We need a new category – “mixed sex”

We need a new category – “mixed sex”

Adding a new identity label to LBGTQ is overdue

Peter A. Hempel

Today’s advocates of “gender fluidity” claim that all sexual designations and distinctions are merely a social/cultural construct. They point to “men” having babies as proof that conventional sexual distinctions are nonsense, and that a new age of human choice and empowerment has arrived.

The fact remains, however, that sex – i.e., male or female – is a biological designation, not a cultural construct. Masculinity and femininity are heavily influenced by social constructs, and different cultures have different practices and different boundaries, and this is the matrix within which “gender identity” resides. But in terms of biology and reproduction, the female of the species is the one with the eggs, and the male is the one with the sperm. (Yes, there are some individuals born with an unusual mix of X and Y chromosomes, but the vast majority of “trans” people started out with the usual configuration.)

A “man” ready to give birth to a baby – a miracle right up there with the virgin birth?

In support of this new, more enlightened, picture of sex and gender, and as a counter to mere science, we have recently been treated to magazine covers and newspaper stories profiling a series of “men” proudly displaying their pregnant bellies.

These self-identified “males” having babies, however, are biological women who have gone through hormone therapy to transform their faces, grow beards, adopt a different profile of muscular development, etc., to fit their preferred gender identity. They have, however, retained their vagina and eggs, and female reproductive capacity. In one case I read, the individual even opted not to have their breasts removed so that they could nurse a baby.

In no way is this person a biological male. They may feel like – or want to feel like – a male, but their reproductive organs tell a very different story.

I suggest that this calls for a new way to describe the situation – trans/female to male – “mixed sex,” (TFMMS[1]?) not unlike how “mixed race” has become a category in census surveys. This new designation would be a far more accurate– and less confusing – description of the reality of the situation. (This would also validate the idea of using “they/them” as pronouns.)

We might be tempted to call them bi-sexuals, but inconveniently, that term has already been appropriated to describe a mere sexual orientation.

This mixed-sex reality, of course, also raises some very interesting questions about their partner. Normally, if their partner had been in a relationship with a male, they would simply be gay. But here they are, obviously having sex involving old-fashioned penis/vagina interaction. Is that person gay, or something else that we don’t really have a name for yet? (“Gay with benefits”? Or perhaps some strange new “closet” category?)

In the end, “trans” leaves out some crucial information – specifically, how trans they are (or what kind of trans they are). It’s a term without nuance, that we are expected to accept without question.

Top transformation is easy – the easiest part of the process. Hormone injections and a few trips to the clothing store will do most of it. There are people who transition halfway and stay there – the costs and risks of “bottom” surgery are legitimately daunting.

“Bottom” surgery is a much bigger deal, very expensive, way more complicated, and often ends up with serious complications and problems. For males, it can involve grafting skin taken from the forearm, the thigh, or the back. Transitioned males (from female) cannot ejaculate, and if they have testes, they are artificial and ornamental. Transitioned females cannot self-lubricate, and have to follow a regular regimen of dilation to keep the vagina from closing up. (And none of this provides a transformation to the other biological sex in reproductive terms. In the end, a fully transitioned person may be a convincing simulacrum, but it is not a full biological sex change.)

Individuals living in the “middle ground” – hormone treatment but no genital surgery – face distinctive challenges.

“Trannies” – men who have taken hormones and developed a feminine appearance, but retain their male genitalia, have long been a fixture of porn and male fascination. Men (gay curious?) from countries around the world make tourist visits to Thailand, which is famous for its “ladyboys” (kathoey) in nightclubs and bars, for a kinky change of pace. (“Ladyboys” have created a distinct and vibrant subculture within Thai society with a prominent role in fashion and entertainment, although they still face discrimination in other areas.)

Women who partially transition to becoming men do not, to my knowledge, have the same cachet. (Except, perhaps, as potential “baby-havers.”) I have not heard of men – or women – seeking out individuals with male tops and female genitalia. They are not a topic of fascination in the popular media. (Shouldn't there be protests about this?)

In any case, I think the idea of “mixed sex” would help in unraveling the issues around trans participation on sports teams. A “trans woman,” who is still equipped with a penis, does not qualify in any way, in my view, to participate in a female sports team. (And even those with full bottom surgery present a major problem, since former males presumably developed their musculature while growing up male, which leaves them at a considerable advantage over regular women in many sports. The reverse – female to male – situation does not confer similar advantages on the playing field or in the pool.)

I don’t pretend to understand the psychology of any of this on an individual level, and have no interest in prescribing policy on the many contentious issues involved. Outside of any personal dating situation, I don’t care whether someone is straight or gay, or how they wish to identify. But biology is real, and it is unreasonable to cast science aside in the name of “gender fluidity” or any other kind of ideological construct.

©Peter A Hempel – 11/11/23 

(rev. 10/30/25)

[1] Woke warriors can now chant for the rights of the LBGTQTFMMS community.