News and Events => Science & Medical News => Topic started by: LostInTime on May 31, 2007, 09:22:43 AM Return to Full Version
Title: When a Person Is Neither XX nor XY: A Q&A with Geneticist Eric Vilain
Post by: LostInTime on May 31, 2007, 09:22:43 AM
Post by: LostInTime on May 31, 2007, 09:22:43 AM
Scientific American (http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa006&articleID=D8BFAF20-E7F2-99DF-3CBD7BFCF4203F4B&colID=30)
By Sally Lehrman
About one in 4,500 babies show ambiguous genitalia at birth, such as a clitoris that looks like a penis, or vice versa. For the Insights story, "Going Beyond X and Y," appearing in the June 2007 issue of Scientific American, Sally Lehrman talked with noted geneticist Eric Vilain of the University of California, Los Angeles, about the biology of sex determination, gender identity and the psychology and politics behind both. Here is an expanded interview.
By Sally Lehrman
About one in 4,500 babies show ambiguous genitalia at birth, such as a clitoris that looks like a penis, or vice versa. For the Insights story, "Going Beyond X and Y," appearing in the June 2007 issue of Scientific American, Sally Lehrman talked with noted geneticist Eric Vilain of the University of California, Los Angeles, about the biology of sex determination, gender identity and the psychology and politics behind both. Here is an expanded interview.
Title: Re: When a Person Is Neither XX nor XY: A Q&A with Geneticist Eric Vilain
Post by: Thundra on May 31, 2007, 11:59:49 PM
Post by: Thundra on May 31, 2007, 11:59:49 PM
Nuh-uh. Not buying this BS. He is still trying to pathologize intersexed people at birth.
Yes, he is calling for caution in performing after-birth "corrective" surgery for the benfit of the parent, but he does not call for a moratorium on those surgeries.
I don't know anyone that will label themselves as a "disorder of sex development." WTF is that? Like most scientists, he is obsessed with defining the human condition in one way only, and labelling any kind of diversity as a pathology.
I say, "phhhhfffftttt!"
Yes, he is calling for caution in performing after-birth "corrective" surgery for the benfit of the parent, but he does not call for a moratorium on those surgeries.
I don't know anyone that will label themselves as a "disorder of sex development." WTF is that? Like most scientists, he is obsessed with defining the human condition in one way only, and labelling any kind of diversity as a pathology.
I say, "phhhhfffftttt!"
Title: Re: When a Person Is Neither XX nor XY: A Q&A with Geneticist Eric Vilain
Post by: Seshatneferw on June 01, 2007, 03:01:20 AM
Post by: Seshatneferw on June 01, 2007, 03:01:20 AM
The way I read it, his calling it a disorder is geared mainly towards the medical community: if it is a disorder, it's much harder to refuse treatment. Also, for a geneticist what he is talking about is a disorder, however one should consider it from, say, a social point of view. The thing is, for us words like 'pathology' or 'disorder' are quite strongly loaded, and from the interview it may be hard to see that he's using them in a somewhat different manner than how some of us are hearing them.
Of course the interview wasn't perfect. Still, saying "phhhhfffftttt!" is a bit much.
Nfr
Of course the interview wasn't perfect. Still, saying "phhhhfffftttt!" is a bit much.
Nfr