On males and females

[Cojuanco]

If a person have characteristics of both man and woman, does that make them a man or a woman? How about someone that would not fit the scientific definition of man or woman, yet to all appearances shows characteristics of a man or a woman? Since only males may be called to the priesthood, what criteria does the Church have for maleness?

 

[flyingfish]

If a person have characteristics of both man and woman, does that make them a man or a woman? How about someone that would not fit the scientific definition of man or woman, yet to all appearances shows characteristics of a man or a woman? Since only males may be called to the priesthood, what criteria does the Church have for maleness?

Does the Church acknowledge that someone can fail to fit the definition of male or female?

 

[Spencerian]

If a person have characteristics of both man and woman, does that make them a man or a woman? How about someone that would not fit the scientific definition of man or woman, yet to all appearances shows characteristics of a man or a woman? Since only males may be called to the priesthood, what criteria does the Church have for maleness?

Hi.

I can find no teachings so far on this subject.

A previous thread speaks of the issue of hermaphrodites.

As far as a person that “feels” as if they are one gender but appear as the other, the Church believes “to thine own self be true” in the general theme that your physicality is your reality. If you are born with male sexual organs, that is, you are male.

 

[Cojuanco]

I did not have hermaphrodites in mind when positing the question. I meant something like this scenario:

Science tells us that ordinarily, a female will have an XX chromosome pair, and a man will have an XY chromosome pair. Now what if we have someone who has, say, only an X chromosome? She would not fit into either category, yet observation has shown that, absent from some skin abnormalities and developmental problems, they have an abbreviated female reproductive system, though their fallopian tubes and wombs are non-functioning and rudimentary. The civil law, relying for the most part on outside observation, would categorize their newest subject as female. What would the Church consider it?

I ask because a friend of mine is in such a situation.