The incident involving Taiwanese female boxer Lin Yu-ting, whose gender was questioned after J.K. Rowling, the author of Harry Potter, retweeted a foreign media report, has sparked widespread attention and discussion. This event has not only put Lin Yu-ting under tremendous pressure but also prompted the Taiwanese medical community to rethink the relationship between chromosomes and gender. Genetics experts point out that gender is not determined solely by XX or XY chromosomes but is the result of a combination of more than 20 genes and environmental factors.
In the early stages of embryonic development, gender is not yet determined, and the process of sex differentiation is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Therefore, cases of Disorders of Sex Development (DSD) are not uncommon. In these cases, individuals with XY chromosomes may be female, or those with XX chromosomes may be male. Statistics show that about 1 in every 5,500 newborns worldwide experiences sex-related issues at birth, often only being discovered during puberty or adulthood.
In the early stages of embryonic development, gender is not yet determined. (Photo/Provided by Heho Health)
However, it is important to note that sex differentiation disorders are different from being transgender. Sex differentiation disorders result from physiological factors like genetics or hormones leading to discrepancies between sexual characteristics and chromosomes, whereas being transgender involves a mismatch between psychological gender and physiological gender. This incident reminds us to be more cautious and inclusive when addressing gender issues, understanding the complexity of gender determination, and avoiding overly simplistic judgments about specific cases.
