While the Transgenderism movement would like to redefine gender into something other than male and female, biologically speaking most reproduction in the animal and plant world occurs from two opposite genders (sexes). Some organisms can produce asexually as in the case of microorganisms and plants (by making cuttings and encouraging root growth). However, there does not seem to be any form of reproduction requiring more than two individuals. For the case of exploration, though I thought I would consider it. Perhaps on some undiscovered world there is a species of creature that requires the DNA from three individuals in order to replicate a new individual. I will be comparing such a model with how things work here on Earth to see how plausible such a system of reproduction could be.

What would a third gender look like?

Triploidy

At the very core of such a three-gender system, the DNA of such a creature would have to be able to have three sets of DNA, one from each parent. Organisms with one set of DNA are called “haploid”, those with two sets “diploid,” and such organisms we are talking about would be called “triploid.” This would mean that their total number of chromosomes would have to be divisible by 3 and that each set would be corresponding to the others. 

Humans, for example, have 46 chromosomes (23 from each parent) and are thus diploid in their existence. 46 does not divide evenly with 3 and even if there was a person born with 45 chromosomes instead of 46 (as is sometimes the case), that does not mean that their genome could be easily divided by three. Each chromosome has a certain order and function, and has a matching double in the other parent’s DNA. 

In humans the dominant form of existence is the diploid form. There is a haploid form, which is produced differently in each gender, the sperm from the paternal side and the egg from the maternal side. The two haploid cells come together and form a diploid organism and the beginnings of a human diploid baby is formed. 

In a three-gender system, an organism would have to be triploid, having three sets of DNA. The interesting thing is that we do actually see triploids form in the world of plants, but not in animals. In fact, there is a very common triploid that we use for food: bananas. Plants are more open to diploid/haploid combinations of DNA. Yet, even though bananas have three sets of DNA, they are not all combined at once from three different “parents”. Bananas are a hybrid in which DNA from one parent is diploid and the other is haploid. While bananas can be pollinated and produce fruit, a viable seed cannot form and the banana is left with empty seed pits which can be seen by cutting a banana crossways. 

How then do bananas reproduce? They can either be produced by cross pollinating the two original parent plants or by making cuttings of the plant and transplanting those. 

Are there possible combinations greater than triploid? Yes, there are other ploidies, such as tetraploid (4 sets), pentaploid (5 sets), hexaploid (6 sets), etc. However the even number ploidies tend to be able to reproduce viable offspring (as diploids do), but the odd numbered ploidy hybrids cannot reproduce except by cutting, in which the new plant is basically a clone of the parent plant.

Even in species with odd numbered chromosome sets, most sexual reproduction only occurs between a male and a female plant. Just because an organism is triploid does not mean there is another gender possible in addition to male or female.

Male, Female, and ?

If a species had a third gender, it would not be hermaphroditic, as this would only be a combination of both male and female, as seen in earthworms. It would have to be a completely different form of a species. I will simply call it a “Trimale,” not meaning a male with three additional parts, but a third completely different gender. Since the system is so different, I would also have to rename the other genders, as male and female are so familiar to us. Let’s call them “unamale” and “bimale.” I am really using my creative license here so please bear with me.

In a system of three genders, each gender (unamale, bimale and trimale) would have its own distinct genitalia, which could somehow fit together in a sexual experience to combine the gametes into a new individual. I’ll let you use your own imagination for this as I’m not even sure how this would work.

This biological system would have to operate in a very different way than we have previously observed. Meiosis would have to somehow divide the DNA into three gametes instead of the two we see in most species here on Earth. 

Some might say that we could achieve this through technology, but then we are not necessarily relying on “natural selection” in order to achieve these processes. The system of three genders would simply be a synthetic one in this case, which would use technology (which is outside an organism’s genetic makeup) to propagate the species. For this reason, using technology to further an organism’s evolution in my mind is counter-productive. For once you lose the technology or it advances beyond its current use, the tech-dependent species is in danger of becoming extinct.

Other ways a triploid biology could occur is if there is one “female” that relies on two “submales” to introduce genetic material. However, in this case, although three may be required to produce an offspring, there really only are two genders.

A Society of Three Genders

The social structure of a civilized world with three biological genders would be a lot more complicated than ours today (although we do seem to find ways to make ours more complicated than it should be). 

Each family would consist of three parents. Finding partners with which to mate would be challenging. You would have to agree with one person to stick with you to find the third person. And, that second person would also have to find the third person attractive. 

Dating, then would be extremely tiresome for this reason. Pre-arranged marriages would possibly be a way out of the dating realm, but then again, all three parents would have to agree. On our planet it can be hard for any two people to agree on such issues, let alone three.

Legal issues such as divorce and child custody would be nightmares compared to those of our planet. Perhaps this would be an incentive to stay together and raise children productively.

One benefit might be that some spiritual concepts, such as the Trinity, might be more easily understood.

There may even be movements to attempt to redefine gender in such a society. Some members of the society may claim to really be a fourth gender or no gender or all genders.

Full Circle

All this brings me back to my point about other genders. While more and more young people of our society are trying to identify other “genders” than male or female, the biological and physical fact remains: they are either one or the other.

I have written this article to show just how hard it would be to actually create a third gender in the human species. As nature would have it, it is downright impossible. However, transgender people want to reject nature and show themselves for who they really are on the inside. I have discussed this idea elsewhere. 

In order to accomplish their ends, trans-humanists as well as transgender people must not accept the natural way their bodies are made, but must instead use technology to change their biology. However, by rejecting their biology, aren’t they also rejecting a part of themselves. Even if they didn’t choose their biological gender, does that make them anything more or less than that gender? Does the use of technology actually enhance evolution or make it run backward?

What if in their search for revealing their true selves, they run the risk of losing their true selves?

No one person is defined solely by their gender/sex. I refuse to put a single person in that box. There is so much more to us than this. I think it would be more productive to explore the infinite other areas of personality and test our own abilities, and leave sex alone.