i don’t believe the two terms should ever be synonymous, though admittedly, they are often used interchangeably. i believe many people use the word “gender” because they are so hung up about sex, that they can’t even bring themselves to say the word. so they use “gender” (incorrectly) which has come to mean “sex”. so it really comes down to the fact that language evolves according to how people use it, and not that a word is defined somewhere and it must be used in a certain way.

so in my mind, my gender changed a few years before my sex changed. a “sex change” operation changes the way ones genitals function and look. there is no “gender change” operation. though my surgeon (interestingly enough) calls the procedure “grs” (gender reassignment surgery) as opposed to what many other surgeons call it - “srs” (sex reassignment surgery).

though i sometimes argue that ones sex cannot be changed, but that goes back to how sex is actually defined. in the old days, the doctor (or more likely, the midwife) would look at the infant’s genitals and that would determine sex. then as medical knowledge increased, factors such as dna were added to the definition. but there are a lot of variations.

as far as nature and her perfection is concerned, i suppose that it can also depend on ones perspective. i like to believe that life is diverse, and variations in human (and other species) biology is normal. we, as thinking beings, ought to understand and embrace natures diversity. it seems to have worked well so far.

Ok; your point is well taken regarding Gender Queer-ness. I suppose because I enjoy many traditionally male hobbies, one could say I am gender queer; that said though, I have to disagree with that logic because although I ride a motorcycle and drive a fast car, etc., I have no confusion in my mind as to which gender I am. For me, there is no blur between male, female, and where I fall.

Now, in my comment I wrote ‘change one’s gender,’ and you corrected me by saying a person changes their sex, not gender. I’m confused (yet again) - aren’t the two synonomous when used in that context? From my perspective, if one is born female, and determines they identify male, then proceeds to have reassignment surgery, aren’t they changing their gender? I freely admit, I don’t get this one. But I want to understand.

In terms of your hypothetical questions (were they hypothetical?) Who’s to say? Well, I’m not saying it’s right, but I guess scientifically male and female (or man and woman) designation are defined by one’s reproductive organs, & one’s endocrine system. Just as in the animal kingdom, sex (or gender as it were) is determined the same way. That’s not to say that it’s wrong to change the birth assignment. I’m not saying that. But you ask who’s to say…
So when technology surpasses cultural acceptance (as is still the case with SRS) what happens is you have a faction of people who A) Don’t give a crap, B) Understand conceptually, and want to be supportive, but need help seeing the whole picture and C) Don’t understand, don’t want to, and would rather hate.

So in a nutshell, I guess what I’m saying is; I hate that transgendered people are persecuted, sometimes live in fear, and are treated the way they are. I hate it. But the pragmatic part of me understands at least somewhat where the bigotry comes from. And I think it comes from people not understanding that sometimes nature messes up. Not everything that’s natural is perfect. I believe that if we as humans have the knowledge & technology to correct natures imperfections, then we should. Not everyone, however, (as you well know) feels the same.

when it comes down to it, what exactly is a “man” or a “woman”? how do we define these terms? and who gets the final word in that definition? further, who gets to decide if it is or isn’t “ethical” to changes ones sex (not gender) “partially? why is it even a question? why can’t we each decide what works for us as individuals? and why is it such an issue with other people? really, ought this not be an issue in a supposedly free society?

heh, talk about devil’s advocate

Don’t you find it inherently opposite everything we know about nature to learn that a man is pregnant?

I think this person is a victim of the media’s oversensationalizing the fact that he was born female, but is now male - and pregnant. It sells newspapers. That is the sad thing here.

To print headlines that read “Man Pregnant” or words to that effect, will evoke all the bigoted responses expected from bigoted people.

For me though, it caused me to question such fundamental points as; is it medically ethical to change one’s gender partially; leaving internal reproductive organs in working order, but changing visible external organs?

As an aside, I was watching the Logo network the other day, and they were airing a documentary about gender queer people. As progressive as I like to think I am, I had never heard the term, nor was aware of the concept. I wonder if this pregnant man is gender queer?

Just thinking out loud on your space. Thanks for the venue.

But I have to say, even I found this story to be a curiosity. Not from a bigoted standpoint, but more from a scientific standpoint.

Being a student of medical ethics, this situation raised a multitude of questions in my mind.

Any child born to a couple willing to go so far to have a child is so lucky.