Garth Rattray | Transgenderism is redefining reality

The improvement of artificial intelligent (AI) programmes and applications has opened up an entire world of fantasy. Now, anyone can create their own ‘reality’ and no one can be the wiser for it. The obvious danger inherent in those artificial images, videos and sounds is that they may be used to implicate anyone in a crime. They can also be used to deceive unsuspecting individuals into believing that someone that they trust is instructing them to perform a task. The risk of fraud is therefore very high.

Now, it is difficult to know if what we are seeing and hearing is as it appears, or if it is the product of someone’s dreams and desires. So much for facts, so much for truth, so much for reality. These things concern me, but those pale into insignificance when compared to several other ‘alternate realities’ being presented to us.

Undoubtedly, the most obvious redefinition of reality is the modern-day phenomenon of transgenderism. ‘Trans’ means ‘across from’. Therefore, transgender means someone whose sexual identity does not correspond to their biological gender. It must be very distressing to have all the physical attributes of one gender but possess all the emotional attributes of another.

Biologically, most of us are binary… either male or female from the moment of conception. We possess DNA coding for genes present on chromosomes. Two of those chromosomes are called the X and the Y chromosome … they code for sex (gender). In other words, our sex is determined by that pair of chromosomes. The presence or absence of the Y chromosome determines our sex, that chromosome triggers male development. XX are females and XY are males. In extremely rare cases some humans possess XXY, XYY or XXX chromosomes. And rarer still are ‘females’ [genetic males] with XY chromosomes (where the Y fails to express itself), and ‘males’ with XX chromosomes. Some conditions are due to an inactive sex-determining region Y gene.

However, generally, transgender individuals are born either XX or XY and are therefore either biological females or biological males. But, driven by a fierce urge to live as a transgender, these individuals elect to undergo psychological counselling, hormonal treatment, and even surgical intervention to make their fondest dream a ‘reality’. The decision to undergo such radical physical transformation is never taken lightly. Some attribute such an intense desire to modify their physical appearance to severe body dysmorphic disorder.

CAUSING A STIR

Whatever the reason, transgender individuals are causing a stir because they are crossing borders that were hitherto inaccessible. Some are seeking to alter every record of their biological sex. This can be a problem because, no matter how the appearance of our bodies is altered, our biological sex cannot be changed. Certain risks for diseases are gender specific, and being unaware of a patient’s real gender may be potentially dangerous.

There has been a virtual explosion of human sexuality. Where there was once LGBT, currently there is LGBTQQIP2SA, which stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, pansexual, two-spirited, and asexual. We can expect that list to grow as human beings happen upon other dimensions of their sexuality. Consequently, we are being instructed to refer to transgender individuals as, they, them, their, Ze, Zir, hir, or per.

Additionally, human beings are associating themselves with gender-expansive identities. So, where there was only binary, currently some identify as non-binary, agender, genderfluid, or genderqueer. I do not believe that these identity feelings are new to human beings, I believe that people with those feelings are now able to express themselves as whatever they feel like because the gender agenda is self-propagating.

I have no issue with how people feel. And I have no issue with anyone’s ability to express how they feel. My problem lies in the science of it … no one can change their gender. Whether it is XX, XY, XXY, XYY, or XXX, it is set from the moment we are conceived. We may wish to express our interpretation of our personal sexual feelings, but to say that someone’s gender depends on their sexual emotions simply does not conform with reality.

DETERMINE REALITY

If our feelings determine our reality, people who are carrying excess bodyweight and yearn to be slender should be able to say that they identify as ‘translender’. If they weigh over 300 pounds (136 kg), they should have the right to be referred to as slender and have their weight officially recorded as a slim individual. Physicians and insurance companies should be forced to determine their health risks accordingly. Maximum weight limits on equipment and in elevators would become obsolete. Additionally, their BMI would depend on the weight with which they identify.

Obviously, it is impossible to change the reality of our biological gender, but it is not impossible to slim down from being overweight, yet the world is being forced to accept as reality whatever gender someone identifies with. Therein lies my concern with transgenderism. It is a scientific misnomer.

I sympathise with the dilemma of feeling different from one’s biological gender. But the world should not be forced to play along. The physical and psychological complications and social confusion are emerging. I believe that such individuals should be required to declare their biological (true) gender before intimate encounters, retain their biological gender on their birth certificates, and state it on their IDs, and all official material, especially medical and legal documents. Even the super-liberal USA only allows M/F on their immigration documents.

Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and garthrattray@gmail.com.