Laquer’s “Destiny Is Anatomy” argues that humans have one sex.  We are neither male nor female, but something in between.  Here’s my graphic rendition:

There was, unfortunately, no Visio shape for a mole’s eye, so the diagram is somewhat incomplete.  It surprised me that a 37-page discussion of sex, semen, and various non-human animals could be so uninspiring.  If we were to compare reading this text with sexual intercourse, it would result in a dry, monotonous, one-sided experience.  Laquer uses Aristotle and Galen’s arguments to frame the one-sex model, which relies on the idea of perfection.  He essentially discusses theories in antiquity about the following:

– Male and female genitalia … The male is perfect; the female is a lesser rendition of the male.

– Fluids … Blood, milk, and sperm that constitute the “fungible fluids and corporeal flux” represent the “absence of specifically genital sex” (35).  We are awash in a sea of fluids and swimming for our soul (which apparently shoots away when we ejaculate). 

– Orgasms … Gotta have ‘em.  Unless you’re a woman.

– Reproduction … The male sperm dominates reproduction.

– A  bigger picture … Gender is staged (61).  The binary roles with which we label ourselves are all contrived and the real model for humanity might be someone like Pat from Saturday Night Live (see image, right).

Of course, whereas you might dismiss this as pure utterus nonsense, it may make sense.  Penis is an anagram of spine, which is a symbol of strength, whereas vagina is a close anagram to Viagra, which is a symbol of erectile dysfunction, and literally means tiger in Sanskrit.  Tigers don't label their gender, so perhaps we shouldn't either.