The Great Debate

The constant labeling of 'male' or 'female' exists everywhere around us. We encounter it as a box you must check off on virtually every single job application, medical form, survey, email account...the list goes on. Exclamations of "It's a boy!" or "It's a girl!" pronounce one's gender from the very beginning. If someone is born with ambiguous genitalia, these 'norms' in society do not apply, making the whole labeling ideology a crock to begin with. It is a very serious flaw for us to naively categorize our gender into one of two boxes. That being said, however, there are those who do think that one must fit into a gender category in order to lead a normal lifestyle. Many doctors believe in performing "corrective surgery" on individuals who are born with ambiguous genitalia. Is this the 'right' thing to do? While this is not a new topic, it is quite controversial because it is not only a question of medical ethics, but of the individual's own rights, the involvement of family members, as well as the ongoing nature versus nurture debate. What is your opinion? Should gender be assigned at birth, or should it be up to the individual to decide later on in life?