Main Post: Feb. 14

Chapter 1: Dueling Dualisms

In chapter 1 of Sexing the Body, Anne Fausto-Sterling opens with a discussion of Maria Patino’s experience in the 1988 Olympics. This Spanish athlete failed the “sex test” at the Olympics. Patino thought she was a female her entire life, but apparently she lacked overies and a uterus. Patino’s case was debated for almost three years, and eventually the IAAF reinstated her and she was able to complete in the olympics again. Patino serves as an example for one of Fausto-Sterling’s biggest questions in her chapter: why is it so important to define sex in our society?

Fausto-Sterling then launches into an interesting discussion the many spheres of her life. She interacts frequently with biologists, people on a listserve (loveweb), and feminists. Fausto-Sterling’s three different spheres give her writing more credibility, I think, because she shows that she has been exposed to many different perspectives. I admire the way that she is able to navigate through these three different worlds.

Next, Fausto-Sterling discusses the history of sex and gender, and the differences between the two. One of the most compelling ideas is that our society feels the need to strictly define sex and gender. If a child is born with multiple genitalia, the doctor (and parents) usually make a decision and remove something in order for the child to be a defined “sex”. Additionally, on the U.S census, we can only check “male” or “female”, which poses a huge problem for individuals who are born with ambiguous or multiple genitalia. She discusses gender and sex differences in Ancient Greece and throughout history. The “nature or nurture” debate is also present in this chapter. I think the most interesting point here is that sexual behavior can be driven by an “impulse” or by a social construction. Finally, the author discusses the importance of dualisms in our everyday analysis of society, and how dualisms reinforce social constructions (such as gender).

Chapter 2: The Sexe Which Prevaileth

In chapter 2 of Sexing the Body, Fausto-Sterling discusses “hermaphrodite history”. Following from my comment about the U.S census and its strict gender definitions, I think that this chapter is an important one. The author explains a history of how hermaphrodites have been treated in society, suggesting that they have been regarded as “rebellious, disruptive, or even fraudulent” (34). In Europe, strict distinctions between males and females were part of the legal and political systems throughout history. This was due to rights of inheritance, judicial punishment, the right to vote, etc. Therefore, hermaphrodites encountered a huge problem: their “inter-sex” made it hard to know their legal and political rights. The title of the chapter comes from Sir Edward Coke who was a jurist in England: “an Hermaphrodite may purchase according to that sexe which prevaileth” (36). Hermaphrodites chose a sex with the help of medical and legal experts, and once the choice was made there was no going back.

Luckily, as society has progressed, scientists have come to better understand the “modern intersexual”, and they can usually be identified immediately at birth. Additionally, the idea of intersexuality has contributed greatly to the argument about sex and gender. Doctors today tend to want to make a decision about a child’s sex if they are born intersex. This is because there is a general assumption in society that there should only be two sexes, that heterosexuality is the norm, and that gender roles define the man and woman (44). These conventions shape society’s view on intersexuality and gender.