Spectrum Of Binary
Okay back to the drawing board see
After spending entirely too much time
On the intersex society of North America’s website
It’s hard to deny that sex is binary.
Humans do not and cannot create
True hermaphrodites.
My plants upstairs—
When they get stressed enough
Will literally grow nuts
And impregnate themselves
Making seeds for the next round of hope—
That, folks, is a true hermaphrodite.
Functionally contained within itself—
Male and female sex characteristics in the same body, working.
Maybe they reproduce asexually, but not sure if that is
Officially part of the criteria.
I’m starting to see that gender studies has used
John Money and the Reimer Family
As a sort of circus to prove their own assumptions—
Much like Money did, much how we got all these problems lmfao.
Problem is— David Reimer
Was born a boy
And no amount of gendered socialization
Had any effect on him.
For whatever reason—
This cis boy being turned into Jane
Is used across the United States as proof that
Trans people are who they say they are.
Folks
The motherfucker had an accident in a circumcision and
A pedophile doctor stepped in to help.
Worst. Case. Scenario. For everyone.
SOS
Not only does this scenario have
Nothing to do with intersex children but
It has nothing to do with trans kids either
This scenario is about
A cis boy
Who was socialized as a girl
Who was molested by a doctor and his own brother
And later in life— both brothers killed themselves.
Do y’all really want to reference this
To make a point about anything?!
I’m doing it simply because
There is no point to make here.
It’s just a scandalous tragedy
Designed to get the attention of a classroom of freshmen and sophomores
Designed to spur conversation on
Gender, socialization, medical intervention
And most of all—
How strong is the instinct
That each of us know who we really are
David knew, so did Brian.
The whole situation is the stuff of nightmares and yet
I’m supposed to sit here
And listen to people point to it as proof of non-binary
When binary+ is the best pitch you’re gonna get—
See
If sex was a spectrum
Intersex people would be fertile
They’d have functional parts and
They’d be true hermaphrodites and
They’d perhaps be
Reproducing on their own.
Alas—
They don’t.
Is sex a spectrum?
Seems so, but there is
No man’s land in the middle—
Where we all start in the womb and
Where none of us end up.
We are all born zygotes and the rest is
Hormonal messengers
Giving us what the code asks for.
Ain’t nobody a true hermaphrodite
The idea of looking in between
Is something you can achieve
Naturally, but functionally—
We are on a spectrum of binary.