Trump’s first week of Presidency was marked by swift and bold actions, but he’s making waves for some other reasons. A technical mistake in Donald Trump‘s new executive order has taken the internet by storm. The new president signed the executive orders that has apparently disregarded the scientific principles related to gender.
The hype started when Trump issued his executive orders shortly after delivering his inaugural speech. The EO had multiple decisions like withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organization and Paris agreement, steps to address climate change and global health initiatives. Among these was another EO that targeted transgender and non-binary individuals, inadvertently leading to a surprising conclusion.
In the very EO, female was defined as “A person belonging, at conception, to the se* that produces the large reproductive cell”, referring to pre-determined se*ual orientation even before birth.
At first glance, this definition might seem purely biological but this line in the EO has sparked waves of controversy, debate and even satire. The intent behind this strict definition was likely to provide clarity for federal programs and protections. However, critics argue that it oversimplifies human diversity merging anti-abortion and anti LGBTQ+ rhetoric.
Furthermore, the internet highlighted the humorous take and technical problem on the so-called definition of female as it also demonstrates a misunderstanding of basic biology. It led to the viral headline that grabbed attention as effectively as the exaggerated claim: “Donald Trump’s new Executive Order technically makes every American female”.
Scientists have pointed out that all embryos are indistinguishable at the early stages of development and the initial template resembles what is traditionally considered female anatomy. For instance, all humans develop nipples, whether they eventually lactate or not.
Later in the development, at around 6 weeks of conception, se* of the developing embryo is defined. The SRY gene triggers a pathway that leads to male development in individuals with XY chromosomes while the other individuals with XX chromosomes continue to develop into females.
However, this process is complex and more than often results in unexpected outcomes as well. For example, sometimes the individuals despite carrying XY chromosomes develop into females due to minor genetic alteration as in Swyer syndrome. There are also documented cases like a Croatian woman having XY chromosome successfully gave birth.
This suggests there might be many more women out there with atypical chromosomal combinations who might remain unaware since testing is rarely conducted without any medical necessity. Typically se* of an individual is determined at the time of birth by physically looking at the external g*nitalia but this does not account for all the possibilities.
Although there are “technical implications” of the EO, courts will definitely prioritize the actual intent. However, in science, it is the precise language that matters and we are happy to explore its lighter side.
