September 23, 2024
Neither male nor female?
The recent Olympics in Paris were quite a spectacle. From the unusual opening parade on the Seine River to the amazing story of US gymnast Simone Biles, the Olympics were an impressive competition to behold. Nevertheless, the event was not without its controversies. What struck me, in particular, was the storm surrounding the women’s boxing match and the boxer from Algeria.[1] For those not familiar with the controversy, Imane Khelif from Algeria, was not allowed to compete in the 2023 Women’s World Boxing Championships (WWBC) for failing two laboratory tests determining her sex. However, in 2024 the Olympic committee allowed Khelif to compete as a woman, stating that their criteria for determining sex differed from that of the WWBC.
While I can appreciate the issue surrounding this high-stakes, quite controversial, and delicate issue, my interest in the story is different. In reading several articles about the episode, I was struck by how little I understood biology in general and evolutionary biology in particular. Although I hold a PhD in history, my last course in science was as an undergraduate and it made me once again realize the old adage of “the more you know, the less you know”. The various articles about the Olympics controversy referenced: Swyer syndrome, the SRY gene, androgen insensitivity, CAIS, PAIS, 5-alpha-reductase, gene mutations, dihydrotestosterone, and chromosomal microarray (CMA) … This list is not exhaustive of what was reported in the press, and I am certain that even more obscure terms can be found in the academic scientific literature which reviewed the controversy. In my list above, I am leaving out the terms that I want to believe I fully understand such as gender dysmorphia and chromosomal abnormalities.
What I asked myself after reading these articles was how many Orthodox episcopal synods or bishops or priests understand this level of biology enough to make pronouncements about the faithful they serve? Certainly, declarations and decisions have been issued about individuals who fall under these categories. Such pronouncements have not only affected the dignity of the person, causing spiritual harm but also damage to the family and loved members of the individual. Therefore, I wonder how many times bishops and priests have consulted academics and scholars in the fields of biology, psychology, and other disciplines before making declarations that, to be charitable, are quite hurtful and many times border on pastoral abuse.
For example, consider the statement issued by the Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) in 2022 about same-sex relationships and sexual identity: “…any other form of sexual expression [other than male-female] is by its nature disordered…”[2] In the same statement from the OCA bishops, we find the following conclusion: “ We reject any attempt to create a theological framework which would normalize same-sex erotic relationships or distort humanity’s God-given sexual identity.”[3] Imagine that a loving Orthodox same-sex couple, in a long-term monogamous relationship, reads this “epistle” and learns that they and their marriage are “disordered, distorted, gangrenous, misled, scandalous…” all words used by the bishops in their pronouncement. The same statement by the Holy Synod of the OCA also demands that theologians and lay persons who study such matters as sex, gender, and sexual orientation cease their inquiry and should they continue must repent forthwith, risking possible excommunication. “Consequently, those who teach these errors become participants in the sin of those whom they have tempted or whom they have failed to correct and thus should seek remission of this sin in the mystery of holy confession. Those who refuse correction open themselves to ecclesiastical discipline.”[4] So, at least according to this group of bishops, even discussing the matter is sinful and warrants punishment.
I believe that Christ is aware of Swyer syndrome, the SRY gene, androgen insensitivity, CAIS, PAIS, 5-alpha-reductase, gene mutations, dihydrotestosterone, chromosomal microarray, gender dysmorphia and chromosomal abnormalities because He loves us all, because “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)
[1] https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-imane-khelif-boxing-paris-2eb07d442ffb29a61e09911884dcdaa9
[2] https://www.oca.org/holy-synod/statements/the-20th-all-american-council/holy-synod-issues-statement-on-same-sex-relationships-and-sexual-identity
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.