It's odd for me, as a long-time author of college biology textbooks, to witness governments rule on the nature of biological sex, perpetuating an oversimplified, binary definition.
A recent edition of The Week, in "The World at a Glance," relates that Britain's Supreme Court has defined a biological female: "While trans people are protected from discrimination under the 2010 Equality Act, the categories of 'man' and 'woman' in that act must refer to 'biological sex' because any other definition would be 'incoherent and impracticable.'"
Ditto Hungary. A constitutional amendment officially recognizes only male and female, banning LGBTQ groups from holding public events. Prime Minister Viktor Organ claimed inspiration in his biological dictate by the US's recent take on sex determination and gender identity.
"DEFENDING WOMEN"
The US president proclaimed the basis of binary biological sex in the January 20 executive order DEFENDING WOMEN FROM GENDER IDEOLOGY EXTREMISM AND RESTORING BIOLOGICAL TRUTH TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT – CAPS his. The statement conjures Captain Picard, in Star Trek Next Generation, uttering "make it so."
To continue reading, go to DNA Science, where this post first appeared.