This video series offers biological perspectives on human diversity in sex and gender. Feel free to consult the study and reflection guide below which contains additional information as well as discussion prompts for those who chose to watch the videos in a group.
About the Series
While many Americans have noticed controversies over bathroom bills, narrowing governmental definitions of gender, or even just a greater visibility of transgender people, it can be difficult to find reliable information on what we actually know about gender and sex from a biological point of view. In a new video series from Phyllis Leppert, M.D., Ph.D. (Duke University emerita, President of the Campion Fund), scientists and experts unpack the deceptively simple concept of biological maleness and femaleness, and explain why it is an oversimplification to assume that we all fit neatly into one of two categories.
Speakers John Yarbrough, Kathryn McClelland, Ph.D. (Campion Fund consultant), Sarah Berga, M.D. (University of Utah), Joan Roughgarden, Ph.D. (Stanford emerita, University of Hawaii), and Rev. Phillip Cato, Ph.D. (bioethics consultant for NIH, retired Navy Chaplain and Episcopal Priest, Diocese of Washington, DC), each deliver short talks (3-6 minutes each), accompanied by animations, on the following topics:
- A personal account as a transgender person, from childhood musings to struggles in adulthood, and finally a transition.
- A description of the cascade of steps it takes for maleness and femaleness to develop in a baby, and some of the normal ways in which these steps can deviate from the stereotypical sequence.
- A discussion of how hormone levels (like testosterone and estrogen) shape male and female brains to be very different from each other, and how brains come in many more than just two forms.
- A survey of sex and gender variation across species, cultures and human history.
- An argument for the value of considering scientific perspectives when forming opinions, rather than relying solely on our intuition.
Adapted from a workshop that was conducted at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Durham, North Carolina in April of 2017, the Campion Fund has designed these videos to be viewed either independently or in a group workshop format. A study manual accompanies the video series, including prompts that can be used to spur group discussion or independent reflection, and resources for further reading.
Study Guides
These videos are designed to be viewed by small groups of persons interested in learning about the science behind sex and gender variation, though they can also be viewed by an individual alone. The goal of the group should be to learn about the topic, not to express individual opinions.
In order to maximize knowledge and appreciation of their content, it is recommended that a leader for the viewer group use this guide. It is not necessary that the leader of the group have a scientific background.
It is essential that the leader read the material below including the reference material prior to the discussion.The leader must ensure that all persons in the group are given the time toask questions and to express their thoughts.If questions are asked that cannot be answered by the leader, someone from the group should commit to researching the answer and following up with the group.
The NIH website, www.nih.gov, is a good source for necessary information. Another source is Medline Plus, www.medlineplus.gov. Some of these topics are sensitive, and the discussion may become heated. We recommend that the group establishes ground rules that are written down and can be returned to if necessary. Here are some examples of such rules:
1) assume good intentions, 2) ask questions rather than express judgement, 3) good people can disagree, and if the disagreement gets too heated, then we will take a break, and 4) we want to hear all voices, so if you are usually quiet please try to participate, and if you are usually talkative please step back a bit to allow others theroom to express themselves.
Spend some time after each video considering the prompts in this manual, as well as other ideas that may come up. If in a group, spend at least five to ten minutes in a discussion after each video. If you are looking at the videos alone, we recommend writingdown your thoughts.After this workshop, participantscan keep up with science advancesby going to the NIH and Medline Plus websites for accurate information. Newspapers such as the Washington Post report on thesematters from time to time. Local colleges and universities often have educational programs for the non-scientist as well.The Campion Fund hopes that this video series stretches your thinking and opens your mind to new ways of considering sex, gender,and gender identity.
Further Reading
Brain differences between genders (Easy)
Two-Spirit people (Easy)
Sex determination and differentiation (Medium)
Minireview on sex differentiation (Difficult)
Sex beyond the genitalia: The human brain mosaic (Difficult)
Credits
- Videos and animation by Sophia Tintori
- Camera and sound by Gordon Bell, Sophia Tintori and Valerie Narte
- Trailer music by David Hilowitz
- Produced by The Campion Fund
- Big thanks to Dr. Jacqueline Alexandra Brashears, Mary Cybulski, and Hawaii Women in Filmmaking
- All videos published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 license