THE COMPLEXITY OF HUMAN SEXUALITY
Religious people tend to live in a world of clear dichotomy—right or wrong, good or bad, male or female, black or white. In the real world there is a lot of gray. According to scientific research human sexuality is very complex not just female or male. Every person considered normal has 23 pairs of chromosomes for a total of 46. But some are born with an extra pair causing Down Syndrome—others with 69 and a few 92 [always fatal]. Other children are born with missing, bent, or broken chromosomes causing heart defects, diabetes, autoimmune disorder, and mental, emotional, physical handicaps. In centuries past, in some societies, babies born with obvious birth defects were taken out and left exposed to the elements to let the gods decide whether they should live or die. Of course, the “gods” always decided for death. In the age of modern medicine, when babies were born with mixed or partial sex organs, surgeons used to soon do “gender-assignment“ surgery. But this left some persons, as they aged, feeling “gender dysphoric”—male trapped in female body or female in male body. The more enlightened practice today is to wait until children are older and appear to demonstrate what are commonly considered male or female characteristics and/or behavior before doing any such gender assignment.
Human sexuality is determined in part by females receiving an X chromosome from each parent. Accordingly, persons considered to be normal females are born with XX chromosomes while males are born with XY—the X from one’s mother and Y from the father. But some females are born with a single X while others are born with XXX. Single-X females are generally short in stature, infertile, and die young. Triple-X females are generally taller in stature and are usually not infertile. Males may be born with a more common defect of XXY or, rarely, XXXY or XY/XXY, causing various abnormalities.
How about the physical features of human sexuality? Some babies are born with no, partial, or mixed genitalia. These are things that can be visually observed, so what about the hormones—estrogen and testosterone—that every person has but, obviously, cannot be seen? Of course, females generally have more estrogen, while males have more testosterone giving males the common characteristics of beard, more body hair, deeper voice, etc. In females estrogen causes breasts, higher pitched voice, lack of facial hair, etc. But people may have different and perhaps varying levels of these hormones.
What about sexual identity and orientation? It appears that human sexuality is on a continuum like height, weight, and IQ. On one end are heterosexuals and the other end homosexuals both being exclusively so in regard to behavior and ideation. In the middle are bisexuals. Other heterosexuals and homosexuals may fantasize about opposite-sex relationships but do not act. Some heterosexuals have become homosexuals later in life and vice versa. The Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV has 46 pages of gender/sexual disorders! What about the hot topic of transgender persons using public restrooms? The simple solution is to love/treat others as oneself—the universal “Golden Rule.” Allow transgender persons to use restrooms of their sexual identity, and make it illegal to impersonate transgender persons to use public facilities. Gender-neutral and family restrooms are practical ways to solve this contentious issue. All societal problems can be resolved by applying The Golden Rule—liberating spirituality, not discriminating religiosity. This includes LGBT marriage—The United States Supreme Court has ruled; thank God, the U.S.A. has separation of church and state. God loves ALL people equally!