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5 drankl 0 8/25/2025, 6:37:32 PM
Dawkins has written a very rational essay on a very emotionally charged subject. Nowhere in his essay does he discount genetic mutations as a factor. It's that these are so exceedingly rare and we acknowledge that these seem to be mutations and not the norm that those rare subjects with them should deserve some sort of treatment (in which gene therapy is now becoming a reality) instead of redefining all of medicine that your self-perception means you've taken upon a genetic mutation.
Let's actually look at real numbers.
The number of births with ambiguous genitals is in the range of 1:4,500–1:2,000 (0.02%–0.05%)
The portion of the population that is intersex has been reported differently depending on which definition of intersex is used and which conditions are included. Estimates range from 0.018% (one in 5,500 births) to 1.7%
That's a massive range for an estimate.
Additionally no one is saying they don't count, I didn't say it Dawkins didn't say it. Trying to attribute words that weren't said is exactly the kind of emotional language that makes having a rational discussion impossible.
What was said is that those conditions are mutations from the expected norm. They deserve treatment as such. Because self perception doesn't dictate measurable medical reality.
The real focus should be on the medical community's endorsement endorsement of body mutilating for those who are underage. That's a very scary prospect to say that a child can't smoke or drink because of the life long harm but they can make one way body alterations after some counseling. If it was only adults choosing this then personal choice becomes a large factor in the conversation.
I support people's freedom to choose, but if you're not able to choose who you can have sex with, then you can't choose which sex organs to modify.