[Opinion] She, Ha Ri-su

Biologists reported a quite interesting finding that some animals like monkeys, ground beetles and vinegar flies do have sex regardless of the act of reproduction. Dr, Bruce Bargamil published a book titled `Animal Homosexuality and Diversity of Nature` in 1999 exploring homosexuality and transgenderism in the world of animal. Pigmy chimpanzees, living in Congo, Africa, engage in homosexual relationship to build and maintain alliances among themselves. The chimpanzees also have sex with opposite sex to reproduce. Another study showed that one out of ten ostriches is homosexual.

▷As studies began to suggest that there are also homosexuals and transsexuals in the world of animals, the way people see homosexuals and transsexuals also changed – before many considered them immoral, against the law of nature. And it became an increasingly convincing theory that they are born with the desire to become the opposite sex. Boosted by new findings, homosexuals and transsexuals then began to voice their rights.

▷Transsexuals are similar to homosexuals in that they are attracted to the same sex, but the former are more oriented to the opposite sex when it comes to their identity. According to psychiatrists, they act differently from early years. Boys like to play bobby dolls and girls like to play toy guns, for instance. Ha Ri-su, a man who is more womanish than women, said that he also liked collecting mermaid and princess dolls in his early childhood. Trying to convince himself of his sexual identity, he kissed a girl when he was in high school, but felt nothing.

▷Now, Ha is asking the court to allow him to change his sex. Rulings in such cases have so far been inconsistent depending on judges and applicants. He (or She) is not capable of having a bay, but Ha is perfectly a woman in and outside, body and soul, There are few medical cases studying transsexuals, but a majority agree that they are born that way. By insisting a person like Ha remain a man on the paper, we might disrespect the right of a sexual minority.

Hwang Ho-taek, Editorial Writer, hthwang@donga.com