Human sexuality is complicated. To start with, human determination of sexuality is far more complex than that of other mammals, even though the same biological rules apply.
That is, about halfway through gestation, a normal male mammal fetus excretes a small amount of testosterone from its testes, that travels to its brain and tells it, it is a “male” brain. If that testosterone does not arrive, the brain is by default “female”.
However, this hormone can be chemically blocked, or artificially added. This means the animals genitalia will be of one sex, but its brain will tell it that it is of the other sex.
This is enough to determine sexuality in animals, BUT NOT PEOPLE. A boy with this condition may be effeminate, but the odds are he will be heterosexual, to the typical ratio, that is, a 2% or less chance of being a homosexual. Likewise, a girl with this condition may be a “tomboy”, but she will also likely be only attracted to men.
Scientists in the 1960s, and then again in the 1980s, did extensive animal experiments with this, even to the point of giving only one hemisphere of a fetus’ brain testosterone, so when it grew up it exhibited bisexual mating behavior.
So, where does this leave us?
Well, it’s a first step. But the next step is a scary one.
There are many chemicals, natural and artificial, that can mimic testosterone or block it. And this was where the research both times went.
Farmers have long used plant estrogen to stimulate growth and increase yield, and there was concern that it could block testosterone in male fetuses. This didn’t prove to be the case. Of greater concern are hormonal replacement drugs that are excreted in urine, which are then recycled as effluent and reused as drinking water, since water filters do not remove the hormone from water.
In any event, there hasn’t been a marked increase in effeminate boys or tomboy girls, but there are, quite likely naturally, cross gender children.
In the case of true hermaphrodites, with both male and female genitalia, there is no argument that surgery is appropriate to remove one or the other, as having extra can be extremely, medically bad as they grow older.
But when it is purely psychological, especially before puberty, there is a dilemma. A child with an opposite gender brain can be absolutely miserable, and once they reach puberty, frequently suicidal.
In such cases, there is usually no evidence of parental abuse or coercion, except to make the child conform to their physical gender. Psychologically, many such cases are so severe that gender reassignment surgery seems to be the only help available.
It means the child will be sterile, and for the rest of their life will have to take hormonal replacements, but for most of them, that is an easy choice compared to a lifetime of agony.
Even Saudi Arabia now agrees, that after extensive analysis and medical opinion, that such surgery should be permitted.
Your post 23 is utter pseudoscientific nonsense.
“but for most of them, that is an easy choice compared to a lifetime of agony.
Even Saudi Arabia now agrees, that after extensive analysis and medical opinion, that such surgery should be permitted.”
Where’d you get this, from the ABC after school movie of the week?
A little sex reassignment and life is peachy? Hell, lately we’ve heard of a study that found that the misfit feelings waned with time in the absence of surgery.
Humans aren’t analogous to animals as Humans are made in the Image of God and are expected by God to rise to Him.
Well if Saudi Arabia is for it who can be against it? < / sarc>