The Surgeon's Knife fella is indeed talking crap.

Gender is a wider consideration than just chromosomal sex. In the context of chromosomes, sex is probably the better term to use.

Impossible to change sex? Well, that may not be what's being discussed. If, for example, a person is of the anomalous "XX male" type, then despite being chromasomally female, overall phenotype development would often suggest maleness to an observer.

In such cases, a "sex change" may be conducted in order to mitigate a bit of a biological admin error.

There are other chromosome karyotypes that can also muddy the water. "Sex" and "gender" are more complex issues than many even try to understand. Certainly more complex than the Surgeon's Knife would want us to believe.

I'm NO expert, just a bit of a lay geek with an interest in pop science - expecially evolution, genetics and astronomy.

At the end of the day, how the hell can any of us who are fortunate enough not to experience any significant complication of sex or gender identity hope to understand or judge the situations of those who do encounter difficulties.

Live and let live, for feck's sake.

Do these people encounter prejudice? Oh, come on. In a world as full of bigots as this one, of course they'll encounter prejudice. In many (not all) cases their careers may suffer through the bigotry and *phobia of promoters, record company execs, venue owners and organisers - even of the audience.

More power to those individuals who have the strength and good fortune to wring a positive outcome from it all.