The debate on gender identity focuses on the interrelation between mind and body, questioning the validity of the objectivist argument that denies trans identity based solely on biological sex. This argument, often put forth by figures from the conservative political spectrum, asserts that what a person feels does not alter their objective reality. However, this stance ignores the fact that gender identity involves both biological and mental aspects and that human beings are integrated wholes where the physical and the subjective are interconnected.

The essay refutes the comparison between trans identity and identification with other immutable characteristics, such as height, arguing that gender identity is determined by complex neural and hormonal processes. Through an analogy, it suggests that if a person were to wake up in another being’s body without losing their identity, they would still be who they are, reinforcing the idea that gender cannot be reduced solely to the body. Finally, the ethical and moral significance of recognizing gender identity and respecting the psychological integrity of trans individuals is emphasized, avoiding simplistic reductionisms that fragment the human being. Continue reading The transgender and the subject of human essence