In this SF Chronicle piece, Ash Zemenick discusses evidence for biological sex as a continuum rather than a binary. They argue that humans whose chromosomes, gametes, or hormones do not fit into a binary are common and that it is more useful to view them as a form of diversity rather than as an exception to a rule.
The Intersex Roadshow (Blog)
In this blog, intersex sociologist Dr. Cary Gabriel Costello writes about current intersex issues in historical context.
Intersex people are supposed to lie low and keep quiet. Not me.
I'm not defective, I'm not disordered, I'm not ashamed. I just don't fit in your M/F boxes.
I'm intersex by birth and honest by choice.
Sex Determination and Non-disjunction Lesson by Sabrina Kayed
This highly accessible lesson was designed by Sabrina Kayed for Grade 11 Biology. The lesson is designed to move students’ understanding of biological sex beyond the simplistic binary model and introduce them to the idea of sex as a spectrum.
Archaeology's Sexual Revolution
Male, female, transgender, and other circular symbols made of multi-colored bones
Read this article, which details the reckoning archaeology has had to do when addressing the complex, non-binary nature of biological sex characteristics. Includes several case studies of ambiguous archaeological remains which have pushed scientists to reconsider preconceived notions of both gender and sex in prehistoric times.
Sex Redefined: The Idea of 2 Sexes Is Overly Simplistic
In this Scientific American article, Claire Ainsworth, discusses evidence for the spectrum model of biological sex using introductory language.
Sex isn’t binary, and we should stop acting like it is
This article by Liza Brusman is available in English and Spanish, text or read loud.
Article: Transgender People and “Biological Sex” Myths
In this Medium article, biochemist and writer Julia Serano discusses the myth of a binary biological sex, and its implications for oppression and social justice.
Scientific American: "Beyond XX and XY"
A host of factors figure into whether someone’s biological sex appears female, male, or somewhere in between. This reference poster from Scientific American represents some elements in the spectra of gender (identity) and (biological) sex.
Though this poster uses the phrase "intersex conditions", we advise using "intersex traits" instead.
Creator Amanda Montañez tells the story behind the infographic in her article, "Visualizing Sex as a Spectrum".
Pigeonetics Game
Pigeonetics is a game developed by the University of Utah Genetic Science Learning Center for web browser and mobile devices (iOS and Android). Players complete pigeon breeding challenges through trial and error. Students use evidence to learn the patterns of simple genetic inheritance, sex chromosome inheritance, and eventually incomplete dominance with dilution.
As curators of gender-inclusive resources, we like this game because it accurately portrays sex in animal species without conflating sex with gender or anthropomorphizing the animals. It also comes with a teacher guide.
Glossary resources, sports access, and new podcast appearances [Apr]
Hello, educators! You are in our thoughts during this challenging time. Here is our newsletter for April 2020.
Hi, everyone!
You are in our thoughts during this challenging time. Though we are physically isolated from our students and each other, the Gender-Inclusive Biology team would like to share gender-inclusive resources for remote learning and support.
Please email us if you have other suggestions or are seeking help.
Check the end for an invitation to the first of a series of informal social hours on Zoom.
Useful gender-inclusive resources for teaching remotely: Here are a few assets that we think will be useful for teachers distributing lessons remotely during this time. Please email us if you have other suggestions to add to this list!
Activity: Sex verification in athletes This activity guides students through analyzing data and the history of how sex verification in athletes has changed over time. When using with students, you can emphasize the idea that "biological sex" is an ambiguous, non-scientific term with a definition that has changed over time.
Video: There are more than two human sexes This engaging video (mostly geared towards the high school level) is a great introduction to diversity of sex characteristics and distinguishes the differences between sex and gender identity.
Video: Secrets of the X Chromosome This video and lesson addresses the differences between sex chromosomes and autosomes, including high-engagement topics like colorblindness, identical twins, and cats, all while approaching sex and gender using more accurate language than most online resources.
Gender-inclusive Biology Talkspace/Social hour: We will be hosting our first informal check-in space for educators interested in Gender-Inclusive Biology on Thursday, April 16th at 3 PM Pacific/6 PM Eastern via Zoom. If you are interested in joining us, please email Lewis (fishyteaching@gmail.com) for the link to join in!
Upcoming appearances:
Many in-person conferences have been canceled in the coming months. However, there are some exciting opportunities to connect with Gender-Inclusive Biology Education and related work in online and remote settings.
Sam gave a 30-minute webinar about Gender-Inclusive Biology on the STEM Village on Monday, April 6th - you can check out the video recording here!
Jamie Kubiak, a chemistry teacher in New York City, gave a recent webinar on creating LGBTQ-inclusive classrooms. You can view the recording and see the slide deck here.
Sam has been doing a Twitter series focused on dispelling common stereotypes and misconceptions about Asian-Americans by sharing his own stories and the stories of Asian-American heroes in STEM and beyond. You can check the project out using the hashtag #ExpectAsianVsReality
Sincerely,
Lewis, Sam, and River
The Gender-Inclusive Biology Team
interACT Letter of Concern for Chromosome/Barr Body Staining Lab
Some schools do a lab exercise where students stain their own cells and determine their sex chromosomes (X and Y). This is a letter from the Executive Director of interACT that can be used to advocate for not doing this exercise due to the potential harm it can cause for intersex individuals.
Sex Determination – Why So Many Ways of Doing It?
Image shows simplified diagrams of some systems of sex determination - hermaphroditism in plants and fish, environmental sex determination in reptiles and plants, and genotypic sex determination in humans and birds.
This PLOS Biology article details the diverse mechanisms by which sex is determined in different species, how they evolved, and how they may look in the future. The article opens with a treatment of three common myths of sex determination.
Editor’s note: The term "hermaphrodite" is appropriate for referring to non-human animals with sex characteristics that do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies. For humans, “intersex” is the appropriate term—learn more here!
Although the entire reading is not for k-12 audiences, the three myths, Figure 3, Figure 4, and Box 2 are suitable for high school.
Article: "Stop Using Phony Science to Justify Transphobia"
Image shows a hand holding up a speech bubble with the transgender pride flag colors - blue, pink, and white. The speech bubble contains the transgender symbol with an equal sign inside.
In this Scientific American article, Simón(e) D Sun explains how misunderstandings of science have been used to dehumanize trans people in society. Sun explains how genetic sex and the relationship between the body, brain, and hormones are both complex and validate the existence of transgender people.
A Biology Teacher Just Destroyed Every Excuse for Transphobia With Cold, Hard Facts (Observer)
A few of the facts that biology teacher Grace Pokela shares:
sex chromosomal variety: Insects use an XO sex determination system, while birds use the ZW system.
environmental factors for sex: A reptile’s sex is at least partly determined by the temperature in which the egg develops.
hermaphroditism: Flatworms transfer sperm through a process called penis fencing (which is described in graphic detail here).
hermaphroditism & sex change: In clownfish colonies, dominance is based on size, the female being the largest and the male being the second largest. If the female dies, the male gains weight and becomes the female for that group.
Editor’s note: The term "hermaphrodite" is appropriate for referring to non-human animals with sex characteristics that do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies. For humans, “intersex” is the appropriate term—learn more here!
transgender behavior: Other fish species take on female attributes while mating, and they release sperm in the process.
2+ sexes: Fungi like molds and mushrooms have 36,000 sexes.
In humans, 5-alpha-reductase deficiency is a real (albeit rare) condition, in which young women grow a penis during puberty.
In humans, androgen insensitivity syndrome (AHS) is an intersex condition in which a person who is genetically male is resistant to male hormones . As a result, the person has some or all of the physical traits of a woman, but the genetic makeup of a man.
In humans, the SRY gene is involved in male sexual development—without it fetuses can be genetically male (with XY chromosomes) but have a female body. The same is true in females (with XX chromosomes), who can develop a male body without the SRY gene.
In humans, XXY males are sterile, with small testes—while women with only one X chromosome (a condition called Turner syndrome) are infertile and don’t go through puberty. Males with two X chromosomes (called Klinefelter syndrome) are taller, with a higher risk of breast cancer and osteoporosis.
Read more at https://observer.com/2017/03/transgender-facebook-troll-biology-sexuality/