Diamond Emails Pt. 1

以下はミルトン・ダイアモンド博士から世界日報の山本彰記者に送られたメールの全文です。ダイアモンド博士の許可を得て公開します。解説はこちらをご覧ください
Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2005 17:49:38 -1000
From: Milton Diamond
To: ********@yahoo.co.jp 【管理人判断によりアドレスを伏せました】
Subject: Re: Ask for the permission of quoting Q&A for new bbok
Dear Yamamoto-san,
As you know I am away from my office. I have been invited to England for some interviews. I trust you have been well. Maybe next time I can be invited to Tokyo where we can talk at leisure.

Dear Dr.Milton Diamond
How are you?
Actually I’d like to get your permission so that I can use the interview with you made this January at the Hawaii University for the new book about the gender which will be published next month in our company The Sekai Nippo.
Because of this article, the topic about Mr. David Reimer became popular in the media society and the book ” As Nature Made Him” has been recently translated into Japanese again.

I am glad the book is popular. I would be pleased to be interviewed on television by you, the media, television or others in regard to the book or other aspects of my work.

The article made clear the difference between sex and gender so that they would not confuse the meaning of sex and gender. But some people don’t like to accept the reality of difference between male and female even though it’s important to respect the difference among each individual.

I would certainly like to help. But I am afraid that what I say might not be accurately translated and was disappointed to understand that I was quoted as saying some unflattering things about Dr. Chizuko Ueno. I don’t think my comments were placed in the context I thought appropriate.

I’ve recently seen your comments in the articles of two Japanese daily ( the Asahi Shinbun and the Tokyo Shinbun ) .
I’m afraid the articles of these papers using your comment made Japanese people confused again about sex and gender ,because the comments were not quoted suitably in the context. They seemed to supprt gender-free idea by the articles.

I have not seen their comments but I’m sure I didn’t tell them anything different than I said to you. It is so easy to mistake matters when exact words and meanings can be interpreted perfectly and understandably. The difficulty might have been with my words and meanings or your interpretation. I apologize if it was my fault. As I mentioned previously, you can contact ***** ***** or ***** ***** if you have any doubt as to my opinions on this and related matters. I trust them fully. 【管理人判断により個人名を伏せました】
I have written an article relative to this subject that will be published in the JASE (Japanese Association for Sex Education) Journal, November issue.
Yes, I believe sex and gender are different concepts but I also believe that males can have female brains and dispositions and vice-versa, females can have male brains. And there are all sorts of in-betweens.
Basically I do support gender-free ideas. I don’t think there is anything in the book “As Nature Made Him” that goes against that idea. David’s story shows that he (his brain/nervous system)had been strongly “organized” along male lines. This organization was strong enough to overcome being raised and treated as a girl. But I know many other situations where males choose to live as females and females elect to live as males despite their upbringing. I think these are all variations which are uncommon but natural.
As I told you, I think that everyone ought to have open opportunities to be educated and develop as they wish and can. I do believe that males and females are somewhat different but there is no way to predict which individuals would benefit the most from any teaching or opportunity thus all should be offered the same opportunities and treated equally. Any individual man or woman might avail themselves differently of the opportunities and might do different things with them but I think each and every person should have the chance to find their own niche in the world.

Therefore I sincerely ask you to give me the permission so that the new book can lead Japanese people to understand the difference between sex and gender correctly.
I’d like to write your opinion precisely in the book ,because the book quotes questions and answers ( Q&A) of the interview.
On the other hand, articles of other two daily newspapers quoted your comments without showing Q&A .
Please let me know your answer to the demand for the permission. Our company is ready to pay for it.

I would like to help as best I can. Please do not publish anything from our last interview. You are correct that it would be best if questions and answers were published together. If you submit your questions to me in writing I will answer in writing so I can be sure of what is said and you can be sure of my meaning. That way we both will understand each other and there is less chance of misunderstanding. And when you publish do not extract only certain parts but publish everything in the questions and in the answers.
I probably would not be able to respond fully until I return from England but, time permitting, when I can I will do my best to answer your questions.

Sincerely yours
?@?@?@?@?@ 05, Aug.8 AKIRA YAMAMOTO
.

Aloha,

Milton Diamond, Ph.D.
Professor
University of Hawaii
John A. Burns School of Medicine
Department of Anatomy and Reproductive Biology
Pacific Center for Sex and Society
1951 East-West Road
Honolulu, Hawaii 96822
USA