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From Shared Beginnings to Human Diversity
3 weeks ago
Did you know:
All babies, regardless of their eventual biological sex, have phenotypically female genitalia in the earliest stages of fetal development, which lasts for about the first six to seven weeks of gestation. After this period a gene on the Y chromosome triggers the differentiation of gonads into testes, leading to the development of male sex characteristics through the production of testosterone.
Thusly, if life begins at conception, that means all men transitioned from “girls” to “boys” in the womb. Transition is literally a part of human development.
This is also why intersex people exist. The process of sex differentiation is not perfect, clean, or binary. It involves multiple genetic switches, hormones, and tissue responses. Sometimes these do not align in typical ways. As a result, intersex babies may be born with a mix of male and female traits, or with variations in chromosomes, gonads, or genitalia. Intersex is natural and it is far more common than many realize, about 1.7 percent of the population, similar to the number of people born with red hair.
Understanding this science also reinforces why trans people are valid. If everyone begins development along a shared pathway, and if sex can naturally vary beyond strict male and female outcomes, then identity cannot be reduced to chromosomes or anatomy alone. Trans people know who they are, and their identities are just as real as anyone else’s.
What biology actually shows us is that sex and gender exist on a spectrum. They are diverse, complex, and deeply human. Instead of policing bodies, we should celebrate this diversity.
Intersex people deserve affirmation without shame. Trans people deserve recognition without question. Human development itself proves that difference is natural, and that every body and identity is worthy of dignity.
Food for thought.
All babies, regardless of their eventual biological sex, have phenotypically female genitalia in the earliest stages of fetal development, which lasts for about the first six to seven weeks of gestation. After this period a gene on the Y chromosome triggers the differentiation of gonads into testes, leading to the development of male sex characteristics through the production of testosterone.
Thusly, if life begins at conception, that means all men transitioned from “girls” to “boys” in the womb. Transition is literally a part of human development.
This is also why intersex people exist. The process of sex differentiation is not perfect, clean, or binary. It involves multiple genetic switches, hormones, and tissue responses. Sometimes these do not align in typical ways. As a result, intersex babies may be born with a mix of male and female traits, or with variations in chromosomes, gonads, or genitalia. Intersex is natural and it is far more common than many realize, about 1.7 percent of the population, similar to the number of people born with red hair.
Understanding this science also reinforces why trans people are valid. If everyone begins development along a shared pathway, and if sex can naturally vary beyond strict male and female outcomes, then identity cannot be reduced to chromosomes or anatomy alone. Trans people know who they are, and their identities are just as real as anyone else’s.
What biology actually shows us is that sex and gender exist on a spectrum. They are diverse, complex, and deeply human. Instead of policing bodies, we should celebrate this diversity.
Intersex people deserve affirmation without shame. Trans people deserve recognition without question. Human development itself proves that difference is natural, and that every body and identity is worthy of dignity.
Food for thought.
