By Steve Petersen
For the first part of the show, Dr. Sharon Preves, sociologist and professor, discussed her research of intersex individuals. Sharon first defined terms, such as "intersex," "hermaphrodite," and "transgender," then explained how and why she became involved in this research. Sharon next explained the cause for negative stigma of intersex individuals, including the religious views of people who do not fit easily into the male/female binary. Sharon noted the strong drive that society has to pigeonhole everyone - even fetuses - into one of two genders. She discussed the evolution of outlying conditions in Western civilization: from sin, to crime, to medicalization. Sharon then explained the excessive intrusion of the medical world and its treatment of intersexuality as an emergency requiring "correction."