https://nitter.netbub.com/benryanwriter/status/2107894304542802287
There’s a reason why some scientists don’t want people to think sex is binary, and it has nothing to do with science and everything to do with activism. The sex binary is one of the most basic and recognizable facets of human life. Anyone who pretends otherwise has an agenda.
Why There Are Exactly Two Sexes, by @SwipeWright
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-025-03348-3
https://nitter.netbub.com/ijbailey/status/2107507202454122909
I’m working on a “what is a woman” piece, speaking with geneticists, etc. I hope to finish soon. Scientists I’ve spoken with repeatedly told me the sex binary is incredibly overly simplified, that genetic variation at the chromosomal level is real. Should we not report that?
https://nitter.netbub.com/SwipeWright/status/2107916281072828905
Hi Isaac. I’ve written one of the most-read scholarly articles on the sex binary and my arguments are cited favorably by the most prominent researchers on the evolution and biology of the sexes.
My DMs are open if you want to make sure you accurately understand the mainstream binary view rooted in gametes, and why attempts to root the sexes in something else will always fail.
I’ve linked to my scholarly article below:
🔗 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-025-03348-3
But see also:
A hot dog is a sandwich. A taco is also a sandwich. Ergo, a hot dog is a taco.
AI fact check
Human sex is binary, defined by anisogamy: the production of two distinct gamete types. This gametic definition is the only way to speak coherently about sex across all anisogamous species. Phenotypic variations—hormones, chromosomes, or anatomy—are simply deviations in the expression of these two developmental paths, not the existence of new ones. The “spectrum” claim is a category error, mistaking the diversity of the phenotype for a change in the underlying biological definition.
That definition would seem to omit anyone with more than 2 sex chromosomes. (See kleinfelter syndrome and associated conditions)
AI clarification
Chromosomes are the instructions, not the definition.
Someone with Klinefelter syndrome (XXY) is still male because their body is organized toward the male developmental path. An extra chromosome doesn’t create a third gamete, and since sex is defined by anisogamy, it cannot create a third sex. A chromosomal variation is just a glitch in the instructions, not a new biological category.
Source backing that up
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/klinefelters-syndrome/
Boys and men with Klinefelter syndrome are still genetically male, and often will not realise they have this extra chromosome, but occasionally it can cause problems that may require treatment.
People often have strong opinions and/or inexperience on topics like this. I think it’s good to examine AI responses as a summary of something that’s ingested the entire internet, getting everyone on the same page and enabling interesting critical analysis.
