So are Hermaphrodites allowed under the law to marry either sex?

[Quixote1818]

I was just watching Jon Steward demolish Mike Huckabee http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/10/jon-stewart-mike-huckabee_n_149906.html on the subject of Gay Marriage and I thought it would have been interesting if Stewart had asked him what the Bible said about someone being a Hermaphrodite and who they could marry. I wonder how Huckabee would have responded to that angle? He probably would have simply said the Bible doesn't address Hermaphrodites.

It just goes to show that if nature can produce a person who is both male and female physically then the likely hood of nature producing a person who is physically one sex but mentally attracted to the same sex would be extremely high. Based on science I would think the fact that there are Hermaphrodites would be conclusive evidence that nature produces all kinds of amazing physically and emotionally unique people who can be attracted to either their own sex, the opposite sex, both sexes and maybe even someone who is both sexes.

Here is another angle to hit them with. Some lizard species such as the New Mexico Whiptail, have only females and have no males yet they can reproduce. Kind of puts a kink in the argument that nature intends there to always be a father and a mother. See link about these lizards here: http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/expeditions/treasure_fossil/Treasures/Unisexual_Whiptail_Lizards/lizards.html?50

[kayakjohnny]

1. Nice. Very nice. And don't even go down the earthworm road.

[Fumesucker]

2. Outstanding point.. n/t

[kayakjohnny]

4. Hey, I'm guessing you're a fumesucker because you ride the recumbent.

Is that a fair deduction? Cheers to you if so. Cool. Well, not the fume part, but...

[Fumesucker]

9. Good guess... But wrong..

Thanks to medical bills I doubt we will ever pay off we're sucking financial fumes.

[notesdev]

3. Flaw in the argument

There is no such thing as a true human hermaphrodite, one with functioning reproductive organs of both genders. So nature has not in fact produced such a person. You're not likely to make much ground wielding a completely fictional argument, sticking to facts you can back up is better.

[kayakjohnny]

5. I'm not so sure if you or we know that your statement is true. Could you pop us a link, by chance?

[Lint Head]

6. Is this person a flaw?

http://www.angelfire.com/ca2/BornHermaphrodite/


:dem:

[Quixote1818]

7. The argument still holds. This is not about the production of babies but sexual attraction

Most Hermaphrodites (correction Intersexed people not Hermaphrodites) don't have reproductive function of either organ but they still have sexual attraction to one or both sexes. So, what would the states stance be on who they should be able to marry regardless of their ability to produce children?

Also, here is an example of "True hermaphroditism" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intersex

With some conditions of intersex, even the chromosomal sex may not be clear. A "true hermaphrodite" is defined as someone with both male gonadal tissue (testes) and female gonadal tissue (ovarian tissue).

In 2004, researchers at UCLA published their studies of a lateral gynandromorphic hermaphroditic bird, which had a testicle on the right and an ovary on the left. Its entire body was split down the middle between male and female, with hormones from both gonads running through the blood.<39>

This extreme example of hermaphroditism is quite rare.

[SmileyRose]

15. you are mistaken

I personally know someone born with functioning male and female anatomy and could technically self reproduce. Even the bladder was connected via 2 urethra, one to each genital. Surgery was done to remove the male organs when she was 2. She is now outwardly a female but self identifies in private only as a man and if money were available would have sex reassignment surgery.

[LeftyMom]

8. Hermaphrodites is an offensive (and inaccurate) term. You're thinking of intersexed people, no?

[Quixote1818]

10. Wow. Learn something new every day. Thanks for the correction.

I looked it up and it seems you are correct. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intersex

[LeftyMom]

12. I did some coursework in Human Sexuality a while back though my school's Psych dept.

Interesting stuff. We talked quite a bit about the intersection between gender and sex (two completely different concepts) and how people relate to each.

[Political Tiger]

11. Someone I know just had a sex change

He went from a he to a she. He was born Michael but is now Michelle.

What I find interesting is that when he was Michael, he was not allowed to marry his boyfriend, but now that she is Michelle she IS able to marry her boyfriend! Mind you, this is in Florida which bans same-sex marriage!

I wonder what the fundies have to say about this?

[Oeditpus Rex]

13. I have a friend who did it the other way around

She's M-F transgendered. She and her wife were married when she was male.

[damntexdem]

14. In Utah can they marry both at the same time?

;-)