Genetic Issues In Biologically Defining Sexuality

I have previously discussed the spiritual aspects of Transgenderism and compared them with Christianity. In that post, I covered how Transgenderism as a movement can seem to have a spiritual component to it. Today in this post, however, I wish to discuss the physical side of it. There are legitimate physical and genetic abnormalities that occur which can cause what some might believe to be transgender qualities. My hope is that a further inquiry into the different abnormalities and their probabilities of occurrence will give more insight to those who think they are transgender and to those who deny transgenderism altogether.

For the most part, the way that gender works, biologically speaking, is that out of the 23 pairs of chromosomes (totaling 46), two are used to determine sex: X and Y. Most of the time everyone has two, one from mom and the other from dad. If you have a genetic makeup of XX, you will develop female parts. If you have XY, you will develop male parts. For most people, there is no such thing as gender assignment at birth, because it is the natural course of genetics, unless you want to blame your parents, nature itself or God. However, there are rare occasions when biological gender can be complicated.

However, there are occasions when things don’t work right as the sperm and egg form in the respective parents. When that sperm and egg combine, sometimes a person is born missing sex chromosomes, other times it can be that they have extra ones. Sometimes hormone treatment is needed to help these people develop healthy physical and social lives. Prepare to dive deep in biology for this discussion. I will try to translate as much as I can and put things in layman’s terms, but when we are talking about genes and genetic expression, it can get complicated.

First off when discussing genetics, there are two terms that must be defined. Genotype is the genetic makeup of the individual, whereas phenotype is the actual physically expressed trait. One would expect that if a person had a specific genotype for a particular trait, then the phenotype should match. For various reasons, this is not always the case. Below are some of the more common genetic disorders that happen with the sex chromosomes and their occurrences.

Turner’s Syndrome:

Occurrence: 1/2500 live female births.

General Description:

A person with Turner’s syndrome is genetically missing a sex chromosome (XO, 45 chromosomes). The gender that is produced is female. Many times the girl does not go through puberty meaning that breast, vaginal, and other body parts remain childlike. Sometimes girls with this condition are treated with a variety of hormones to induce growth and puberty.

Common Symptoms:

  • webbing of neck
  • narrowing of aorta
  • reduced height
  • no menstrual cycle or pubic hair
  • gonads undifferentiated, secreting no hormones.

There are other symptoms, some noticeable at birth, others later in childhood. Sometimes the severity of these symptoms can be different in mosaic girls. Mosaic means some of their cells are (XO) and some are (XX). Physical development can range from the symptoms above to normal in these girls, which means that some may be able to go through puberty naturally and get pregnant, but this may require fertility treatments. 

Click here for more information.

Klinefelter’s Syndrome:

Occurrence: 1/500 live male births.

General Description:

Klinefelter’s syndrome is the most common chromosome disorder in males who have an extra X chromosome (XXY, 47 chromosomes). The gender that is produced is male. As in Turner’s syndrome mosaicism can occur, where some cells are XXY and others are XY (normal). In some rarer cases, the males can have 3, 4, and even 5 X chromosomes in addition to the Y. With each additional X there is a reduction in IQ.

Common Symptoms:

  • Decreased sperm and androgens
  • Smaller penis and testicles
  • Disproportionately long arms and legs
  • Hair growth during puberty is light
  • Infertility

Boys normally do well with speech and language therapy. Some are treated with testosterone at the onset of puberty to help develop bone structure and masculine appearance.

For more info, click here.

47, XYY Syndrome:

Occurrence: 1/900 to 1/2000

General Description: This syndrome occurs when a male has inherited an extra Y chromosome (XYY, 47 chromosomes). 

Common Symptoms:

  • Tall (above 6 feet)
  • Produce high levels of testosterone
  • Slender, severe acne, poorly coordinated during adolescence

Many who have this syndrome are not aware they have it, which could be why the occurrence is so uncertain. They are typically fertile and live normal lives as adults. Early studies indicated there was increased aggression levels, antisocial behaviors, below average intelligence, and homosexual tendencies associated with this syndrome. However, these conclusions were falsely assumed. Some have even tried to use this syndrome as an excuse for murder, but the jury in that case decided against the man. 

Click here for more info.

47, XXX Syndrome:

Occurrence: 1/1,000, but can occur more frequently in infants born to older mothers.

General Description: This syndrome is also called Triple-X syndrome, because it occurs in women who have an extra X chromosome (XXX, 47 chromosomes). 

Common Symptoms:

  • Taller on average, an inch or more above normal
  • Unusually long legs
  • Slender torsos
  • Slight learning deficiencies

Most girls with this syndrome end up having normal development. There is occasionally an expectation of more emotional maturity toward these girls from those in authority, like teachers, as the girls tend to be taller than their peers, however, they tend to be just as emotionally mature as other girls their age. Some girls have even more X chromosomes (XXXX and XXXXX), and this can be correlated with lower IQ scores.

See this page for more info.

Testicular Feminization (or Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome):

Occurrence: 1/20,000

General Description: These are individuals with XY (male) genotype, but are phenotypically (physically expressed) females. Sometimes this syndrome can be “incomplete” in which there is a spectrum of sexual ambiguity or “complete” in which the phenotype is that of a female (see this case study for more info). This syndrome is due to a mutation on the X chromosome that inhibits androgen production. Androgens are what primarily causes the male phenotype to form. 

Common Symptoms:

  • No pubic or armpit hair
  • Sterile
  • Short blind-pouch vagina
  • No uterus, fallopian tubes or ovaries
  • There are testes in the abdomen or the inguinal canal

In individuals diagnosed with this syndrome, the testes may be surgically removed and the patient may be placed on estrogens to help control the female phenotype.

Another source for more info can be found here.

Sex Reversal (De la Chapelle Syndrome):

Occurrence: 1/20,000 according to this source.

General Description: While Testicular Feminization is sometimes also classified as “sex reversal,” in this section I am discussing individuals with a genetic code of XX, but have produced the male phenotype. Basically these males are genetically female. 

A particular gene (SRY), usually located on the Y chromosome is transferred to the X chromosome (or sometimes to another chromosome) in an event called crossing over, which can happen when the gametes are being formed during the first stage of meiosis. Crossing over is part of the process of recombination, which is a natural way that organisms can produce cells with different gene combinations than from what they inherited. The SRY gene is the gene on the Y chromosome responsible for androgen production and therefore responsible for male genitalia formation.

Thus, even though the person is genetically XX, the presence of the SRY gene makes it seem like there is a Y in the DNA and produces male characteristics instead of female.

Common Symptoms:

  • Most have normal male penis development
  • Small testes or gynecomastia (breast development) may be detected at onset of puberty
  • Sterility

Occasional Symptoms:

  • Hypospadias (urethral opening not at normal position)
  • Undescended testes

Learn more here.

Conclusions: Are These People Transgender?

In doing the research for this article, it was very eye-opening to what kinds of different sex-determining anomalies are out there. I have by no means exhausted all of the cases, but these mentioned are among the most common. 

While I would say that the political Transgender movement in the U.S. and other countries definitely has an agenda that may or may not be beneficial to these people, the above examples show us that biological gender isn’t always as straightforward as most people think. 

It can be easy to think in medical terminology (or political terminology for that matter) and forget that these anomalies occur to real people. What would you do if your doctor told you that the reason you can’t have kids is that you are really a woman (or man)? How would you tell your spouse? What would their response be?

You see, life is complicated for these people and we as Christians need to be careful and thoughtful in how we respond. While many who claim to be transgender are doing it because it is the new fad, the new social “injustice” to fight, or some other reason, there are others out there who are truly hurting people just trying to understand themselves and their place in this world.

To answer the burning question “Are these people transgender?”: I would have to say, it depends. The “Trans” in transgenderism indicates that there is some sort of transformation occurring. In my mind this would be a deliberate (or forced) change for some reason or another, usually to make the “outside” you match the “inside” you. Since genetics is essentially part of the “outside” you, I would say that the above conditions should not be classified “transgender.” Also, these sexual anomalies are not the choice of the person, but something they were born with.

A sexual anomaly only becomes transgender when, for example, in the case of sex reversal, when the person is genetically XX and has definite male parts, but decides to become a woman in order to match their DNA. This is a little silly as it is because of the DNA that he is male anyway. In such a case, a person would have to do intensive surgery and have to be on a ton of medication to regulate the hormones (as even a normal person who decides to be transgender would have to do). I could get into conspiracy theories about how pharmaceutical companies love this, but I will refrain from that for now. 

However, sometimes the physical sex of the person is hard to determine and surgery and medications are needed in order for that person to have some sense of normalcy in that person’s life. So there are some gray areas here, too.

It is unfortunate that for these people their private lives have been blasted wide open by the issue of Transgenderism. What should have been a private, case-by-case issue is now an attempt for religions and governments to come up with general answers to not only the questions asked by the people who truly have sexual anomalies, but also to the silly nonsense that goes on in the political realm.

Regardless, the Christian response needs to be one of inquiry, self-education, and, above all, love. By being informed we can better be equipped to ask the right questions to determine the real issues and be able to help these people with the emotional/spiritual burdens these issues cause. I suggest that we avoid broad, sweeping allegations and take each person we meet (whether defining themselves as “transgender” or as someone with an actual sexual anomaly) on a case-by-case basis. Even though we live in a fallen world where not everything natural works the way it was designed, people are still people. And they need Jesus just like the rest of us.  

Sources:

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