Male and Female He Created Them

Thinking About Intersex Conditions

"Humans have two arms, though some are born without one or both. That, however, doesn't negate the fact that humans are two-armed beings."

This is an argument I have heard Christians and conservatives use when responding to claims about intersex people. But I believe this is a bad argument (or at least it is incomplete, and we can do better).

Are Intersex a Third Sex?

Trans activists will use the following logical syllogism to discredit the claim that there are only two biological sexes.

Premise 1: Some humans are intersex.

Premise 2: Intersex is a third sex.

Conclusion: Humans exist in (at least) 3 sexes.

Their conclusion follows naturally from the given premises, and it is not refuted by saying, "male and female are common, while intersex is very rare." The fact that intersex conditions are rare does not refute the argument that intersex is an exception to the gender binary. If only one intersex person existed in the whole world, and if it were true that intersex was a third sex, it would be accurate to say humans exist in three sexes.

But the argument that intersex is rare is weakened further when you are informed that 1.7% of humans are intersex. That is close to the percentage of redheads in the world. (This number is inaccurate, as I will argue below.)

Instead, we must focus on Premise 2, in the argument above. Intersex is not a 3rd sex, nor are these people both sexes, nor in any true sense between (inter-) the sexes. Instead, the various intersex conditions are sex specific. Each intersex person is, in fact, either male or female, but with a defect in certain sexual characteristics. These people are "sexed" in some abstract way that only God knows. Rather, their true sex is knowable and discoverable through common medical means. (Some conditions make this discovery more difficult.) Also, intersex conditions do not exist on an infinite spectrum. There are a finite number of intersex conditions.

Only Two Sexes

God deigned humanity with sexual distinction, in part, for the purpose of reproduction.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth …" (Gen. 1:27-28 ESV)

We know there are only two sexes because there are only two roles in reproduction: men provide the sperm, women provide eggs and gestate the child. Many "intersex" conditions result in sterility. But sterile is not a 3rd sex, it is merely a brokenness experienced by both sexes. Likewise, there are only two types of human gametes: eggs and sperm. No one (intersex included) produces a third type of functioning gamete, nor does anyone produce both types. Everyone either produces eggs (female), sperm (male), or neither (infertile male, or infertile female).

Let’s consider some intersex conditions:

Late-Onset Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (LOCAH)

Of the often cited 1.7% of people who are said to be "intersex," 88% of those have LOCAH. This is a hormone imbalance that affects sexual development and secondary sex characteristics. But those with LOCAH clearly fit into the sexual binary. Those with LOCAH who have XX chromosomes have female genitalia, female appearance, produce eggs, and are generally fertile. Those with XY likewise have male genitalia, male appearance, produce sperm, and are generally fertile.

In light of this, there is little reason to classify LOCAH as intersex except to “pad the numbers” and make the frequency of intersex conditions seem greater.

Androgen Insensitivity

This condition occurs in males (with XY chromosomes). Androgen insensitivity is an imbalance or inability to produce male hormones. The result is a person with male genetics, infertility, and a feminine appearance. But we should note, these people are not truly female, nor are they part of a 3rd sex, they are male, though they have a disordered body.

Hypospadias, Vaginal Atresia, and Vaginal Agenesis

These are in order: Male, Female, and Female. Each of these conditions results in malformed or unformed genitalia.

Sex Chromosome Aneuploidies (Wrong number of X/Y)

Intersex conditions, which result in the incorrect number of X or Y chromosomes, seem the most difficult to deal with, as they break down our neat binary of XX vs XY. Yet generally the correct sex can be identified by physicians.

In order of prevalence:

XXY (Klinefelter Syndrome): Male (with extra X)

XXX (Trisomy X): Female (with extra X)

X (Turner Syndrome): Female (lacking an X)

XYY: Male (with extra Y)

XXXY: Male (with two extra X’s)

Some of these conditions result in fertility, some don’t, some develop "normally" according to their sex, some don't. None of these produce both gametes, or a different type of gamete, or function in some 3rd way in reproduction. Each fits into the sexual binary of male and female.

Conclusion

In Conclusion, "intersex" conditions are a distortion within the sexual binary, not an exception to it. Some of these conditions cause such a distortion in sexual characteristics that doctors and parents may misidentify. Although by normal means, the correct sex can be identified. Intersex conditions show how deeply the brokenness of the fall has affected our bodies. Those who are intersex, or parents of intersex children, must diligently and prayerfully navigate the challenges of living according to the sex God made them. But we should never allow these disorders to be hijacked by trans-activists to undermine the truth that God made humanity male and female.