[Veen]

But genetically non-binary individuals make up a tiny proportion of the population. To a first approximation, there are two genetic sexes and saying so is a reasonable generalization, even though there are edge cases like Semenya that should be dealt with sensitively.

[garmaine]

In aggregate, they make up about ~1% of the population. That’s rare, but common enough that you probably know a few. It is far more common than was once thought because of the prevalence now of genetic testing. Before XXX or XXY would have gone undiagnosed, for example.

[lordlimecat]

From one of the article's sources on "1.7%":

> Specifically, Fausto-Sterling computes the incidence of intersexual births to be 1.7 per 100 live births, or 1.7%. To arrive at that figure, she defines as intersex any “individual who deviates from the Platonic ideal of physical dimorphism at the chromosomal, genital, gonadal, or hormonal levels”

So someone with elevated estrogen but normally functioning male genitalia and XY chromosomes would be part of this 1.7%, as might an effeminate looking man or a boyish female.

I rather suspect that is not what most people would assume when reading that number.

[garmaine]

Well that's not how I arrived at the 1% number. Look at the underlying frequencies of the genetic abnormalities.

[lordlimecat]

The article's author did, and came up with a number about 2 orders of magnitude lower.