Regardless of Mr. Ryan Townsend's claim in "Only two genders, demands are bogus" (SN 12/2), that he holds no hatred or contempt for the transgender community in his response to "Identity right" (SN 11/16), his comments would suggest otherwise, or at the very least, ignorance and intolerance.

His belief that "God created two genders: male and female" and that "There are no genders outside of these and there are no gray areas in between" is yet another example of how some people use religion to create divides between themselves and people who are different.

Despite what we were taught in high school biology, there are other chromosome patterns than XX female and XY male. XX males and XY females do exist. And sometimes genitalia does not match up with the sex chromosomes, as in the case of intersexuals (hermaphrodites).

If God created only two genders, then why do these people exist? Mr. Townsend is as free as any of us to believe what he wishes, but discrimination (especially that which is institutionalized) on the basis of a gender difference, as well as any other grounds, is wrong.

Stephanie Peterson
French education senior