Prominent Doctors Sign "Petition to Uphold the Scientific Definition of Sex in Federal Law and Policy"

Prominent medical doctors and other educators have signed a “Petition to Uphold the Scientific Definition of Sex in Federal Law and Policy.” It is addressed to the Trump administration. Following is an excerpt: “We, the undersigned medical, legal, and policy organizations and individuals applaud the Trump Administration’s intention to uphold the scientific definition of sex in federal law and policy, such that girls and women will regain their sex-based legal protections, and the human rights of all will be preserved. Not only is an expanded definition of sex unscientific, but it has also proven harmful, as we detail below. According to the Institute of Medicine, sex is a narrowly defined biological term. Sex is a biological trait that defines living things as male and female based on the complement of sex chromosomes and the presence of reproductive organs. Human sex is a binary, biologically determined, and immutable trait from conception forward. The norm for human design is to be conceived either male or female. Human sexuality is binary by design for the obvious purpose of the reproduction of our species. This principle is self-evident. ‘XY’ and ‘XX’ are genetic markers of male and female, respectively, and are found in every cell of the human body, including the brain. Sex is established at conception, declares itself in utero, and is acknowledged at birth. Sex differences are real and consequential. The Institute of Medicine recognized the singular importance of sex to health and the field of medicine nearly two decades ago. Sex chromosomes impart innate differences between men and women in literally every cell of our bodies. There are over 6500 shared genes that are expressed differently in human males and females. These differences impact our brains, organ systems, propensity for developing certain diseases, differential responses to drugs, toxins and pain, differential cognitive and emotional processes, behavior and more. In reality, an individual who identifies as transgender remains either a biological male or female. Sex is not a spectrum; congenital disorders are not additional sexes. The final result of sex development in humans is unambiguously male or female over 99.98 percent of the time. The use of congenital disorders to advance the myth that there are a multitude of human sexes which exist on a spectrum is ideological and political activism, not science.” The petition has been signed by the chief officers of the American College of Pediatricians (Michelle Cretella, M.D. and Quentin Van Meter, M.D.), as well as many other medical doctors, psychiatrists, and law professors.

(Friday Church News Notes, December 21, 2018, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143)

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