(The New Atlantis) – “We aren’t defective, just different” was the 1990s rallying cry of deaf activists who rejected medical fixes. Why have transgender activists argued that only medical tech can make them who they really are?

As it happens, both controversies largely arose from the efforts of dedicated activists. But there is something of a puzzle here: in the case of cochlear implants, activists fought (mostly unsuccessfully) to oppose medical intervention, while in the case of gender transition they have fought and are fighting still to expand it.

Despite their opposed orientations, however, both groups of activists were operating from certain shared premises about the relationship between nature and technology. Examining this relationship may help us better understand our own positions on these and similar controversies. (Read More)