Rethinking Sex and the Brain: How to Create an Inclusive Discourse in Neuroscience

Biological sex is often framed as a strict binary, resting solely on the size of gametes or the homo/heterogeneity of chromosomal pairings. This inclination toward parsimony has, in effect, led to fundamental misunderstandings in the minds of many in the public. We see this effect in the current regression of transgender rights and the institution of public policies that conflate biological concepts (i.e., sex) with social concepts (i.e., gender) in ways that actively harm marginalized communities. The data show that the brains mosaic of feminized and masculinized regions, chromosomal sex, and the bodies phenotype can be disassociated from one another. The current socio-political moment calls on us as scientists and educators to redress these misconceptions to help demythify public discourse.