To include genitals or not to include genitals…. that is the question.I think I was talke

To include genitals or not to include genitals…. that is the question.

I think I was talked out of it by my team so we could have greater reach in conservative US schools. I think that normalizing differently shaped genitals is a really important message, and I suppose I don’t mind having that on the website instead.

[Hi, Boston! I’m Dr. Williams. You are probably familiar with the stereotypical male and female sexes for humans (these are called dyadic), but scientists have known for a long time that there’s way more options than that. We call these intersex, and it’s more common than you may think! These are normal and natural conditions and part of the beautiful diversity of human bodies. Just like we have lots of variation in hair color, nose shape, or height, we have many shades of gendered biology, too. 

When it comes to our bodies, no two are exactly alike! Genitals are a great example of this. They come in all shapes and sizes and colors. Sometimes there’s a medical need for the body’s plumbing to be modified surgically at birth. However, doctors will often operate on infants with functioning genitals for no good medical reason - just to make their bodies look “normal.” This is terrible because it hurts children, makes lasting changes without consent, and sends a message that their bodies are not okay. 

The truth is that all bodies are beautiful. But, your body doesn’t define you: you can have any gender identity or sexual orientation with any body type. Our bodies change as we grow. Sometimes our relationship with our bodies is part of how we understand our gender. The important thing is try to be a friend to your body and use words that feel good to you to describe it.

FYI box:The United Nations released a statement in 2013 condemning forced genital-normalizing surgery, but unfortunately, it still happens.11 Groups like InterACT are working to help advocate for the human rights of all children.]

This is a very rough draft from the upcoming version of the GENDER book I’m working on, posting here for community feedback. Please let me know what you think, where I am being problematic and how it could be better! If you prefer to respond anonymously or join the team to be a more active collaborator, you can write me at [email protected]

Feel free to use it as-is if you’d like to, though. It’s creative commons licensed so the only limitations are to share your source and don’t sell it.