The Good Citizen Podcast #413 Binary: Debunking the Sex Spectrum Myth with Zachary Elliott
The definition of sex as binary–male and female–is a creation order issue (Gen. 1:26-27) and at the core of a number of current cultural and legal debates. This definition impacts sports, birth and medical records, medical treatment, placement in correctional facilities, our sense of self, and apologetics and disciple-making at home and in the local church (to name a few). And culture and especially the transgender movement has pushed for an understanding of sex as a subjective spectrum rather than the male/female binary. In this interview, Zachary Elliott from the Paradox Institute sets out the evidence in genetics and fetal development (as well as other fields) for the binary reality of sex; responds to common arguments for the sex spectrum and objections such as intersex conditions/Disorders of Sexual Development; and explains why accurately defining sex as binary is critical for the common good.
Zachary A. Elliott is a science educator who has studied the biology of sex since 2017. Through his research of the scientific literature, he has authored four books on sex differences, combining rigorous research with accessible explanations for a general audience. His work has been informed through collaboration and consultation with medical doctors, biologists, and other experts in the field.
Key Takeaways:
- How to accurately and concisely define sex in the midst of cultural confusion.
- How to respond to common objections, such as intersex conditions and Disorders of Sexual Development.
- Why we do not all “start as female.”
- The importance of this topic for apologetics and disciplemaking at home and in the local church.
- Binary: Debunking the Sex Spectrum Myth
- The Sex Development Handbook
- Paradox Institute YouTube Channel