The way we think about biological sex is wrong | Emily Quinn

翻译人员: Lipeng Chen 校对人员: sun leying

[This talk contains mature content]

（本视频包含成人内容）

I have a vagina.

我有一个阴道。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Just thought you should know.

我只是觉得你们应该知道。

That might not come as a surprise to some of you.

你们中的有些人可能并不会对此惊讶。

I look like a woman.

我看上去是个女人。

I'm dressed like one, I guess.

我想，我穿着也像个女人。

The thing is, I also have balls.

事实上，我也有着睾丸。

And it does take a lot of nerve

我需要很多勇气

to come up here and talk to you about my genitalia.

站在这里和你们谈我的生殖器官。

Just a little.

或是一点勇气。

But I'm not talking about bravery or courage.

但我不是来谈勇敢或是勇气的。

I mean literally -- I have balls.

我说的是真的——我有睾丸。

Right here,

就在这里，

right where a lot of you have ovaries.

就在你们很多人卵巢所在的地方。

I'm not male or female.

我既不是男人，也不是女人。

I'm intersex.

我是双性人。

Most people assume that you're biologically either a man or a woman,

大部分人认为人在生理上 要么是男人，要么是女人，

but it's actually a lot more complex than that.

但事实远远比这复杂。

There are so many ways somebody could be intersex.

成为双性人的成因有很多。

In my case, it means I was born with XY chromosomes,

我的情况是，我出生就有XY染色体，

which you probably know as male chromosomes.

你们也许知道这是男性染色体。

And I was born with a vagina and balls inside my body.

我出生就有阴道， 而睾丸在我的身体内。

I don't respond to testosterone,

我对睾丸酮没有反应，

so during puberty, I grew breasts,

所以青春期时，我的胸部增大，

but I never got acne or body hair, body oil.

但是从未有过粉刺， 体毛或是（过多）油脂。

You can be jealous of that.

你们也许会嫉妒吧。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But even though I don't actually have a uterus --

但是尽管我实际上没有子宫——

I was born without one,

我出生时就没有，

so I don't menstruate, I can't have biological children.

所以我没有月经， 我不能生孩子。

We put people in boxes based on their genitalia.

我们根据人们的生殖器对其分类。

Before a baby's even born, we ask whether it's a boy or a girl,

甚至在孩子出生之前， 我们就问是个男孩，还是个女孩，

as if it actually matters;

好像这事实上很重要似的；

as if you're going to be less excited about having a baby

好像如果孩子没有你想要的生殖器，

if it doesn't have the genitals you wanted;

你就会对有孩子这件事情 不那么兴奋似的；

as if what's between somebody's legs tells you anything about that person.

好像一个人腿间的东西（生殖器） 能告诉你关于这个人的任何事情似的。

Are they kind, generous, funny?

他们善良、慷慨、有趣吗？

Smart?

聪明吗？

Who do they want to be when they grow up?

当他们长大时，他们想成为什么样的人？

Genitals don't actually tell you anything.

实际上，生殖器不会告诉你任何东西。

Yet, we define ourselves by them.

但是，我们仍根据它们来定义自我。

In this society, we love putting people into boxes

在这个社会，我们喜欢将人们分类，

and labeling each other.

彼此互贴标签。

It kind of gives us a sense of belonging

这或许让我们有了一丝归属感，

and teaches us how to interact with one another.

教会我们如何相互交流。

But there's one really big problem:

但是这有一个很大的问题：

biological sex is not black or white.

生理性别不是非黑即白的。

It's on a spectrum.

它是在一个区间上的。

Besides your genitalia, you also have your chromosomes,

除了你的生殖器， 你还有染色体，

your gonads, like ovaries or testicles.

性腺，比如卵巢或睾丸。

You have your internal sex organs,

你有内部性器官，

your hormone production, your hormone response

荷尔蒙分泌，荷尔蒙反应，

and your secondary sex characteristics, like breast development, body hair, etc.

以及第二性征， 比如乳房发育和体毛等等。

Those seven areas of biological sex all have so much variation,

生理性别的七个方面， 都存在着很多的变化，

yet we only get two options:

但我们只面临着两个选择：

male or female.

男性或女性。

Which is kind of absurd to me,

这让我感到有些荒谬，

because I can't think of a single other human trait

因为我无法想到任何 其他的人类特征，

that there's only two options for:

只存在两个选项：

skin color, hair, height, eyes.

肤色、头发、身高、眼睛。

You can either have nose A or nose B, that's it, no other options.

你只可以有A类鼻子或B类鼻子， 没有其他选项。

If there are infinite ways for our bodies to look,

如果有无数种方式来呈现我们的身体，

our minds to think,

来定义我们的思维，

personalities to act,

来表现我们的个性，

wouldn't it make sense that there's that much variety

那么在生理性别上存在多种选择，

in biological sex, too?

不也就说得通了吗？

Did you know that besides XX or XY chromosomes,

你们知道除了XX或XY染色体，

you could have XX and XY chromosomes?

你可以同时拥有XX和XY染色体吗？

Or you could have an extra X -- XXY.

或是你可以多有一个X——XXY。

Or two extra -- XXXY.

或是多两个X——XXXY。

Goes on from there.

以此类推。

And for those "normal" people with XX or XY,

对于那么只有XX或XY的“正常”人来说，

what does that mean?

这意味着什么？

I have XY chromosomes.

我拥有XY染色体。

If my DNA is found at the scene of a crime --

如果在犯罪现场发现了我的基因，

not saying it will, but, you know, we'll see.

只是打个比方， 但是谁知道呢。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

If my skeleton is discovered thousands of years from now,

如果我的骨骼在数千年后被发现，

I'll be labeled male.

我会被标记成男性。

Is that the truth?

真是这样吗？

My balls would say so.

我的睾丸会说是的。

But what about the rest of me?

但我的其他部分呢？

And what if a woman has ovarian cancer and has to have her ovaries removed?

如果一个女人得了卵巢癌， 不得不摘掉她的卵巢呢？

Does she still qualify as a woman?

她还算是个女人吗？

What about other intersex people who are born without balls or ovaries

那些生来没有睾丸或卵巢的双性人，

or with just one or a combination of the two?

或是只有一种，或是两者都有的双性人呢？

Where do they go?

他们该何去何从？

Do you have to have a uterus to be a woman?

必须得拥有子宫， 才能算得上女人吗？

There's a lot of us who are born without one.

我们中的很多都生来没有子宫。

And everyone's favorite part, genitalia:

下面是大家喜闻乐见的部分，生殖器：

you either have one or the other, right?

要么是这一个，要么是另一个，对吗？

You either have a six-inch-long penis that's exactly this thick,

你要么有这么粗的六英寸长的阴茎，

jutting straight out of the body at a 90-degree angle,

以90度角伸出身体，

or you have a vagina that's this wide internally

要么有内部这么宽的阴道，

and a clitoris that's half an inch above the vaginal opening

和位于阴道口上方半英寸的阴蒂

and labia that look exactly like they're supposed to look like,

以及看上去就和它们 应该看上去一样的阴唇，

according to that one porn video you watched that one time.

就像你某次从色情片里看到的那样。

You know the one.

你应该记起来了。

If you've been with more than one sexual partner in your lifetime,

如果你一生中有过 多于一个的性伴侣，

and you line them up, one by one,

你把他们一个接一个排起来，

I guarantee you can identify them just by their genitalia.

我保证你可以根据 他们的生殖器认出他们。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Think about it.

想想看吧。

Go on.

继续想。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I see you.

我懂你们。

No judging.

不做评判。

Just notice.

只是说说。

All different, right?

都不一样，对吧？

The sex and gender binary are both so ingrained in our society,

性和性别这对二元组合在我们的 社会里十分根深蒂固，

that we never stop to think about it.

我们每时每刻都会想到。

We just automatically place each other into one box or the other,

我们自动的把彼此分进一个类别， 或是剩下的一个类别，

as if it actually matters.

好像这真的很重要似的。

Until somebody comes along to make you question it.

直到有人让你对此产生怀疑。

And if you're thinking that I'm the exception, an anomaly, an outlier:

如果你们认为我是个例外、 是个反常现象、是个非典型案例：

intersex people represent around two percent of the population.

人群中有2%的人为双性人。

That's the same percentage as genetic redheads.

这和人群中红色头发的人数比例相当。

It's about 150 million people, roughly,

相当于大约有1.5亿人，

which is more than the entire population of Russia.

这比整个俄罗斯的人口还要多。

So there's a lot of us, needless to say.

所以不必多言，我们数量庞大。

We're not new or rare.

我们既不是新产生的，也不是少见的。

We're just invisible.

我们只是隐形罢了。

We've existed throughout every culture in history.

我们在历史上的每个文化里都存在过。

Yet, we never talk about it.

但是，我们从不提及这件事。

In fact, a lot of people might not know that they're intersex.

事实上，许多人或许不知道 他们是双性人。

Have you had a karyotype test to determine your chromosomes?

你们是否参加过核型测试来 确定你们的染色体？

What about a full blood panel for all of your hormone levels?

是否取过一整版的血样来 测试你们的荷尔蒙水平？

A friend of mine found out last year, in his 50s.

去年，我的一个朋友在他50多岁时才发现。

The executive director of interACT,

interACT这个在美国为双性人争取权利的

which is the leading organization for intersex human rights here in the US,

先锋组织的执行董事，

she found out she was intersex at age 41.

她在41岁时才发现她是双性人。

Her doctors found out when she was 15,

她的医生们在她15岁时就知道了，

but they didn't tell her.

但是他们没有告诉她。

They lied and said that she had cancer,

他们谎称她得了癌症，

because that seemed like an easier option

因为这看上去比说

than finding out she wasn't "fully" a woman.

她不“完全”是个女人来的要简单。

This kind of thing happens a lot,

这类事情经常发生，

where intersex people are lied to or kept in the dark about our bodies,

即在身体这件事上，双性人 被欺骗，被蒙在鼓里，

which comes as a surprise to a lot of people.

人们为此感到惊讶。

But we live in a society that doesn't talk about sex or bodies at all,

但是我们生活在这个一点都 不谈论性或身体的社会里，

unless it's to mock or shame each other.

除非是嘲弄对方。

I found out I was intersex at age 10,

我在10岁时发现了我是双性人，

and for the most part, I was fine with that information.

大部分时间来说， 我坦然接受了这一点。

It didn't really faze me;

这没怎么让我惊恐；

I was still developing my understanding of the world.

我那时还在形成我对世界的理解。

It wasn't until I got older

直到我长得更大了些时，

and realized I didn't fit society's expectations of me,

我才意识到我不符合社会对我的期许，

that I didn't belong, that I was abnormal.

我不属于这里，我是个异类。

And that's when the shame started.

那时，羞耻感开始产生了。

How many times have you seen kids play with the "wrong" toys

多少次，你看到过孩子们和 他们性别“相左”的

for their gender?

玩具玩耍？

Or try on the "wrong" clothes?

或是穿上了“不对”的衣服？

All the time, right?

一直都有，对吗？

Kids don't have these ideas about gender norm,

孩子们对性别规范没有概念，

they don't have shame about who they're supposed to be

他们不会对他们应该成为什么样的人，

or what they're supposed to like or love.

或是他们应该爱什么样的人产生羞耻感。

They don't care about any of this stuff.

他们对这些事情毫不关心。

They don't have shame until we put it on them.

他们不会感到羞耻， 直到我们强加给他们。

I also had doctors lie to me.

我的医生们也对我撒了谎。

At age 10, they told me that I would also get cancer

10岁时，他们对我说如果 我不移除我的睾丸的话，

unless I removed my balls.

我就会得癌症。

Then they proceeded to tell me that every year.

然后，他们每年都会这么对我说。

Until today, there are still doctors who want me to remove them.

直至今日，仍有医生告诉我要摘掉它们。

But there's literally no reason.

但是，这背后真的没有原因。

If a typical XY male, like yourself, has testicles,

如果一个典型的XY男性， 比如你自己，有睾丸的话，

and one is undescended,

而其中一个是未降睾丸，

there's a high chance of it becoming cancerous --

那么这个睾丸很可能会发展出癌症——

or a higher chance of it becoming cancerous.

或是有更高的癌症风险。

They need to thermoregulated.

睾丸需要温控调节。

So they drop down away from the body to cool off,

所以它们会下降远离身体来降温，

or they shrink back up to get warm.

或是收缩回升来升温。

Mine don't need to do that.

我的睾丸不会这么做。

They're not responding to testosterone, they're not producing sperm.

它们不对睾丸酮产生反应， 它们不会产生精子。

They're fine right here inside my body.

它们在我的身体里好好的。

Yet, because there's such a lack of information about intersex people,

但是，由于对双性人知识的匮乏，

my doctors never understood the difference.

我的医生们永远都不知道这其中的差别。

They never really understood my body.

他们永远都不能真正理解我的身体。

As I got older,

随着我长大，

I had another doctor tell me that I needed to have surgery on my vagina.

我遇到另一个医生，告诉我 我的阴道需要动手术。

She said that until I had an operation, until she operated,

她告诉我，除非我动手术， 除非她主刀，

I would not be able to have "normal sex" with my husband one day.

否则我将不能和我的丈夫有 “正常的性行为”。

Her words.

她的原话。

I didn't end up going through with the operation,

最终我没有进行手术，

and I'm incredibly grateful for that.

我十分感激我的决定。

I'm not here to talk about my sex life.

我在这就不谈我的性生活了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But let's just say it's fine.

其实我的性生活挺不错的。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I'm fine, my body is fine.

我很好，我的身体也很好。

You actually wouldn’t be able to tell the difference

如果我不告诉你们的话， 你们实际上不会发现

between me and another person unless I told you;

我和另一个人的区别；

you wouldn't be able to tell that I was intersex unless I told you.

你们不会发现我是双性人， 除非我告诉你们。

But again, because of the lack of understanding about bodies,

但又一次，因为对于身体知识的匮乏，

my doctor didn't understand the difference.

我的医生没法理解其中的区别。

And for the most part, my sex life is fine.

大部分时间来说， 我的性生活很不错。

The only issue that really comes up

唯一真正的问题是

is that sometimes, sexual situations bring up memories of doctors touching me,

有时，性情景会勾起 医生触碰我时的回忆，

over and over again since I was 10.

从我十岁起，一遍又一遍的触碰。

I've been really lucky to escape --

我很幸运能够逃脱——

I didn't think I would get emotional --

我没想到我竟然有些不能自已——

I've been really lucky to escape the physical harm

我很幸运能够逃脱来自那些

that comes from these unnecessary surgeries.

不必要的手术的生理伤害。

But no intersex person is free from the emotional harm

但是双性人无法避免 来自社会的精神伤害，

that comes from living in a society that tries to cover up your existence.

这个双性人生存的社会， 在努力掩盖他们的存在。

Most of my intersex friends have had operations like these.

我的许多双性人朋友都做了这样的手术。

Oftentimes, they will remove testes like mine,

许多时候，他们会移除 像我身体内一样的睾丸，

even though my risk of testicular cancer is lower than the risk of breast cancer

尽管我患睾丸癌的概率 要小于一个没有疾病体质、

in a typical woman with no predisposition, no family history.

没有家族病史的正常女人 患乳腺癌的概率。

But we don't tell her to remove her breasts, do we?

但是我们不会让她摘掉乳房，是吗？

It's rare to meet an intersex person that hasn't been operated on.

很难找到没有做过手术的双性人。

Oftentimes, these surgeries are done to improve intersex kids' lives,

很多时候，这些手术的目的是为了 提高双性人孩子的生命质量，

but they usually end up doing the opposite,

但是它们往往起了反作用，

causing more harm and complications,

造成了更多的伤害和综合征，

both physical and emotional.

既有身体上的，也有心理上的。

I'm not saying that doctors are bad or evil.

我不是说所有的医生都是坏的 或是邪恶的。

It's just that we live in a society that causes some doctors to "fix"

我只是说，我们生活在 这么一个社会，促使医生去“修正”

those of us who don't fit their definition of normal.

我们这些不符合他们定义的正常的人。

We're not problems that need to be fixed.

我们不是需要被修正的问题。

We just live in a society that needs to be enlightened.

我们只是生活在一个 需要被教化的社会里。

One of the ways I'm doing that

我正在尝试的一种方法是

is by creating a genderless puberty guidebook

创造无性别的青春期指南，

that can teach kids about their bodies as they grow up.

在孩子成长的过程中 教他们认知自己的身体。

Not their girl bodies or their boy bodies --

不是女孩的身体或是男孩的身体——

just their bodies.

只是他们的身体。

We often place unrealistic expectations on the things that our bodies do

我们常常对我们无法控制的身体上的事情

that are outside of our control.

有着不切实际的期许。

I mean, if one man can grow a full, luxurious, hipster beard,

我是说，如果一个人可以长出浓郁的、 茂密的、嬉皮士般的胡子，

and the other can only grow a few mustache hairs,

而另一个人只能长出几撮小胡子，

what does that mean about who they are as men?

这对于判断他们是不是男性意味着什么？

Nothing.

什么都没有。

It literally, most likely, just means

最有可能的解释只有

that their hair follicles respond to testosterone in different ways.

他们的毛囊细胞对睾丸酮的 反应不尽相同。

Yet, how many times have you heard a man ashamed about something like this?

但是，你们何曾听过多少男人会 因为类似的事情感到羞愧吗？

Imagine a world where we could live in a society

试想这样一个世界，在这个社会中，

that teaches us not to have shame

人们不会因为身体拥有某个特点，

about the things that our bodies do or do not do.

或没有某个特点，而感到羞愧。

I want to change the way that we think about biological sex in this society --

我想要改变这个社会上 我们对于生理性别的看法——

which is a lot to ask for.

这需要做很多工作。

You could say it's ballsy, I guess.

或许你们会说这很勇敢。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But eventually we accepted the world as round, right?

但是最终我们接受了世界是圆的，不是吗？

We no longer diagnose gay people with mental disorders

我们不再认为男同性恋患有精神疾病，

or women with hysteria.

或认为女同性恋患有癔症。

We don't think epilepsy is caused by the devil anymore, so that's cool.

我们不再认为癫痫是恶魔附体， 这很好对吧。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

We constantly change and evolve, the more we understand as a society.

我们不断地改变和演进， 作为社会也因我们越来越理解开化。

And biological sex is on a spectrum.

生理性别是在一个区间上的。

It's not black or white.

它不是非黑即白。

Not only could that knowledge save intersex kids

这样的知识不仅能够拯救双性人孩子

from physical and emotional harm,

免于身体和精神的伤害，

I think it would help everyone else, too.

而且我认为这也有助于所有人。

Who here has ever felt inadequate or ashamed

这里有没有人曾经因为不够女孩子，

because you weren't girly enough, you were too girly,

或是太女孩子气了，抑或是不够男子汉，

you weren't manly enough, or too manly?

或是太男子气了而感到没有自信或羞耻？

We constantly shame people for not fitting into a box,

我们一直都因人们不按 其类别行事而羞辱他们，

but the reality is,

但是事实是

I think we shame others because it prevents them from seeing

我认为我们羞辱他人是为了

that we don't fit inside our boxes, either.

让他人不会意识到我们也没有按类行事。

And the truth is that nobody actually fits in a box,

真相是没有人真正归属于一类，

because they don't exist.

因为类别并不存在。

This binary, this false male-female facade is something we constructed,

这个双元的，错误的男-女表象 只是我们自己

we built ourselves.

构建出来的东西。

But it doesn't have to exist.

它没有必要存在。

We can break it down.

我们可以瓦解掉它。

And that's what I want to do.

这就是我想做的。

Will you join me?

你们愿意加入我吗？

Thanks.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）