Let us suppose, that as human history rolls forward through the centuries, old ideas, as they are wont to do, become new again.
In the future, imagine a society of women appears, which, on religious grounds, and with assistance from technology, choose to reject men entirely. They call themselves ‘Amazons’ after the Scythian society dominated by women described in Greek legend.
Women are the entire culture for Amazons. They culturally–religiously–assume men to be legally and morally inferior to women. For Amazons, men have rights… the way we think horses, or apes, or dogs have rights. Sure, it’s acceptable to have them as a pet, or a working animal… they’re property. Beautiful creatures to admire, to love, and play with perhaps (every society has their sexual taboos…) but also savage, and dangerous in the wild, they need to be controlled: and are not properly a ‘human.’
It is the future, and thanks to progressions in science, the Amazons are able to arrange their lives so that if/when they choose to have a child… it is always a daughter… as it should be! What kind of improper woman gives birth to a boy? And all Amazon pregnancies are chosen and deliberate.
But… science is not perfect. Errors happen, even with the most sensitive of instruments. You happen to be present and in a position of authority, with a pregnant Amazon and her wife, who are travelling, away from their homeland. And she gives birth: to a boy.
The Amazons are adamant: this is an unfortunate, but fixable, error. It is a birth defect, like a cleft palate. They ask for the appropriate surgery to be done, so their newborn daughter can be a normal girl: properly human.
You are in a position to assist them with this gender-transition surgery. You’re… a surgeonr, a judge, the captain of the cruise ship they’re on… they are looking to you for help. If you don’t, they’d like to return to their homeland, where the surgery will be done.
How do you respond? Should parents have a right to select their child’s gender, after birth, on religious/cultural grounds?
If you disagree with the Amazons’ request, what case would you make for letting their daughter stay a boy?
Sir Tainley