Here are common myths TRAs may have taught you. I will source everything and remain objective.
"Intersexuality is actually different sexes a human can be!"
Many trans rights activists insist that intersex conditions are forms of chromosomes and sexes that are naturally occurring. Based on the sole criterion of production of reproductive cells, there are two and only two sexes: the female sex, capable of producing large gametes (ovules), and the male sex, which produces small gametes (spermatozoa).
The diversity of forms of sexual development and the atypical types that occur are striking, whether of chromosomal, hormonal or environmental origin (caused by chemical products that disturb the endocrine system or by drugs taken during pregnancy, for instance).
In other words, intersex conditions do not naturally occur in human development and are birth anomalies in the way that they do occur, many people with chromosome based intersexuality often are infertile, and/or suffer physical or mental development disabilities.
Intersex conditions are not a spectrum of "penis to vagina" or "male to female" like many TRA sources imply, instead there are many combinations of genitalia and sex organs that can occur in ones body based on womb growth, puberty, genetics, etc. Any of these are put under the intersex umbrella.
Please note however, that it is also impossible to have functioning sets of both genitals, IE: Penis and Vagina, at most only one set of organs will work.
In science, the X is a female chromosome, the Y is a male chromosome - men have both female and male chromosomes, women have only female chromosomes. Intersex people are still male or female, as the only qualifier for male is to have an XY chromosome, and the only qualifier for female is to have no Y chromosome (IE: an X chromosome.) Not all intersex conditions are caused by chromosomes, intersexuality can develop at any time of key development stages of one's life: Pre-natal, childhood growth, puberty.
Some intersex conditions can sometimes occur exclusively in men, some occur exclusively with women, and some affect both:
Source(s):
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001669.htm
https://news.cnrs.fr/articles/how-many-sexes-are-there
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_hermaphroditism
https://news.cnrs.fr/articles/how-many-sexes-are-there
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intersex
https://static.md/55bd0c26b3328ae9746917ae67ebd07e.png
"People can have male or female brains!"
The concept of brain gender is a highly misogynistic theory with plenty of outdated information on how the brain actually works. It takes a concept that is true, Sexual Dimorphism, and conflates it with brain science with assumptions of how the brain works supported with gender stereotypes and a lack of understanding of culture.
For example, it was long thought that brain size determined intelligence or competency in certain skills - women's brains (or certain parts thereof) are often smaller than a man's, thus this "shows she is competent in women's things but not in "man's things"." In more modern studies this has been debunked as brain size is not strictly relegated to sex (just like how many men are tall, but not all of them) and that size of the brain does not affect some's intelligence.
In terms of gender identity there is no current or solid proof that brain sex is a sex specific phenomenon and cannot be used to determine if someone has "the wrong sex brain".
"Neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to “reorganise itself” means that over time our brains change in response to environment, activities we engage in, illness, injury and disease. So the commonly used catch phrase that our brains are “hard wired” is not a good description of our brains."
"According to professor of cognitive neuroimaging Gina Rippon, “The general consensus appears to be that, once variables such as birth weight and head size have been taken into account, there are very few, if any, structural sex differences in the brain at birth.” If there is “a genuine sex difference, indeed an ‘essential’ sex difference, and hard-wired to boot, you might expect it to be present at birth or certainly to emerge pretty early thereafter.”
"Professor of neurobiology at the University of Chicago, David Freedman, says: “Because the experience of being a male is fundamentally different to the experience of being a female, it throws a spanner in the works when you try to make correlations between brain difference and behaviour.” It is highly likely that differences in life experiences equate to differences in the brain, i.e. brain plasticity."
A study of London taxi drivers, found that the hippocampus – a structure responsible for long-term memory and spatial navigation – grew after the drivers gained experience navigating the city streets.
Currently, there is no known or scientifically proven part of the brain responsible for "identification" of ones sex.
Source(s):
https://www.womenarehuman.com/debunking-the-myth-of-gendered-brains/
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/london-taxi-memory/
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=AOZ8DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT178&lpg=PT178&redir_esc=y
https://curiosity.com/topics/is-there-a-difference-between-male-and-female-brains-curiosity/
https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=40362
"David Reimer is an example of a man turned trans, gender is innate!"
For context, David Reimer was a victim of a botched circumcision that irreversibly damaged his penis, a doctor by the name of John Money (the inventor of the concept of gender identity) took advantage of this situation and offered a "solution" to this boy's parents by allowing him to experiment on him.
This experiment meant that David would have a neovagina made and would have to take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as a female for the rest of his life. David was renamed "Brenda", David also has a twin brother which psychologists believed could be used a control. David's parents are asked to raise him as a girl and "encourage girly behavior as much as possible." which is not something I'd ever wish on a child of any sex.
However, this does end tragically, David develops dysphoria and states he wanted to be a boy. John Money concludes that gender identity is real and innate. David is told the truth, and goes along to have his penis reconstructed, eventually commits suicide and so does his twin brother.
Problem with this study: It is not only but poorly done, but unethical. There are many issues that are not discussed in mainstream about this case when it is used to promote trans rights:
A) Both David Reimer and his brother reported that John Money sexually abused them as children, even taking pictures of them and forcing them to have sex in different positions. This is especially suspect, as John Money is a pedophilia apologist, "Money held the view that affectional pedophilia is caused by a surplus of parental love that became erotic, and is not a behavioral disorder."
B) David and his brother recalled that John Money verbally and physically abused David when he did not conform to feminine gender roles or pick the female toys or dresses (this may have formed resentment in his new "gender identity" and made him not want to identify as female.
C) Young David was at least aware that his new genitals were not the same as a girl's or woman's. John Money would show David pictures of vaginas, and should also try to urge young David to have more surgeries (the vagina David started with was rudimentary).
D) Not only did they have "unusual" genitals, David would also have to take HRT pills, which they disliked taking and must have been suspicious, they would often throw them down the toilet.
Source(s):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Reimer
https://reason.com/2004/05/24/the-death-of-david-reimer/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Money
[–]mambean[S] 15 insightful - 1 fun15 insightful - 0 fun16 insightful - 0 fun16 insightful - 1 fun - (0 children)
[–]Rationalmind 10 insightful - 1 fun10 insightful - 0 fun11 insightful - 0 fun11 insightful - 1 fun - (0 children)
[–]MezozoicGay 8 insightful - 1 fun8 insightful - 0 fun9 insightful - 0 fun9 insightful - 1 fun - (0 children)
[–]Moonkittie 7 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 0 fun8 insightful - 0 fun8 insightful - 1 fun - (1 child)
[–]distortedlinds 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun - (0 children)
[–]snub-nosedmonkey 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun - (2 children)
[–]mambean[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun - (1 child)
[–]snub-nosedmonkey 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun - (0 children)