All of my medical colleagues are asking themselves, “What the hell has this fool been drinking?” The answer, for the curious, is unoaked Chardonnay. They’re thinking that I must have meant Fragile X Syndrome. But no, the X and Y keys are far apart on the QWERTY keyboard. I really did mean Fragile Y.
Fragile X Syndrome is a genetic flaw most often passed from an asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic mother to her male offspring. Females have two X chromosomes; so, if one is defective, the other copy can often make up for the defective one. Males, on the other hand, have only one X chromosome. So, if they inherit a defective X from their mother, the consequences of the defective X are manifest. Shit, I hate it when that happens.
Males with a Fragile X chromosome experience developmental delays, learning disabilities, cognitive deficiencies, and other neurological symptoms including autism, mood disorders, and even seizures. See more here.
Fragile Y is a syndrome which I believe most often affects white males who identify as Republicans. We saw a vivid presentation of Fragile Y in the Tennessee legislature last week. This week, we have seen it again in Montana’s GOP-majority legislature. Fragile Y often manifests as white male sexual insecurity, a need to bully those who have less political power and whose numbers make them easy to harass, marginalize, and intimidate. It is rooted in entitlement, grievance, and feelings of profound inadequacy.
Males affected by Fragile Y have testicles that, compared to their brains, are disproportionately enlarged even if lacking in potency and fertility. Sadly, as in the case of Fragile X, there is not yet an effective therapy for Fragile Y. I hope that someday, genetic modification using CRISPR or related technologies, the Fragile Y chromosome can be repaired – perhaps rendering the eunuchoid Fragile Y sufferers as born-again Democrats. It may be a long time in coming, but I can dream.