Over a relatively short time (up to 100 years) words do have almost identical meaning. This is important because our society does not change and we need to share our thoughts reliably.Foucault's theory did not describe reality, and that is why he should have been permanently ignored."Intersex" is a misnomer. The correct term is "disorders of sexual development". There are only two reproductive categories, called the male sex and the female sex - bioloy 101. All human beings are either male or female as the "purpose" of any living species is to reproduce, and humans, as animals, are no exception. Whether all men and women can produce gametes (sperm or eggs) is a different matter. Disorders of sexual development occur when there is an error in the normal development of the embryo. There are about 40 main categories of DSD (see Wikipedia). Sex is binary, immutable and utterly fundamental to the continued existence of our species. What people want to believe about their bodies is their business, but it is not verifiable or, in many cases, stable: young children and adolescents, in particular, go through periods of great imagination. Gender dysphoria is defined in S25 of the "Gender" "Recognition" Act 2004 as "a disorder", a mental disorder. Of course anyone with a mental illness deserves our compassion.
Una-Jane Winfield ● 1223d