Summary
The male-female binary is neither universal nor timeless, citing diverse historical and cultural traditions—from Talmudic Judaism to the Hijra of South Asia—that have long recognised and honoured identities beyond two sexes. Biologically, evolutionary scientists confirm that sex is multifactorial and a spectrum, not a fixed binary, with natural variations like intersex conditions affecting about 1.7% of the population.
Go Back to School Richard Dawkins
The recognition of multiple sexes and genders throughout history is a fact.
For thousands of years, societies around the world have acknowledged identities beyond the male–female binary, often granting them spiritual, social, or legal significance:
Talmudic Judaism (c. 200 CE – 500 CE) Rabbinic law recognised at least six sex categories: male (zachar), female (nekeva), androgynos (both), tumtum (indeterminate), saris (male without secondary traits), and ay’lonit (female without secondary traits). These were treated as distinct legal statuses, not anomalies.
Hijra in South Asia (over 4,000 years) Hijras are a recognised third gender in Hindu and Islamic traditions, appearing in epics like the Mahabharata. They hold ritual roles at births and weddings and were formally recognised as a legal gender in India in 2014.
Two-Spirit in Indigenous North America (pre-colonial) Many Native nations honoured people who embodied both masculine and feminine spirits, often as healers or spiritual leaders. The modern “Two-Spirit” term revives these traditions suppressed under colonisation.
Eunuchs in the Bible (c. 700 BCE – 100 CE) Eunuchs appear throughout scripture, sometimes as trusted officials, sometimes as spiritual figures. In Isaiah 56, eunuchs are promised divine blessings, showing inclusion beyond reproductive categories.
Hindu Multi-Sexed Deities (ancient India)- Gods like Ardhanarishvara (half Shiva, half Parvati) embody both male and female in one form, symbolising unity and fluidity. Vishnu’s avatar Mohini further illustrates divine gender transformation.
Key Point: Go Back to School Richard Dawkins
Across Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Indigenous North America, and South Asia, sex and gender diversity have been recognised for millennia.
These traditions demonstrate that the binary model is neither universal nor timeless — instead, human cultures have long embraced multiplicity, fluidity, and sacred roles beyond male and female.
In February 2025, the President of the Evolution Society joined hundreds of evolutionary biologists in sending a letter to President Trump after his executive order claimed that sex is strictly binary and fixed at conception.
The scientists made it clear:
Sex is a multifaceted phenomenon, involving chromosomes, gonads, hormones, anatomy, and secondary traits. Biology demonstrates variation and overlap, rather than a rigid binary. Intersex conditions and chromosomal diversity prove that sex is best understood as bimodal with spectrum‑like variation, not “two unchangeable categories.”
Across species, sex systems are diverse — some organisms change sex, others have more than two mating types.
The Evolution Society warned that oversimplifying biology into a political slogan risks harming people whose bodies don’t fit neat categories.
In villages like Salinas, Dominican Republic, some children are born appearing female but develop male traits at puberty. This is due to a 5‑alpha‑reductase deficiency, which prevents testosterone from being converted in the womb. At puberty, a surge of testosterone masculinises the body: testes descend, voices deepen, and male genitalia form. Locally, they are called guevedoces (“penis at twelve”), and the community has long recognised this natural variation.
The United Nations has highlighted that around 1.7% of the world’s population is born intersex, meaning their biological characteristics do not fit typical definitions of male or female. This figure, often cited in UN human rights reports, underscores that intersex people are as common as those with red hair — far from rare exceptions. By recognising this statistic, the UN stresses that sex diversity is a natural part of human variation and calls for the protection of intersex individuals from discrimination, unnecessary medical interventions, and social stigma.
