISTICS, TOTALS RANGE FROM 1/100 to 1-2/1000 BIRTHS

3. a    INTERSEX SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA MISSION STATEMENT, EXAMPLE OF NEW
INTERSEX SUPPORT GROUPS AND RIGHTS ACTIVISM

    b   "INTERSEX IN THE AGE OF ETHICS" ALICE DOMURAT DREGER, Ph. D.

    c    ISNA INFORMATION SHEET, INTERSEXUALITY AND THE LAW

    d    SEPARATE ADDITIONAL FOLDER, ARTICLE REPRINTS

4    ISNA NOTES ON THE TREATMENT OF INTERSEX AND 'PHALL-O-METER'

5    CHANGING THE NOMENCLATURE/TAXONOMY FOR INTERSEX: A PROPOSAL SUBMITTED
TO THE NORTH AMERICAN TASK FORCE ON INTERSEX

VIII B. CHROMOSOMES AND SEX DIFFERENTIATION, SEX REVERSAL AND INTERSEX

6    THE NEED FOR CHROMOSOMAL ANALYSIS IN ALL PATIENTS WITH BILATERAL OR
UNILATERAL CRYPTORCHIDISM

7    DAX 1 IN MAMMALIAN SEX DETERMINATION

8    MAMMALIAN SEX DIFFERENTIATION FROM GONADS TO BRAIN

9    SOMATIC MOSAICISM AND VARIABLE EXPRESSIVITY

10 INTERSEX STATES 27-100% IN HYPOSPADIAS AND CRYPTORCHIDISM, GENERAL
CHROMOSOMAL SCREENING NOT FOUND NECESSARY

11 GENOTYPE MAY NOT PREDICT PHENOTYPE

12 FREQUENCY OF GENETIC ANOMALIES IN INFERTILITY, (INCLUDING XY WOMEN)

13 US SURVEY CHROMOSOMAL DISORDERS

14 CHROMOSOMAL ANALYSIS OF 894 PATIENTS

15 INCIDENCE OF MOSAICISM, CHORIONIC VILLUS SAMPLING

16 CHROMOSOMAL VARIANTS AMONG 1790 INFERTILE MEN

17 CARRIERS OF 21-HYDROXYLASE DEFICIENCY, ACTH ADRENAL TESTS

18 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, INTERSEX TURNER'S SYNDROME

VIII C. INTERSEX, GENDER IDENTITY, BEHAVIOR AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION

19 "SEXUAL ORIENTATION TOWARD BIOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING" EDITED BY LEE ELLIS
AND LINDA EBERTZ...SELECTED PRESENTATIONS FROM THE "FIRST INTERNATIONAL
BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT SYMPOSIUM: BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION
AND SEX-TYPICAL BEHAVIOR"

20 "COGNITIVE GENDER DIFFERENCES IN VERY YOUNG CHILDREN PARALLEL
BIOLOGICALLY BASED COGNITIVE GENDER DIFFERENCES IN MONKEYS"

21 GENDER IDENTITY ACHIEVED AT ABOUT 2 YEARS OF AGE

22 NORMAL SEXUAL DIMORPHISM OF THE HUMAN BRAIN AS ASSESSED BY MRI

23 SEX DIFFERENTIATION IN BRAIN MATURATION, AN MRI STUDY

24 THE ROLE OF HORMONES IN THE SEX DIFFERENTIATION OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS
SYSTEM IN ANIMAL AND MAN, FETAL ANDROGENS MASCULINIZE XX BEHAVIOR, BUT OTHER
FACTORS HAVE INFLUENCE TOO

25 SEX ASSIGNMENT AND GENDER IDENTITY, INTERSEX AND GENDER IDENTITY
DISORDERS (GID) ARE DIFFERENT DX

26 ASSIGNMENT OF SEX IN NEONATES WITH AMBIGUOUS GENITALIA

27 TEXT REFERENCE,   RE: EDITORIAL - GENDER ASSIGNMENT AND THE PEDIATRIC
UROLOGIST

28 TEXT REFERENCE, THE INTERSEX INFANT: EARLY GENDER ASSIGNMENT AND
SURGICAL RECONSTRUCTION

29 TEXT REFERENCE, TO BE MALE OR FEMALE -THAT IS THE QUESTION

30 MASCULINIZING OPERATION FOR A 25 YEAR OLD 'FEMALE' WITH CAH ("PENILE
ERECTION" IN XX MAN)

31 13 YEAR OLD XY INTERSEX REJECTS FEMALE SEX ASSIGNMENT AND UNDERGOES SEX
CHANGE ("GENDER IDENTITY REVERSAL" !) TO MALE

32 SEXUAL BEHAVIORS, SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY IN ADULT
INTERSEXUALS: A PILOT STUDY

33 GENDER IDENTITY DISORDER (GID) AND MAL ADJUSTMENT IN AN INTERSEX CHILD
ASSIGNED FEMALE

34 LONG TERM PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF INTERSEX CHILDREN

35 PSYCHOSOCIAL ADAPTATION OF 39 ADOLESCENTS WITH SEX CHROMOSOMAL
ABNORMALITIES

36 THE CONCEPT OF GENDER IDENTITY DISORDER IN CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE
AFTER 39 YEARS

37 GENDER IDENTITY DISORDER: A REVIEW OF THE LAST 10 YEARS

38 CASE STUDY: SEX REASSIGNMENT IN A TEENAGE INTERSEX GIRL WHO DECLARED
HIMSELF MALE AT THE AGE OF 14

39 GID TRANSEXUALISM IN FEMALE MONOZYGOTIC TWINS...GENETIC BASIS IN THIS
CASE ?

40 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, INTERSEXUALITY, GENDER ASSIGNMENT, GID

41 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, GID, TRANSEXUALISM, HERMAPHRODITISM

42 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, INTERSEX AND GID

43 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, INTERSEX AND TRANSGENDERED SUPPORT GROUPS

44 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, INTERSEX HUMAN

SECTIONS IX THROUGH XIII

SPECIFIC HUMAN INTERSEX AND NATURAL SEX REVERSAL CONDITIONS

SECTION IX

KLINEFELTER SYNDROME

1   EXCERPT, A GUIDE FOR XXY MALES AND THEIR FAMILIES

2   EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, KLINEFELTERS SYNDROME FREQUENCY

3   EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, KLINEFELTERS SYNDROME

SECTION X

'TRUE' HERMAPHRODITISM (TH)

1   EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, TRUE HERMAPHRODITISM CLINICAL FEATURES,
GENETIC VARIANTS, GONADAL HISTOLOGY

2   409 CASES REVIEWED, COMMON TYPES, XX TYPE 54% MALE PHENOTYPE, XX TYPE
46% FEMALE PHENOTYPE

3   41 CASES REVIEWED, 25 RAISED AS MALES, 16 RAISED AS FEMALES

4   XX MALES, GENETIC HETEROGENEITY IN TRUE HERMAPHRODITES

5   SEX ASSIGNMENT OF 8 TRUE HERMAPHRODITES

6   PROBLEMS OF DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT IN OLDER TH PATIENTS

7   ADULT MALE DIAGNOSED AS XX TH

8   16 CASES OF TH, CLINICAL ASPECTS AND MOLECULAR STUDIES

9   20 YEAR OLD PHENOTYPICAL WOMAN WITH OVOTESTES

10 PREGNANCY IN A 19 YEAR OLD TH

11 PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH IN A 25 YEAR OLD TH

12 NET SEARCH, BIOGRAPHY OF A TRUE HERMAPHRODITE ACTIVIST

SECTION XI

BIOLOGICAL SEX REVERSAL SYNDROMES AND INTERSEX

XI A. XX SEX-REVERSED MALE CONDITIONS AND CAH-RELATED INTERSEX

XI A. 1-8, SUBSECTION - XX SEX-REVERSED MALES, REPRESENTATIVE CASES

1   25 CLASS-3 XX MALES STUDIED

2   XX MALE INFANT, TESTICLES AND MALE PHENOTYPE

3   37 YEAR OLD XX MAN SEEKS TREATMENT FOR INFERTILITY

4   TWO COMPLETE, ONE PARTIAL XX MALE SEX REVERSAL CASES

5   32 YEAR OLD PHENOTYPICALLY NORMAL MAN SEEKS TREATMENT FOR INFERTILITY,
DIAGNOSED AS XX SEX-REVERSED MALE

6   XX MALE SEX REVERSAL, SIGNALING MOLECULE Wnt-4 IN MICE AND HUMAN XX AND
XY SEX REVERSAL

7   TEXT REFERENCE, THE XX MALE SYNDROME

8   15 YEAR OLD XX MALE, FETAL ANDROGENIZATION TRACED TO MOTHER'S ADRENAL
CORTICAL TUMOR

XI A. 9-15, SUBSECTION - XX MASCULINIZATION DUE TO FETAL ANDROGENS

9    BEHAVIORAL MASCULINIZATION IS INDEPENDENT OF GENITAL MASCULINIZATION
...RHESUS STUDY INCLUDED HERE DUE TO PARALLELS IN ALL RELATED HUMAN STUDIES
SHOWING TWO   DIFFERENT   CRITICAL PERIODS IN XX FETAL DEVELOPMENT, ONE
GENITAL, ONE NEUROLOGICAL

10 PRENATAL SEX HORMONES AND GENDER TYPICAL / ATYPICAL PLAY IN HUMAN
CHILDREN AND OTHER MAMMALS

11 PRENATAL ANDROGEN EFFECTS ON MASCULINE AND FEMININE LESBIAN BEHAVIOR

12 PRENATAL HORMONES, SEX-ROLE, SEX IDENTITY AND ORIENTATION

13 22 PRENATALLY ANDROGENIZED WOMEN STUDIED, SIGNIFICANT GENDER
DIFFERENCES OBSERVED

14 PRENATAL DES EXPOSURE MAY EFFECT BISEXUAL ORIENTATION

15 PRENATAL DES MASCULINIZES LOWER MAMMALS, BUT AT LOW DOSES DOES NOT SEEM
TO EFFECT HUMANS

XI A. 16-42, SUBSECTION - XX MALES AND CONGENITAL ADRENAL HYPERPLASIA (CAH)
RELATED CONDITIONS

16 51 CVAH PATIENTS REVIEWED, 45 MANAGED AS FEMALE AND 6 AS MALE

17 2 XX CAH MALES WITH COMPLETE MASCULINIZATION OF EXTERNAL GENITALIA

18 TEXT REFERENCE, CAH AND COMPLETE MASCULINIZATION AS ALTERNATIVE DX

19 XX PRENATAL ANDROGEN EFFECTS ON COGNITION, ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

20 DISORDERS OF GONADAL DIFFERENTIATION

21 35 XX CAH FEMALES' BEHAVIOR COMPARED TO 16 NORMAL SISTERS, RESULTS
CONFIRM DIFFERENT CRITICAL PRENATAL PERIODS FOR GENITAL AND BEHAVIORAL
MASCULINIZATION (compare to rhesus study above, this, XI A. 9 )

22 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, FEMINIZING GENITOPLASTY / VAGINAL CONSTRUCTION

23 TEXT REFERENCE, GENDER IDENTITY IN FEMALE PATIENTS WITH CAH

24 SW AND SV XX CAH PATIENTS COMPARED FOR MASCULINIZATION OF BEHAVIOR,
RESULTS CONFIRM EFFECTS OF TWO DIFFERENT CRITICAL PRENATAL HORMONAL
ENVIRONMENT PERIODS

25 34 CAH FEMALES COMPARED TO 14 CONTROL SISTERS FOR SEXUAL BEHAVIOR AND
ORIENTATION, RESULTS CONFIRM PRENATAL HORMONE - HOMOSEXUAL LINK

26 33 XX FEMALE CAH PATIENTS COMPARED TO 14 CONTROL SISTERS, PRENATAL
ANDROGENIZATION EFFECTS CONFIRMED IN BODY POSITIONING AND MOVEMENT

27 4 XX CAH FEMALES AGES 28-30 CHOOSE MALE GENDER REASSIGNMENT (This study,
like some others provided in this survey, shows a biased interpretation of
results.)

28 90% CORRELATION OF PRENATAL ANDROGEN EXPOSURE TO SEX DIMORPHIC PLAY IN
CHILDREN

29 GENDER LABELS AND PLAY STYLES IN CHILDREN'S SELECTION OF PLAYMATES,
MALES CHOOSE FEMALES WITH MASCULINE PLAY STYLES OVER MALES WITH FEMININE
PLAY STYLES, ETC.

30 EFFECTS OF PRENATAL ANDROGEN ON THE PSYCHOSEXUAL DIFFERENTIATION OF XX
CAH FEMALES

31 23 XX CAH FEMALES IN SYSTEMATIC BEHAVIORAL STUDY, RESULTS CONFIRM
PRENATAL MASCULINIZATION OF BEHAVIOR

32 EARLY ANDROGEN EFFECTS ON AGGRESSION, RESULTS CONFIRM CAH FEMALES'
HIGHER ( MASCULINE) AGGRESSION SCORES IN ADOLESCENTS AND ADULTS.

33 24 XX CAH GIRLS AND 18 XY CAH BOYS COMPARED WITH 40 CONTROLS FOR
SEX-TYPED ACTIVITY AND OCCUPATION PREFERENCES, RESULTS REFLECT DIRECT
EFFECTS OF ANDROGENS ON THE DEVELOPING BRAIN

34 ANDROGEN AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN SEX-TYPICAL BEHAVIOR, MASCULINIZED
CAH GIRLS

35 LONG TERM EFFECTS OF PRENATAL AND POSTNATAL ANDROGENS, AND OTHER
FACTORS, ON THE LOW RATES OF CHILD-BEARING IN XX CAH FEMALES, INCREASED
RATE OF BI AND HOMOSEXUAL ORIENTATION DISCUSSED, AND ADULT CHOICE OF GENDER
REASSIGNMENT TO MALE MENTIONED (This paper has a reference section)

36 48 XX CAH FEMALES EVALUATED FOR GENITAL SURGERY RESULTS, SECOND SURGERY
NECESSARY IN 30 % OF CASES (Bias evident in positive interpretation of
results)

XI A. 16-42, SUBSECTION - CONTINUED

37 7 XX PATIENTS, 4 REARED AS GIRLS, AND 3 AS BOYS, STUDIED FOR
PSYCHO-SEXUAL OUT-COME, AUTHORS PREFER FEMALE ASSIGNMENT IN CASE OF SMALL
PENIS

38 13 OUT OF 14 XX CAH FEMALES NEED ADDITIONAL SURGERY, "DISAPPOINTING
RESULTS" OF EARLY VAGINOPLASTY

39 49 PATIENTS WITH FEMINIZING GENITOPLASTY HAVE "SUCCESSFUL COSMETIC AND
EARLY FUNCTIONAL RESULTS"... BUT SHOULD BE EVALUATED AFTER PUBERTY AND IN
ADULTHOOD (Shows the profound non-patient centered bias of the authors)

40 OUTCOME OF CAH This study shows bias in the choice of subjects,
including no intersex or male self-identified subjects. Authors concluded
(despite 66.7 % singleness), that there was no increased homosexual
preference.

41 BENEFITS OF NEONATAL SCREENING FOR CAH, STATISTICS SHOW DECREASED
MORTALITY DUE TO ADRENAL CRISIS, BUT NO IMPROVEMENT IN THE NUMBER (17 %) OF
XX INFANTS INITIALLY       CONSIDERED TO BE BOYS, ROUTINE SCREENING ADVISED

42 150 CAH PATIENTS REVIEWED, 67 XY AND 83 XX, PREVALENCE IN GENERAL
POPULATION 1 IN 11,500, GENDER ASSIGNMENT A "MAJOR PROBLEM" IN 38 OF 57 XX
PATIENTS, 15 CONSIDERED MALE FOR OVER A MONTH, PRIOR TO CAH DIAGNOSIS

XI A., 43-48, SUBSECTION - PREVALENCE OF CAH, SCREENING RECOMMENDATIONS AND
TOPICAL SEARCHES

43 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, NEONATAL SCREENING FOR CAH, AND RESULTS OF
SCREENING 1.9 MILLION TEXAS NEWBORNS...1 IN 16,008

44 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, GENDER ASSIGNMENT AND SURGERY IN XX CAH

45 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, CONGENITAL ADRENAL HYPERPLASIA MALES SEX
REVERSAL

46 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, CAH MALES, LONG TERM OUTCOMES

47 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, ANDROGENS AND GENDER IDENTITY, SURGERY, AND
GENDER ROLE BEHAVIOR IN XX CAH PATIENTS

48 CAH XX PATIENTS AND EARLY ANDROGEN EFFECTS ON SEX-TYPED ACTIVITIES,
SEXUAL IDENTITY, ETC.

XI B. XY SEX-REVERSED FEMALE, MALE UTERUS CONDITIONS AND AIS-RELATED
INTERSEX CONDITIONS

XI B. 1-14, SUBSECTION - XY SEX-REVERSED FEMALES AND OTHER INTERSEX
CONDITIONS

1   TWO SUCCESSFUL PREGNANCIES IN AN XY SEX-REVERSED FEMALE PATIENT

2   UTERINE STRUCTURES IN 2 PHENOTYPIC XY MEN

3   UTERINE STRUCTURE IN A 32 YEAR OLD XY HERMAPHRODITE

4   UTERUS AND FALLOPIAN TUBES IN PHENOTYPICALLY NORMAL XY MEN, MOLECULAR
STUDIES IDENTIFY BASIS OF CONDITION IN 32 FAMILIES

5   10 YEAR OLD GIRL GROWS PHALLUS, GENETIC STUDY REVEALS XY KARYOTYPE

6   ABNORMAL INTERCHANGE BETWEEN X AND Y RESPONSIBLE FOR 1/3 OF (Y+) XX MALE
AND (Y-) XY FEMALE SEX REVERSALS

7   GENETIC HETEROGENEITY AND PHENOTYPIC VARIABILITY IN XY SEX REVERSAL

8   22 XY SEX-REVERSED FEMALES, GENETIC ANALYSIS

9   2 XY SEX-REVERSED FEMALES, GENETIC ANALYSIS COMPARES PRIMATE SEX
REVERSAL GENES

10 GENETIC HETEROGENEITY IN 6 XY PHENOTYPIC SEX-REVERSED FEMALES

11 49 SUBJECTS WITH VARYING DEGREES OF XY SEX REVERSAL STUDIED

12 10 YEAR OLD WITH MULTIPLE DEFORMITIES FOUND TO BE XY SEX-REVERSED

13 XY FEMALE SEX REVERSAL, KEY GENES IN HUMANS AND MICE

14 TEXT REFERENCE, SEX REVERSAL AND DIAPHRAGMATIC HERNIA IN PHENOTYPICALLY
FEMALE SIBLINGS WITH NORMAL XY CHROMOSOMES

XI B. 15-18, SUBSECTION - MISCELLANEOUS DISORDERS OF MASCULINIZATION

15 CANCER RISK IN INTERSEX TESTES (Reason for preventative gonadectomies)

16 XY FEMINIZED BOYS, EFFECTS OF PRENATAL METHADONE ON SEX-DIMORPHIC
BEHAVIOR IN EARLY SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN

17 AN ANIMAL MODEL OF SLOS DISORDERS OF MASCULINIZATION

18 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, GENES IN HUMAN AND MAMMALIAN SEX DETERMINATION

XI B. 19-24, SUBSECTION - XY FEMALES AND ANDROGEN INSENSITIVITY SYNDROME
(AIS)

19 PHENOTYPE VARIATION IN A FAMILY WITH AIS

20 PHENOTYPIC DIVERSITY IN A KINDRED WITH AIS

21 XY FEMALE, A CASE REPORT OF COMPLETE AIS

22 EMOTIONAL REACTIONS TO DIAGNOSIS OF AIS, 20 PATIENTS, 19 RAISED AS
GIRLS, SHOCK, GRIEF ANGER AND SHAME

23 COMPLETE AIS, 14 XY WOMEN SATISFIED WITH HAVING BEEN RAISED AS FEMALES,
AUTHORS NOTE INTERSEX CARE CONTROVERSY

24 TEXT REFERENCE, MALE PSEUDOHERMAPHRODITISM DUE TO ANDROGEN
INSENSITIVITY

XI B. 25 and 26, SUBSECTION - AIS SUPPORT GROUP, PERSONAL TESTIMONY FROM
AIS WOMEN AND MISCELLANEOUS SEARCH

25 THE ANDROGEN INSENSITIVITY SYNDROME SUPPORT GROUP, SHERRI'S STORY,
PERSONAL STORIES OF 35 PEOPLE LIVING WITH AIS   (Permission to use
copyrighted material and personal stories)

26 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, COMPLETE ANDROGEN INSENSITIVITY SYNDROME

SECTION XII

PENILE CONDITIONS, FEMALE ASSIGNMENT AND PENILE CONSTRUCTION

1    HYPOSPADIAS IN MEN AND BOYS, ESTIMATES RANGING FROM 1 PER 100 TO 1 PER
1000 IN GENERAL POPULATION, ENVIRONMENTAL ESTROGENS RESPONSIBLE FOR
DOUBLING OF MALE REPRODUCTIVE PROBLEMS OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS ? TREATMENT
RECOMMENDATIONS

2    TEXT REFERENCE, MICROPENIS: SURVEY OF 88 CASES

3    TEXT REFERENCE, SHOULD BOYS WITH MICROPENIS BE RAISED AS GIRLS ?

4    MOST CHILDREN WITH MICROPENIS RESPOND TO TESTOSTERONE TREATMENT, THUS
SEXUAL REASSIGNMENT NOT INDICATED

5    WHEN MICROPENIS RESPONDS TO TESTOSTERONE TREATMENT, SURGICAL SEX
REVERSAL IS NOT INDICATED

6    MICROPENIS IN CHILDREN: ETIOLOGY, DIAGNOSIS AND THERAPY

7    FEMALE GENDER ASSIGNMENT GOAL OF TREATMENT FOR PENILE AGENESIS

8    WHAT IF PARENTS DON'T WANT THEIR MICROPENIS BOY SURGICALLY FEMINIZED ?
ETHICAL CONFLICTS REGARDING PARENTS WHO REFUSE TO PROCEED WITH FEMALE GENDER
REASSIGNMENT FOR THEIR INTERSEX XY BABY

9    VAGINAL CONSTRUCTION IN CHILDREN, 20 PATIENTS EVALUATED

10 DIAGNOSIS AND CURRENT TREATMENT OF PENILE AGENESIS, FEMALE ASSIGNMENT
AND VAGINAL CONSTRUCTION RECOMMENDED

11 PENILE AGENESIS, FATAL VARIATION INCOMPATIBLE WITH EXTRA UTERINE LIFE

12 SRD52A GENE MUTATIONS SPAN WHOLE RANGE OF PHENOTYPES FROM COMPLETELY
FEMALE TO NORMAL MALE WITHOUT DISTINCTIVE CLINICAL SIGNS OF THE DISEASE

13 PHALLIC CONSTRUCTION IN PREPUBERTAL AND ADOLESCENT BOYS

14 PHALLIC CONSTRUCTION IN A 65 YEAR OLD MALE PSEUDOHERMAPHRODITE

15 PENILE RECONSTRUCTION, PHALLIC CONSTRUCTION AND URETHRAL RECONSTRUCTION,
FOREARM FLAPS AND SKIN ISLANDS

16 EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, MICROPENIS AND RELATED DISORDERS

SECTION XIII

TURNER'S SYNDROME AND OTHER INTERSEX CONDITIONS

1   TURNER'S SYNDROME CLINICAL STUDIES AT THE US NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF
HEALTH

2   EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, TURNER'S SYNDROME SEX

3   EXAMPLE, TOPICAL SEARCH, TURNER'S SYNDROME SEX, MOSAICS, PHENOTYPE

4   EMMA, A XY/XO MOSAIC HERMAPHRODITE

5   OEIS COMPLEX - A POPULATION STUDY, 5,260 INFANTS IDENTIFIED

          END OF TOPICAL INDEX

COPYRIGHT DAVID M. SHERMAN, AUGUST 2000

bhakti.eohn@verizon.net

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Considering Same Sex Attraction, Masculine Females and Feminine males,
Aggression, Sex-signaling Responses etc. SELECTIONS FROM THE PLANNED
SECTION ON GENDER IDENTITY AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION

Modern Biology and the Concept of 'Sex'
Improving Our Understanding of Intersex Conditions and
Homosexual Behavior
by His Holiness Bhakti Ananda Goswami

Defining 'Intersexuality' and 'Homosexuality'

There is not a single biological cause or mechanism for the great
multiplicity of biological intersex conditions. Neither is there a single
cause or mechanism for all 'same-sex' attractions or 'sexual orientations.'

It is correct to state that the origin or cause of homosexuality in all
cases has not been proven, but it is also correct to state that the basic
biology of sex differentiation, sexual behavior, sex signaling and partner
preference has been conclusively proven. In fact, the causes for many sex
differentiation and sex-dimorphic behavioral variations are very well known
to biologists. The problem is that the too general term 'intersex' is
analogous to the too general term 'homosexual' in that both attempt to
describe a class of people that contain individuals with radically different
conditions. In fact, among intersexed persons some of the most common forms
are almost biologically opposite syndromes (C-AIS XY sex-reversed females
and C-CAH XX sex-reversed males). In the same way, same-sex attractions or
sexual orientations or acts are not a simple single syndrome that can be
given a single definition and found to have a single cause and end. Just as
it is a disservice and would be medical malpractice to lump all intersexed
persons together, giving them all the same diagnosis and attempting to treat
them all the same, it is equally erroneous and damaging to 'homosexuals' and
'lesbians' to lump them all together, giving them the same diagnosis and
'treatment'. There is a vast difference between the sexually receptive
homosexual acts of a fetally hyper-estrogenized, feminized XY person, and
the dominance aggression-motivated 'alpha male' raping behavior of a prison
gang leader, who actually has no sexual attraction towards men ! Between
these extremes of often hyper-androgenized Alpha Male aggression and fetally
hyper estrogenized XY feminine sexual receptivity, there is an enormous
range of complex neuro-physiological and affective / emotional and
psychological conditions. So, the question is not as simple as 'is it a
choice?' First 'it' must be defined. When this is properly done, then the
too-general question becomes specific questions, and the answers are
specific to the specific syndrome and individual condition(s). In some
conditions 'homosexuality' is absolutely not a choice. In others it
absolutely is the result of choice. In-between, there are a full range of
unique situations that combine various degrees of physical, emotional and
moral/ethical or religious freedom and 'choice.' Christian love and justice
both require us to consider each precious person in their own unique
incarnation as a loved, lovable and potentially loving child of God.
Therefore we cannot practice Christian charity if we lump all 'different'
people in-together and deny them our consideration, love and/or justice, due
to our hard-heartedness, self-righteousness or fear. While some human
conditions make people dangerous and are legitimately a cause for concern,
most human differences do not make people dangerous, and are not any cause
for fear. Intersexed and Gender Different (fetally neurologically
androgenized or estrogenized) People are not afflicted with conditions that
are contagious or dangerous to others.

Furthermore, we should always remember that while our inherent attractions
may not presently be subject to free choice, we still have choices when it
comes to our actions. This is generally true for everyone regardless of
sexual orientation. It is often not necessary or wise to act upon every
impulse in life, and health, self-confidence and self-esteem are directly
related to a person's ability in self-control. At the same time, most of us
share a prolonged need to experience physical and emotional intimacy with
others in loving relationships that are both meaningful and satisfying. To
deny choice's freedom when it is a factor, or to deny biological compulsion
and emotional needs when choice is not a factor, can be equally damaging to
the person. Still, the tragic arguments will go on with one side screaming
"choice!' and the other side screaming 'not a choice!', when the fact is
that for some people 'it' is a choice and for others 'it' is not. The real
question is. what is 'it?' A proper analysis of 'it' results in more
meaningful and personally relevant questions and answers. Is 'it' our
inherent gender identity ? Is 'it' the way we are 'wired' to respond to
sex-signaling? Is 'it' some learned behavior? Is 'it' self-destructive,
self-loathing or healthy and self-loving?   Does 'it' estrange us from
ourselves, our families and society by anti-social behavior devoid of any
sense of dignity and self-esteem? Does indulging 'it' debase ourself or
others? Does 'it' estrange us from God ? We must begin to carefully
examine all of these 'its' to sort out the characteristics we are born with,
the ones we have acquired, the ones that are compatible with THE GREAT
DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON, and the ones that should be treated as
disordered (pedophilia, sado-masochism, pornography / voyerism, any form of
sexual exploitation etc,).   The purpose of this paper is to begin to
sort-out some of the identifiable conditions and syndromes, and to thus
address the real human specificity of it all. Not all persons who have been
labeled 'homosexual' are the same. Not all 'homosexual' acts are the same.
Where is the line between a fetally androgenized XX person who identifies as
a 'butch' lesbian, and such a person who has been diagnosed as intersexed?
People are precious, precious enough for GOD to die for. They deserve our
careful and loving PERSONAL consideration in all things. Lumping them
all-in-together under too-general labels does justice to no one, AND it
leads to the mis-'diagnoses' and mal-treatment of everyone.

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Understanding Sex Differentiation, Sex-Dimorphic Behavior, Gender Identity
and Sexual Orientation

The first myth about human sexuality is that it is still a mystery, that the
biology of sex differentiation, sex-dimorphic (two sex) behavior, gender
identity and sexual orientation is not yet well understood. The pure science
of the biology of sex and reproductive behaviors etc. has had vast energies
and resources put into it in the last century, and now the general
mechanisms of all the above sex-related elements of biology are extremely
well understood. From the sex differentiation and behavior of the smallest
microbes to Homosapiens and the role of environmental estrogen-mimicking
compounds in the biosphere, the biological mechanisms of sex and sex-related
behavior are extremely well understood, often in great detail, species by
species, in the scientific community. It is only when religious, moral,
psychological, or social and civil law elements are introduced into the
picture that the clear truths of the sex-related 'laws of nature' become
obscured. Thus biologists can study and discuss the pervasive existence of
intersexuality, sex dimorphic dominance and submission behavior and even
same-sex pairing in nature, but the human race, both religious and
non-religious, has yet to even admit that intersexed humans exist. There are
only two legally recognized sexes in any nation, and the law must force an
intersexed infant into one of these at birth, regardless of how physically
traumatic or appropriate or not their hasty 'sex-assignment' may turn out to
be.

If the human race cannot face and deal humanely with its intersexed members,
who clearly require the right to chose their legal identity and thus their
identity-defined sexual 'orientation,' then how can we expect the human race
to deal rationally with the religious, medical, moral/ethical and
civil/legal issues raised by homosexuality? The vast and in-depth learning
of biologists has been allowed to benefit humanity in every other field, but
when it comes to human sexuality there seems to be an inviolable wall
keeping the human race in the biological and medical 19th century. Both
religious and civil authorities have refused to acknowledge the verifiable,
universally accepted scientific facts of the basic biology of sex, and how
these facts are obviously connected to sex-related mechanisms, influences
and outcomes in human biology. Christian churches are not the only
institutions avoiding the implications of the unquestionable truth of our
biology, which has been proven beyond any doubt. There is no major religion
or society or government that wants to deal with the facts. Medicine and law
don't want to deal with the facts. Thus intersexed persons are fighting the
medical and legal establishments for their most basic of human rights. Why
do I keep bringing up persons with anatomical or genetic intersex
conditions? Think about this. Depending on how someone else sex-assigns the
intersexed infant, they assign that baby to a life of being labeled as
either a heterosexual or homosexual person. It is, after all, how our own
sexuality is defined/assigned that determines whether our inherent sexual
attraction will be considered 'same-sex' or not!

For many persons, the problem is not that their attraction/orientation is
wrong, but that their religious and social/legal status is wrong. They have
been simply wrongly assigned/defined throughout their lives by others
including doctors, clerics, parents, teachers and the civil/legal
authorities. Their 'homosexuality' or 'lesbianism' has been created by
someone else's definition of them. How can this be? How can a person's
essential sexuality and gender identity be mistaken? Very easily, in fact
biology tells us that while there is distinctly masculine and feminine,
defining male and female and assigning sex, especially at birth, is an
altogether different challenge. None of the indicators that we have used to
define sex are 100% reliable! There are XY 'male' animals and humans with
vaginas and uteruses and XX 'female' animals and humans with penises and
testes. There are individual animals and humans with both testes and ovaries
and mixed ovotestes.. There are otherwise normal XX women who have been born
with no vaginas and there are otherwise normal XY men who have been born
without penises. So if 'sex' chromosomes, internal gonads or external
reproductive organs don't 'make' us boys or girls, men or women, then what
does? And why should we be stuck in an at-birth sex assignment that may
later prove to be erroneous? Obviously, an educated guess will be made based
on observable parts at birth, but persons should always be given primacy
over their mere parts in humane considerations. After all, medicine and law
exist to serve the best interests of persons, not disembodied impersonal
parts.

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The Right to Sexual Self-Determination

When people reach adulthood, they should have the right to define
themselves. A person is more than the sum of their parts. Even before
adulthood, people still have fundamental human rights, and what could be
more essential that the right just to be? To attempt to force a physical
(surgical and chemical) sex and a gender identity onto an infant is an
abominable assault on its humanity. Similarly, to deny rational adults
access to surgical and chemical treatment for sex and gender differentiation
disorders is also abominable. In either case, precious human beings are
being profoundly abused and denied their most basic of human rights in an
impersonal system that gives primacy to parts over persons. Human dignity
cannot be safeguarded when a person's essential right to be himself or
herself is subject to being so violently assaulted. Parents, civil
authorities, religious authorities and doctors are permitted by law to
subject helpless, unconsenting intersex infants to sex-modifying and
sex-changing surgeries, but they deny rational adults access to the same
treatments, when these are requested and appropriate medical interventions
for insufferable sex differentiation conditions. How can we expect
authorities with such confused priorities to justly come to terms with the
profound errors in its entire method of assigning sex and thus determining
what is and isn't a 'same-sex' orientation? If religions allow the medical
establishment and civil authorities to assign someone's sex (and they
usually do), and the assignment proves wrong, then the medical and civil
authorities may have 'created' a homosexual or lesbian. Will the clerics
then condemn such a person for their 'same-sex' attraction and behavior?
This question is not just an academic exercise. Countless intersexed persons
have been wrongly assigned a sex at or after birth and subsequently
stigmatized as homosexuals or lesbians. The issue of the medical and civil
rights and religious status of intersexed persons is a test case for all
sex- and gender- different people because the issues are so much clearer in
anatomical or genetic intersexuality than in the 'psychology'-muddled debate
over homosexuality, etc.

Every entity, animal or human, is unique. By ignoring the great variety in
real-world human sex differentiation, religious, medical and civil/legal
authorities have conspired to violate the most basic human rights and
dignity of sex- and gender-different minority persons. Biologically based
forms of homosexuality are part of the continuum of sex differentiation that
generally appears in all sexually dimorphic life forms. There is no question
that this is true. The same mechanisms that cause sex differentiation in
'lower animals' and other species also cause them in mankind. This is not a
speculation; it is an established and well-proven fact. Since sex-dimorphic
behavior in both social and solitary species is governed by the same
identifiable biological mechanisms, and these mechanisms are also present
and function the same way in mankind, then it is a pathological denial of
the real world to assert that these fundamental realities of natural law and
science have no bearing on human sexual behavior. So let us consider what
some of these mechanisms are and how they do relate to human sexuality.

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My Personal Interest In All Of This

Before going further regarding the science of sex differentiation, I want to
make a statement about my personal interest in all of this. In addition to
being a devout obedient Catholic, I am a sannyasi and a "siksa" or
instructing master and religious renunciate in a very ascetic bhakti yoga
tradition. I am strictly celibate and chaste, and I do not advocate any kind
of illicit sex. Furthermore, it is unheard of for a master in the lineage I
am in to teach on such matters regarding sex. So at the risk of being
publicly ostracized by other religious leaders in the tradition I belong to,
why am I doing it? Why am I risking my good name for the possibility of
being misunderstood as some kind of 'tantric sex guru' for speaking out on
these issues? The answer is simple. I love people, all people, and I am
concerned for their total spiritual and physical well-being, which involves
all of their pastoral needs including general health and medical care, their
physical, mental, affective/emotional, character/developmental and
educational needs, and even their relational, familial, vocational, social
and civil/legal needs. I also have an extensive background in postgraduate
level research and in medicine and human services. In addition, because I
was born with a very rare intersexed condition myself, I have studied the
mechanisms of sex differentiation in great depth and I have known and have
tried to be available to help many sex- and gender-different people over the
years in my various ministries. All of these factors have combined to give
me a unique fitness for my present service in the spiritual (and other) care
of persons with unusual sex and gender- related challenges and problems. How
could I not serve souls with my full knowledge, ability and strength? If my
God and Savior has called and fitted me to serve souls in some capacity, who
am I to refuse to do it? Thus I plan to continue to serve and give God's
love and solace/comfort to all souls, regardless of their sexual identity or
orientation. I cannot be more concerned about how this makes me look in some
people's eyes than what my Lord requires of me in His service to suffering
souls. So I will continue to publicly answer the sincere questions of
persons concerned with these issues, regardless of whether it will be viewed
as inappropriate for me as a sannyasi to do so.

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Various Intersex Conditions

Intersexed animals and humans are usually non-reproductive and there are
many different intersex conditions that occur to various degrees in both.
Some are caused internally in the fetus itself, as in Androgen Insensitivity
Syndrome (AIS) and Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH), the two most common
types of serious human intersex conditions. In AIS, the XY=male chromosomes
are 'normal,' but the genetic plan for their utilization of androgens is
not. These peoples' bodies, at the cellular level, cannot use their male
hormones and so develop along the female pathway despite having XY-male
chromosomes and functioning testes. Their body is blind to the presence of
their own testosterone, and thus they become "sex-reversed" or anatomically
female except that they lack a uterus and ovaries. Their testes are usually
hidden in the lower abdomen or inguinal area. This is a genetically caused
disorder and often runs in families. Some tribes have a high incidence of
AIS and it is one of the most common causes of extreme (complete) XY female
intersex or 'sex reversal." Complete C-AIS persons are always considered
female and raised as such despite their XY-male chromosomes. Before modern
medicine, such persons were usually just considered unfortunate barren
women.

Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) is the most common cause of extreme XX
intersex conditions. This condition is caused by a defect in the adrenal
hormone system that hyper-androgenizes them in utero. A complete CAH person
may be considered 'sex- reversed' in that they have a normal external male
anatomy despite their XX 'female' chromosomes. Before modern medicine, these
people were always considered unfortunately sterile but otherwise normal
males. They may have ejaculate, but no viable sperm. Even at the present, a
high percentage of CAH males are not detected at birth. Some grow up and
only find out about their XX 'female' chromosomes after going to a fertility
clinic for sterility diagnosis. Imagine the trauma a couple faces when their
marriage is thus suddenly legally invalidated as one result of such a test!
As long as the chromosome XX or XY test for sex is used, such tragedies will
go on with XY sex-reversed women and XX sex-reversed men being shocked and
shamed due to 'failing' their sex chromosome tests. If one doubts that this
has happened, the International Olympic committee has placed a moratorium on
chromosome testing for sex, because of the many world-class athletes who
were being disqualified for 'failing' their genetic sex tests. The tragic
situation became severe at the Olympics, with national sports heroes and
heroines going home in shame due to 'failing' their mandated sex testing.
Recognizing the problem, the Olympic Committee can't figure out how to keep
the games strictly XY-male and XX-female because there are so many
intersexed athletes in the games presenting exceptions to this rule!

There are other types of internally caused intersex conditions, but they are
far more rare. There are also intersex conditions due to abnormal
chromosomes which occur to varying degrees in some individuals with Turner's
and Klinefelter's Syndromes. Since these are more rare, in world history I
believe that the largest percentage of intersexed persons with certain
disorders have been either AIS or CAH individuals. However, it appears that
now environmental estrogens are causing a global epidemic in failure to
masculinize. So it is possible that in the future, environmental estrogens
could be the single greatest cause of XY intersex conditions.

True hermaphroditism is defined by the presence of both testicular and
ovarian tissue in the same person. This is extremely rare. Such people may
have one ovary and one testis, or one ovary and a mixed ovotestis, or one
testis and a mixed ovotestis or bilateral ovotestis. Ovotestis are gonads
(sex organs) in which there is both ovarian and testicular tissue. The
biological mechanisms of true hermaphroditism are not all well understood.
Most true hermaphrodites have normal XX or XY chromosomes. Many have XX
'female' chromosomes and are raised as girls. Some of these later mature
(virilize) to become fully sexually functioning males, and require legal sex
reassignment.

There are also external causes for various intersex conditions. The mother's
body can be a cause of feminized male fetuses. Either her own body can be
the source of excessive estrogens feminizing her XY baby, or in the case of
twins, it is suspected that a male or female twin can produce hormones that
affect their other-sex sibling. While this has not been conclusively proven
in human twins, it has been verified among litters in various animals. In
littermates, the males and females next to each other in the womb can
hormonally modify each other's development. Certain conditions in the
mother's health have also been proven to masculinize the XX fetus, and the
mother may also be influenced by such environmental factors as diet, air and
water pollutants, medications, alcohol and drug abuse, etc.

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Neurologically Feminized Males and Masculinized Females

In biology it is well established that fetal hormones determine the outcome
in terms of masculinization and feminization of the individual. Hormonal
influences can completely override the sex chromosomes when it comes to
influencing both the gross anatomy and subtler neuro-anatomy or 'wiring' and
thus the sex-related behavior of species, including the human species. This
is not at all debatable. Since different parts of the gross reproductive
anatomy mature at different intervals and these mature independently of
various parts of the nervous system, it is possible to have a contradiction
between various aspects of a person's neuro, gonadal and genital sex. In
fact the specific and detailed mechanisms of many such contradictions are
now known in human intersex conditions. These variations are also
responsible for some of the easily recognized basic types in any homosexual
population, and they effect the individual's gender identity and/or sex
orientation. The great complexity of our physical and neurological
development in utero gives rise to the tremendous variability in the outcome
of our neuro-sexual and physical embodiment. The perfect example of this
complexity is that gender identity often seems independent of sexual
orientation. To understand this completely, people need to learn the basics
of sex biology.

To identify if an apparently physically normal person may have been fetally
estrogenized or androgenized and to what extent, one needs only to assess
the signs and symptoms relative to the subjective sense of self or gender
identity and social and sexual responses to others. Such a personal
inventory should be able to reveal the difference between a transsexual with
a gender identity disorder and a homosexual with same-sex attraction. It
should also reveal the difference between transsexuals who feel compelled to
surgically alter their anatomical sex, and homosexuals who are fully
comfortable with their physical selves even though they may exhibit
excessively masculine or feminine gender behavior.

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Very Feminine Homosexual Men and Very Masculine Lesbians

Like 'intersex,' the word 'homosexual' is too general a term. It
indiscriminately merges together persons with entirely different natures and
behavior. This merging gives rise to numerous misunderstandings, like those
that arise from the impossible-to-answer question 'is homosexuality a matter
of choice or not?' This nonsense question is too general because the
category of 'homosexual' is too general.

Although there is endless variety in human sexuality, there are also some
rather common variant syndromes of sex differentiation, which are
recognizable across time and cultures. These are the very feminized
homosexual 'male' and the very masculinized lesbian 'female,' the
stereotypical 'queen' and 'butch dyke.' That these types appear in all
societies should help us to understand that there is a biological role in
their genesis. No society, religion, social class, etc. creates such people,
they just appear in every society, social class and religious culture. To
their perceptive childhood peers, or those who are experienced in the care
of large numbers of children, such persons can be identified at an early
age. Thus such a gender-different child might be labeled as a 'sissy' or
'tomboy.' In biology it is well known that social animals express their
sex-dimorphic behavior early on in play preference, social grouping and
'pecking orders.' Children and immature chimps are more interested in each
other's social play preferences than in each other's genitals. Thus
neurologically masculinized XX children and chimps (with female genitals)
will be more likely to get involved in the males' play, and neurologically
feminized XY children and chimps (with male genitals) will be more likely to
try to involve themselves in the females' play. The person who is thus
extremely neurologically masculinized or feminized does not have a normal
childhood as a boy or girl and cannot grow up from a feminized boy into a
normal masculine man, or from a masculinized girl into a normal feminine
woman. When play preferences give way to mature sexually dimorphic
behaviors, those persons neurologically masculinized or feminized during the
fetal stage will mature into a sexual being whose needs and instincts compel
them to express a sexuality normal for their neuro-anatomy but often
contrary to their genital anatomy. Thus the 'sissy' may mature into a
'queen' and the 'tomboy' into a 'butch dyke.' Such people have no childhood
or adult choice in this. They were 'hard-wired' for it during fetal
development by hormones at a critical period of neuro-organization in utero.
If their sense of self has been thus affected, then their object of desire
will likely be affected too. Very feminized and masculinized homosexual
people commonly engage in sex-dimorphic behaviors usually seen in the
opposite sex. The very feminine homosexual male is commonly sexually
receptive, and the very masculine lesbian commonly engages in male-typical
mounting behaviors.

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Ordinary or "Gender-Normal" Homosexual Males and Lesbians

Besides the above-described homosexual persons who stand out as excessively
masculine or feminine, there are others who appear 'normal' within society
but still experience same- sex attraction. This largest group of gay men and
lesbians are exclusively homosexual, comfortable with their anatomical sex
and normal in terms of their gender identity. Such persons choose different
same-sex partners for a variety of reasons. Some may choose partners similar
to themselves, while others may choose the highly masculinized or feminized
persons described above. If such normal homosexuals take the above-proposed
test for fetal hormonal influences, their answers will reveal their normal
development and gender identity. But if they take tests to assess their
sexual preferences, then their exclusive 'gayness' will be revealed.
Basically, this type of homosexual is an otherwise normal person, but with
exclusive and immutable same-sex attraction for whatever reasons yet
unknown. Psychological, familial or social influences can also be involved
in ways that may suppress, reinforce or otherwise modify such a person's
response to same-sex stimulus. Since this class of homosexuals is by
definition 'gender- normal' (not excessively masculine or feminine
behaving), they cannot be compelled by neuro-related gender-identity
differences to seek same-sex partners. This does not mean, however, that
they have a 'choice' in their attractions/desires. This is the class of
gender-normal homosexuals who do not respond normally to their species'
social and sex signaling stimuli. Since heterosexual signaling responses are
known from all animal studies to be biologically based, it is only
reasonable to conclude that exclusive and persistent same-sex attraction in
humans is also biologically based. This link between biology and behavior,
in fact, can be observed in general human studies of social or sex signaling
and response. So why then should this 'law of nature' universal link between
biology and behavior be denied when it comes to homosexuality?

In the continuum of sex differentiation and sex-dimorphic behavior
variations, sex object attraction or 'partner preference' in animals and
comparable 'sexual orientation' in humans demonstrably have biological
determinatives. However, these hormonal influences are not acting on the
person's gender identity, but on their involuntary response to sex signaling
from the persons they are attracted to. For example, in every pair of
same-sex finches that set up a nest together, at least one in the pair is
responding to the sex signaling of the other. Similarly, the gender-normal
gay man is being 'turned on' by something about his partner and is thus
positively responding to his partner's signals. Since a creatures response
to sex signaling is just as innate and instinctual as sex signaling itself,
then it is fair to say that the orientation side of the equation can be just
as inborn as the gender-identity side. There is social and sex signaling in
most species of animals, especially in social animals like the great apes
and man. In these species, sex-dimorphic behavior is programmed into
individuals so that both sexes will be able to function as a social group in
order to reproduce and sustain the species. There are two sides to this
programming. One side involves the individual's sense of self or gender
identity, and the other side involves how the individual responds socially
and sexually to others. This side of the picture involves the individual's
response to signals from others and thus their sex partner preferences. No
attraction to the opposite sex means that they are not responding in a
'normal' way to the opposite sex's sex signaling. Instead, the homosexual is
responding to the sex signaling of his or her own sex regardless of gender
identity. The neuro-locus of sexual attraction is therefore obviously
independent of the locus of sense of self or gender-identity. These
mechanisms of sex signaling and response/attraction are very well known,
right down to which chemical olfactory stimulants trigger which kinds of
responses in normal women and men. Every detail of human sex signaling
including form, sound, scent, motion, touch, color, decoration, etc. has
been analyzed by someone somewhere. The advertising industry alone has spent
vast amounts of money on such research to understand the human responses to
social and sex signaling. Still, the learning from all this research has not
been applied to the obvious question of the biological origin and mechanisms
of same-sex attraction in humans.

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Same-Sex Pairing and Peer-Bonding

In gay and lesbian subculture, despite the influence of feminism and other
attempts to disconnect certain behaviors from sex and gender, it can still
be seen that many homosexual people are essentially attracted to their
gender-type opposites. The pairing- up will tend to be between a person who
is more masculine and a person who is more feminine. When masculine gay men
or lesbians are exclusively attracted to their feminine counterparts in
masculine/feminine pairs, then they are responding in a normal heterosexual
way to the sex- and social-signaling of their partners. Their behavior and
response is in fact normal heterosexual dimorphic behavior, but because of
their anatomy they are considered a same-sex pair.

The survival and health of a species depends not just on opposites
attracting as in sexually dimorphic reproduction, but also on the strong
biological drive to emulate an ideal specimen among one's same-sex peers and
to bond with them. This peer-bonding behavior can be most observed in
individuals prior to their development of opposite-sex attraction and
reproductive maturity. Certain attractive or advantageous physical features
and behaviors give individuals prominence over their peers, and these
characteristics, when perceived, are emulated in the peer group and younger
generations. This behavior serves to strengthen the species and can be seen
throughout the biological realm. Among humans it is evident in the way that
children and teens imitate and bond with their idolized siblings, peers,
heroes, movie stars, etc. Such peer bonding is eventually overshadowed with
the arrival of opposite-sex attraction and the competition to mate, but
there are some individuals who do not make this transition and continue in
the peer-bonding mode. These persons never enter into the opposite-sex
attracted, reproductive phase of their species' development. Gender-normal
homosexuals who do not display masculine and feminine sex dimorphic-like
pairing will most likely play out this type of 'like-attracting-like' peer
fixation well into life. They will usually be attracted to partners who are
very similar or ideal versions of themselves. Such behavior may also be
accompanied by other traits normally seen in adolescent behavior.

It can be observed that all humans are born autistic, or self-centered, and
then most gradually move from infantile self-absorption to youthful
'like-attracting-like' peer bonding and finally to adult pairing, home
making and child rearing. Intersexed and homosexual people growing up in
societies where they are socially stigmatized and mistreated may often
experience difficulty even in peer bonding, what to speak of pairing. In
extreme cases they will become isolated, depressed or self-loathing due to
such difficulties. Human beings gradually expand their awareness,
appreciation and love of others beginning with the parents and then
progressing towards siblings, peers, mates, community, humanity, etc.
Finally, as mature caring humans, we are no longer self- centered but
instead become 'other-centered' beings. We learn to love not just ourselves
but everyone around us. Unfortunately, any person who is mistreated and
abused during this progression may become developmentally arrested and
unable to properly extend their love toward others. Having met many very
loving and other-centered homosexual men and lesbians, it is clear that such
persons are not necessarily developmentally arrested in this regard simply
because they do not have opposite-sex attraction or because they have been
mistreated in life. Genuine other-centered love can exist within anyone,
regardless of embodiment, and of course the ultimate realization of this typ
e of selfless love is God-realization. God and His devotees are always
engaged in pure, loving exchanges, and the peer bonding and pairing of this
world are merely reflections of that original spiritual love. We should know
that any loving relationship experienced or observed in this world has its
pure, original counterpart in spiritual reality.

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Other Types of 'Homosexual' Behavior

There are other types of 'homosexual' behavior that do not involve exclusive
same-sex attraction but are instead related to bisexuality or sexual
aggression between heterosexual males. This is the type of behavior that can
be attributed to 'choice.' People who are bisexually oriented experience
attraction to both men and women. They are gender-normal but respond to the
sex-signaling stimulus coming from both sexes. For most bisexuals, this
orientation seems to be innate or 'wired' into the neuro-anatomy and cannot
be changed. Since bisexual people are attracted to both males and females,
they may choose or decide to engage in homosexual behavior and some may even
prefer to live exclusively homosexual lives.

There are also those who are overly sexed and androgenized, known as the
'alpha-males' or dominant females. These persons are highly sexually
aggressive. Androgens cause phallic growth and stimulate libido and sexual
aggression in both men and women. More sexual activity stimulates more
androgen production and thus more libido, etc. It is a self- perpetuating
cycle. Highly sexed and aggressive individuals typically have high androgen
levels. If a normal person becomes sexually abstinent for a long period of
time however, their system will eventually begin to quiet down sexually and
produce lower amounts of these hormones.

The typical alpha-male is compelled to force others to submit to him and may
sometimes even indulge in bisexual or 'homosexual' behavior. He is like the
biggest bull elk in a region, or the biggest bull in a herd. Such
hyper-androgenized persons have a genetic or other innate cause for their
super-masculinity, and like the alpha-male in a herd, they are often not
satisfied with just dominating the females in their domain, but must
sexually dominate all of the males that they can as well. In the
sex-dimorphic social ordering of many animals, the dominant or alpha-male
will be the most highly androgenized, sexed and aggressive of the males. He
will usually dominate every male that he can, and this domination involves
sexually aggressive acts, social signaling, and even mounting and
submission-forcing behavior. In the extremity this means forcing sexual
submission as well. Thus when a subdominant bull or outside challenger is
defeated by the alpha-male, he will allow the dominant male to mount him or
assume a sexually dominant position over him. After such a display of
submission, the dominant male will cease his violent attack on the
challenger and may even give him a kind of protection from other aggressive
males. This apparently bisexual or homosexual behavior among animals is not
about the alpha-male actually desiring to mate with other males but is
purely about dominance and submission. This behavior can also be seen in
human society within prisons, warfare, and other social situations where
dominance has become very important. Such persons may engage in very
aggressive and even violent 'homosexual' behavior, but in fact, they are on
a power trip and their motivation is nothing like that of ordinary gay men.
In these cases men can engage in 'homosexual' acts without experiencing
same-sex attraction at all. Thus they can choose or decide to commit
'homosexual' acts, without even being 'homosexually' attracted to men.   In
a similar way, the desire or compulsion to have sex with children is
different from homosexuality. Since it is possible to be a homosexual and a
pedophile, the problem is that acts of pedophilia are crimes of opportunity,
and homosexual pedophiles, especially those who are athletic coaches,
ministers, priests, teachers, rabbis, or others with easy access to, and
authority over, boys may have many opportunities for their crimes. Thus it
is again imperative to carefully differentiate between

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                                                             The Giving and
Receiving of Divine Love Bridal Mysticism has NOTHING to do with Dominance
and Submission

Dominance and submission is not just a male-female phenomenon. Within the
male and female peer groups of social animals this dominance and submission
game is always going on. Thus there is an 'alpha-bitch' in the wolf pack and
a matriarch among the elephants. There is a supreme hen-of-the-roost at the
top of the hen-house pecking order, and the most popular kid in school among
both the girls and the boys. Only in the realm of the spiritual life do we
find this system reversed, when the competition is to SERVE, rather than to
lord-it-over others. Think about it! The GIVER AND RECEIVER GODHEAD OF
BRIDAL MYSTICISM BHAKTI TRADITIONS is the source and model of the
anti-material value system. In Catholic Trinitarian and Bridal Mysticism,
and in Vaishnava Bridal Mysticism, Sri Krishna exists to serve Radha-devi
and She exists to serve Him! The descending Savior / Messiah is the
Servitor Lord Who Self-Sacrificially serves the Divine Couple and all
beings! Their Holy Spirit (Param-Atman) serves Them and all beings ! Thus
in the Eastern and Western Divine Love (Bhakti)Traditions, the Alpha-Beings
of all beings, the Blessed Trinity and the Biblical ELI and SHEKINAH,
(Vaishnava HARI and SHAKTI , Shaivite Hara & Shakti, Pure Land Buddhist
Harih & Shakti, Egypto-African Heru & Sekhet, Yang &Yin, Yab &Yum, etc.)
desire only to SERVE each other, not to DOMINATE and EXPLOIT each other! By
observing the contrary material desire to dominate and exploit in this
world, we can understand the loveless lording-it-over mentality of the
fallen souls, and how OTHER-CENTERED LOVE and SELF-CENTERED LUST are
diametrically opposed as forces in our 'fallen' world. Of those beings who
most want to dominate and force others into submission, the alpha-males and
alpha-females are the most successful in their species. In human society,
leadership should be a matter of virtuous other-centered service, not a
matter of vice, in terms of wanting to subdue and exploit other beings.
Likewise in conjugal relationships, there must be mutual giving and
recieving which is OTHER-CENTERED and SERVICE ORIENTED. If this
other-centeredness is missing from a person's heart, they are exploiting ,
not loving others.

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Intersexuality, Same-Sex Pairing and Reproductive Balance

In some species the mechanisms of physical deviation from the normal
reproductive XX-female and XY-male always involve 'defects' in the standard
developmental plan. But does this mean that over-all such in- between
creatures are necessarily a mistake of nature or God? While intersex
abnormalities effect one's reproduction and socialization in social species
like man, they don't usually affect the individual's viability. Sexual
'defects' therefore account for a vast number of otherwise healthy,
functional individuals in all species. Why does either nature or God not
prohibit this enormous 'third sex' category of life?

In many highly social species, intersex members play a unique and very
important role. For instance, in a bee colony, the queen alone is a
reproductive female. The worker bees are all 'intersexed' or
non-reproductive females. There are COUNTLESS such variations on
reproductive XX and XY dimorphism throughout the natural realm in the lower
species of life. Even in some of the higher species, almost all of the males
are or become non-reproductive after being dominated by the 'alpha-male.' In
many herd animals, for instance, the alpha-male essentially dominates his
rivals until they submit to him and stop trying to mate with his harem. Unle
ss they are driven away, they then essentially become a eunuch and part of
his harem so to speak, enjoying his protection. When these submissive males
are darted and medically examined, they are found to have experienced an
actual lowering of their own testosterone levels. Their very survival may
depend on this. As long as they are putting out the testosterone smells that
trigger violent 'rival' aggression in the alpha-male, they will be in
danger. So their body actually changes, and the testosterone decreases. They
lose the desire to mate with the females and become submissive to the
alpha-male, who mounts them to establish their place in the herd's
dominance-and-submission 'pecking order.' Such individual and group
responses appear to be both personal and societal survival mechanisms. The
alpha-male, whether he is an ape or an antelope, will generally have the
highest testosterone levels in the social order, and the sub-dominant males
will have less and less as they descend in the 'pecking order.' The most
feminized males or females will frequently be at the very bottom end of the
pecking orders in almost all social species. By contrast, in experiments
with hyper-androgenized XX-female apes, these individuals sometimes actually
became the dominant 'males' of the group despite their XX-female chromosomes
and infertility! So it is clear that testosterone and estrogen levels
influence SELF-EXPERIENCE and BEHAVIOR and have a profound influence over
not just the bodily development, but also the sex-dimorphic behavior of all
social animals.

Besides this hormone-behavior link to dominance and submission, it is
obvious that in some species, intersex and related same-sex pair bonding
serves as a population control. For example, in some birds and rodents, when
there is extreme pressure on the species due to drought, lack of food,
over-population, extreme cold or heat, lack of shelter or nesting habitat,
etc., the incidence of same-sex pair bonding in the species will
dramatically increase temporarily until the crisis has passed. Because these
same-sex pairs do not reproduce, this acts as a natural species-wide local
or regional method of population control. By thus reducing the reproductive
success of one or several generations, the population increase is slowed or
even reduced without massive starvation, inability to nest, or subsequent
die-off in the species. Is this a mistake or is it an amazing species
adaptation for survival? In these cases same-sex pairing is a win-win
situation for both the individual and the species, because the individual's
imperative to bond and nest-build is satisfied and at the same time the
species is able to avert a population crisis and disastrous die-off. In my
own opinion, humans under such social or environmental duress may very well
respond in a similar manner. Homosexual and intersexed persons may thus
periodically increase from their normal base- line population levels under
such conditions. Under ecological or other stress the human species may,
like other species, have a mechanism of response for reducing its fertility.
Environmental factors themselves may also cause disorders of sex
differentiation. Modern-day pollutants such as 'environmental estrogens,'
petrol-chemicals, pesticides and other man-made factors actually increase
the percentage of sex differentiation disorders in animals and in human
society. Major governmental and university research projects are being
conducted world-wide to find some way to reduce the feminizing effects of
environmental estrogens, which are causing a global 'epidemic' of human
masculinization and reproductive health problems.

While in the microcosm, specific mechanisms that account for intersex and
same-sex pairing of animals may appear as "disorders," "defects" or
"errors," but if we step back from the proximal causes and view the
reproductive health of the species as a whole, and how it changes under
different conditions over time in various local and regional environments,
then we can see how this non-reproductive 'third-sex' actually plays an
important role in the wider scheme of things. Nature or God does not
prohibit such apparent errors because in fact they are not errors at all. In
the 'big picture' these human variations seem to serve an important purpose
whether we as humans are aware of it or not. If a rise in intersex and
related same-sex pairing is a mechanism of population control in animal
species, why not recognize that it could also function in a similar way
among humans? Is it always necessary or desirable for every member of human
society to engage in sexual reproduction? Is human worth only to be measured
in terms of fertility? Many of the world's great religious traditions such
as Hinduism, Buddhism and Roman Catholicism recognize and place value on
people who are celibate and non-reproductive. Abstaining from sex relations,
child rearing or family-life offers a person valuable time that, if wisely
spent, can be utilized for self-realization and serving the greater family
of humanity and God.

Human beings are not animals, but our bodies are made of the same elements
and obey all of the same basic rules of chemistry and biology. We should
stop thinking of our species as being somehow categorically beyond the laws
of nature and God! There are mechanisms for everything, and understanding
these can help us to treat each other justly, with understanding and
compassion instead of confusion and fear.

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Conclusion

To review, one has a subjective 'gender identity,' which can be discovered
through a personal inventory and HONEST ANALYSIS of feelings about oneself.
Gender identity is about how we experience our selves both all-alone and
with others. Each of us also has a way of responding to the social-signaling
of others. This includes our subtle physiological responses to
sex-signaling and gender messages. One also has 'other' orientations that
can be discovered by analyzing how one feels about and responds to others.
Humans are masculine and feminine, not just genitally male and female or
chromosomally XY and XX. For physical, mental, affective/emotional health
and ultimately self-realization, people need to understand themselves and be
understood by others on their own terms, not indiscriminately lumped-
in-together in pastoral care, or medical diagnosis and treatment. There are
so many combinations and variations of the basic types and relationships
mentioned herein, that ideally there should be no categories and every
precious soul should be understood individually. However, since this is not
possible, then at least we can make some effort to understand people a
little better, and to stop impersonally merging them all-in-together under
too general and simplistic category labels like 'homosexual.' By daring to
leave our comfortable denial and too-general labels, to ask the specific and
appropriate questions, we can work towards discovering and accepting the
right answers. Then we can finally begin to render sex and gender justice
to all of our sisters, brothers and others. This means honoring the basic
beingness of every person, and recognizing the primacy of persons over their
parts. We own our parts, we are not our parts. Every human being is far far
more than the mere sum of their parts !

May Jesus Christ the Servitor Lord, and Our Lady Rosa Mystica, and God our
Father, and the Holy Spirit, Who are always busy humbly serving Each Other
and all beings, deliver us from the desire to lord-it-over one another like
the wolves and wildebeests! And in honor of JESUS CHRIST'S INCARNATION, may
we take the time to understand each other and to lovingly help everyone to
spiritually progress in their own unique incarnation, because ultimately,
there is NO Greek or Jew, Slave or Free, Male or Female, when All are One in
Christ Jesus.

Amen / Aum !

PAX CHRISTI !

David / Bhakti Ananda Goswami