The more I learn about current and historic practices for DSD (disorders/differences in sexual development), aka intersex, the more shocked I become about how the medical community has treated these people.
Also, the trans mvmt has stolen soooo much terminology from them.
Also, the trans mvmt has stolen soooo much terminology from them.
0.02% (~1 in 5,000) of people are born with a DSD. A portion of them truly ARE assigned a sex, which may not be consistent with their karotype. They usually are given surgery in infancy or early childhood to make the appearance of their genitals match the designated sex.
The language - it’s familiar, right? God, the trans movement has been clever. They’ve essentially sold us the idea that just about anyone, regardless of karotype and reproductive function, might have a hidden DSD, and thus requires accommodation and (sometimes?) treatment.
So can we talk about the differences between transgenderism and DSD?
First, DSD are measurable, verifiable conditions. There are (depending on specific condition) genetic divergences, abnormal hormonal function, differences in appearance genitals, &/or reproductive dysfunction.
First, DSD are measurable, verifiable conditions. There are (depending on specific condition) genetic divergences, abnormal hormonal function, differences in appearance genitals, &/or reproductive dysfunction.
And there’s the incidence - Like I mentioned, DSD are estimated at 0.02%, while 0.6% of the adult US population identifies as transgender, making transgenderism 30x more common than DSD.
That’s a big difference when you’re talking about social impact and medical resources.
That’s a big difference when you’re talking about social impact and medical resources.
A very telling difference btwn DSD & transgenderism is the goals of current activism. In general, DSD advocates are working to reduce surgery & other interventions meant to make children fit the sex deemed most realistic by docs & parents. They’re fighting for non-interference.
This fight against early cosmetic surgical alteration of DSD children is with good reason. Until the 1950s, infant girls with abnormally large clitorises underwent clitoridectomy, and boys with micropenis were routinely castrated and assigned female.
The way the trans mvmt has co-opted the phrase “sex assigned at birth” from the DSD community is appalling once you understand that DSD infants are often assigned their sex with a scalpel, not just a letter “F” or “M.”
The term “intersex” is no longer considered preferable in discussion of DSD bc it’s both stigmatizing & deceptive. DSD people do have a sex, often unambiguous. But it’s such a useful way to imply a bridge from DSD to trans, isn’t it? That “I” in the rainbow acronym is strategic.
In summary, DSD is rare, measurable, and individual. It has nothing to do with the social and psychiatric phenomenon of transgenderism. People with DSD must be treated on an individual basis, with full consent, and may require unusual social/legal accommodation.
There are many free resources for learning about DSD, and I highly recommend people educate themselves about this area of human development & medicine, particularly the long, horrid history of medically altering children in the name of normality and social acceptance.
