[punster]

What about the cases of children that are born intersexual? In what gender are they to be raised? It has been highly unsuccessful for the doctors to decide, at birth, for the child. Some infants, with severe hypospadias, were assigned as females, because it was easier to do surgery to assign them as females, than it was to repair the hypospadias. These individuals, though raised as girls, did not develop a female identity. They identified themselves as boys.

On the converse, what about the case of the girls that are born with androgen insensitivity syndrome. They are XY (male) genetically, but their physical form is female. They have a genetic trait that makes them insensitive to the action of testosterone. These girls do develop a female identity and are feminine in their behavior.

Or, for that matter, what about the genetic females that are born with adrenogenital syndrome? They will show some masculinization of their external genitals. They also have varying levels of disturbance in their sexual identity or sexual orientation.

The idea of sexual identity does not seem to be tied to sex of rearing, nor does it seem to be tied to genetic sex. What is the answer?

[gomaaa]

Excellent points. Gender is not as black and white an issue as many think. If it looks like a duck, acts like a duck, and quacks like a duck, isn't it a duck?

In any event, I would hope that the judge would rule in the child's best interest, regardless of the gender of the parents. There is a bias in many family court cases towards the mother, even if the father may be a more suitable parent. Divorce cases are be difficult to decide even if there is no question of the parents' respective sexes.