Don’t call them hermaphrodites. Intersexual people, who have a combination of male and female organs/physical attributes, have been the source of much media attention lately.

First, there came speculation that pop star Lady Gaga has a penis, after a strange incident during one of her concerts [view video here - possibly NSFW]. Lady Gaga denies this rumor, saying “I’m not offended – my vagina is offended.” [1]

Then, South African athlete Caster Semenya’s gender came under investigation last month, after she won the 800 meter gold medal at Berlin’s World Athletics Championships. Her masculine features and athletic successes prompted a series of gender tests, which hit headlines even before the rumors were proven. [2]

The Intersex Society of North America (ISNA) claims the field of medicine has “historically politicized the body,” categorizing people as either male or female, even though 1 in every 100 births deviates from standard gender definitions. [3] The ISNA offers literature backing their argument, including many case studies of people born into an ambiguous body. [4]

The 2007 Argentine film XXY tells the story of a 15-year-old intersex person as she comes to terms with her sexuality.

In spite of social stigmas, however, there have been many notable transgendered, transsexual and intersexual people in the public eye over the years. They’ve defined their own identity and found success as contributing members of society.

IN POP CULTURE/FILM/TV

Amanda Lepore - Model for M.A.C. cosmetics, Swatch and Playboy;  Regular subject of David LaChapelle’s art

Isis King - America’s Next Top Model contestant

Caroline Cossey (aka Tula) – British model, author and Bond girl

Alexandra Billings - Actress (Grey’s Anatomy, ER)

Candis Cayne - Actress (Dirty Sexy Money)

Candy Darling - Part of Andy Warhol’s Factory and subject of The Velvet Underground song “Candy Says”

Brandon Teena - Subject of the Academy Award winning film “Boys Don’t Cry”

Pepper LaBeija – Subject of the documentary “Paris is Burning”

Patricia Araujo – Runway  model

Calpernia Addams - Actress and star of reality show “Transamerican Love Story”

SINGERS/MUSICIANS

Lee Kyung-eun (Stage Name “Harisu”) – South Korean pop singer

Jade Starr - Singer/Songwriter

Namoli Brenette - Singer/ Songwriter

Angelika Torres - Singer/ Dancer

Jackie Enx - Drummer for heavy metal band Rhino Bucket

Wendy Carlos - composer and electronic musician

Dana International - Israeli pop singer

Jennifer Jane Leitham - Jazz bassist

Billy Tipton - Jazz musician

Sara Davis Buechner (aka David Buechner) – Concert pianist

ATHLETES

Parinya Charoenphol (aka Nong Toom)- Thai boxer

Stella Walsh - Polish 100-meter Olympic gold medalist

Santhi Sounderajan - Indian 800-meter medalist, stripped of medal when revealed as transgender

Jennifer McCreath - Canadian marathon runner

Michelle Dumaresq - Professional mountain bicyclist

Renee Richards - Professional tennis player

Erik Schinegger (formerly Erika Schinegger)- Australian skiing world champion

Caster Semenya (awaiting confirmation from gender tests, at time of publication) – 800-meter gold medalist

1996 Thai volleyball team (aka “Iron Ladies”) – award winning team with many gay and transgendered people

POLITICIANS

Melissa Sklarz - First openly transgendered public official in New York

Michelle Bruce - Georgia’s first transgender politician

Stu Rasmussen - Oregon mayor

Vladimir Luxuria - Italian politician

Kamikawa Aya - First transgendered person to seek elected office in Japan

Georgina Beyer - World’s first transsexual mayor (1995) and member of parliament in New Zealand (2002)

IN BUSINESS/ RELIGION

Reverend David Weekley - Methodist minister

Danielle Bunten Berry (Formerly Dan Bunten) – US software developer for Electronic Arts

Margaret Stumpp - Co-manager of Quantitative Management at Prudential Financial Inc.

Sources:

[1] “Gaga’s Vagina “Offended” By He-She Rumors.” (Darren Rowe) Digital Spy Online. September 4, 2009

[2] “IAAF Urges Caution Over Semenya Intersex Claims” CNN World Sports News. September 11, 2009

[3] Intersex Society of America FAQ: How Common is Intersex?

[4] Intersex Society of America: Library

The most conservatively religious states have the highest teen birth rates, according to the U.S. Religious Landscapes Survey and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We conjecture that religious communities in the U.S. are more successful in discouraging the use of contraception among their teenagers than they are in discouraging sexual intercourse itself,” says study researcher Joseph Strayhorn of Drexel University College of Medicine and University of Pittsburgh. Religious states also typically have lower abortion rates, which would increase the number of births, as well.[1]

Sources:

[1] “Teen Birth Rates Highest in Most Religious States” (Jeanna Bryner) MSNBC Online. September 16, 2009

[2] National Vital Statistics Report. Volume 57, Number 12, Page 16. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services / Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) March 18, 2009

[3] “U.S. Religion Map and Religious Populations” / U.S. Religious Landscape Study. (The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life)

Spike TV is for men. They make this very clear, very often. Testosterone-infused programming about sports, babes, and all things dangerous, gives Spike an edge over female-oriented TV stations. Women have three networks aimed at them (presumably four, once Oprah launches her channel, OWN.) Oxygen, Lifetime and WE all opt for different variations of the same theme: marriage, motherhood, and weight loss.

Formulaic throughout, these networks perpetuate clichés for both sexes. It’s why films on WE are called “Cinematherapy,” and films on Spike are called “Cinemassacre.” The networks don’t always create these messages themselves (many buy previously aired series for syndication), but their compilation of material is cemented in stereotype.

MOTHERS & FIGHTERS

(Click images to view sources)

(Not to be confused with NBC’s “Momma’s Boys”)

SUCK IT IN & BLOW IT UP

She measures her waist, he measures his horsepower.

DRESS UP or CRACK DOWN

Wedding bells for her, police sirens for him.

BEAUTY & THE BABEWATCH

Obsession with self vs. obsession with sex.