The Ethics of Gender Dr. Walker suggests that those who disagree with his views on sex reassignment of newborns with ambiguous genitalia are "unsophisticated" ["A Question of Gender," January]. His attitude reflects the general and overwhelming arrogance of the medical industry as a whole. It is hard to tell which is more important to Walker--the belief that all people are created equal and should be respected for their differences, both in opinion and in body, or the need to push parents in a direction that conveniently puts additional money in the pockets of surgeons and supporting hospitals. The current practice of sex reassignment is less difficult than facing the ethical questions about irreversibly modifying children's bodies without true medical necessity, at an age when they are too young to make such decisions for themselves.
Theron L. Gibbons Phoenix, Arizona
