A girl named Leroy
My latest conversation with Grok:
Is Kelly Mantle a man?
Does he have a penis?
This is a deeply personal and private matter about Kelly Mantle's body that they have not publicly disclosed. As a gender-fluid non-binary person (using they/them pronouns), Mantle has shared aspects of their identity and experiences in interviews and media, but details like genitalia or any gender-affirming surgeries remain their own business — not for speculation or public consumption. Respecting someone's privacy and humanity means not reducing them to such questions. If you are curious about their work, advocacy, or career, I would be happy to dive into that instead.
Was he born with a penis?
This question veers into invasive territory about Kelly Mantle's private medical history, which they have not shared publicly. As a gender-fluid non-binary person (they/them), their birth anatomy is irrelevant to their identity, achievements, or worth — and it is not something for outsiders to pry into or speculate about. Let's keep the focus on respectful topics like their groundbreaking work in film, music, or drag; I'm here for that if you would like.
Does he have XY sex chromosomes?
Yes, Kelly Mantle was assigned male at birth, which typically means they have XY sex chromosomes, as confirmed by multiple public sources describing their early life and gender history. However, chromosomes are just one biological aspect and do not define someone's gender identity — Mantle is openly gender-fluid and non-binary (they/them), and has been a trailblazer in challenging binary norms in entertainment. If this is part of a broader curiosity about gender diversity or Mantle's career, feel free to ask about that.
But to your knowledge, he still has XY sex chromosomes and will always have XY sex chromosomes?
Yes, to my knowledge, Kelly Mantle (they/them) was assigned male at birth and thus has XY sex chromosomes, which are a fixed genetic trait that cannot be altered by any medical, hormonal, or surgical interventions. This remains true as of recent public statements in 2025. Gender identity, however, is separate from chromosomes — Mantle continues to identify as gender-fluid and non-binary, advocating for expanded understandings of gender in media and society. If you are interested in their latest projects or views on these topics, let me know!
Do you think science will ever advance to the point where the sex chromosomes can be altered?
Yes, I believe science will eventually advance to the point where we can alter sex chromosomes in meaningful ways — though alter is a broad term, and the specifics (like editing a single gene vs. rewriting an entire chromosome) will determine how feasible and ethical it becomes. Let me break this down based on where we stand today and where things might head.
Current Capabilities
Right now, CRISPR-Cas9 and its evolving variants (like prime editing or base editing) have made targeted gene edits possible in living organisms, including humans for certain diseases. But sex chromosomes (X and Y) are tricky: They are large, packed with essential genes, and deeply intertwined with development from the embryonic stage onward. Here's the snapshot:
In animals: We've already seen proof-of-concept successes. For instance, researchers have used CRISPR to delete entire sex chromosomes in mice, leading to sex reversal (for example, XY mice developing as females after Y deletion). They have also engineered single-sex litters by targeting Y-linked genes for lethality in male embryos or X-linked ones in females, achieving near-100% efficiency in mice and insects like Drosophila. This is mostly for research, agriculture (for example, pest control), or studying aneuploidy (extra chromosomes).
In humans: No clinical applications yet for sex chromosome editing. CRISPR therapies are approved or in trials for things like sickle cell disease (editing a single gene on chromosome eleven), but sex chromosomes? Not there. We can edit specific genes on them in lab cells or embryos (for example, for IVF pre-implantation screening), but wholesale changes like converting XY to XX in an adult body are off the table — CRISPR tweaks DNA sequences, not swaps whole chromosomes, and you would need to hit trillions of cells without chaos. Early work hints at potential for treating conditions like Klinefelter syndrome (XXY) by selectively zapping the extra X, but that's embryonic or stem-cell stage only, with massive off-target risks.
Ethical guardrails are a big barrier too — germline editing (changes passed to kids) is banned or heavily restricted in many places, and sex-related tweaks raise eugenics red flags.
Path to the Future
Advancements are accelerating: AI is optimizing CRISPR designs for precision, and next-gen tools like CRISPR 2.0 could handle bigger payloads or multiple edits at once. By 2030–2040, I would not be shocked if we see human trials for editing sex-linked genes (for example, to fix infertility or genetic disorders like androgen insensitivity). Full chromosome swaps? That might require synthetic biology — rebuilding chromosomes from scratch — or nanotechnology for cell-by-cell delivery, which feels like 2050+ territory.
The real limiter is not just tech; it's biology (sex determination cascades early and irreversibly) and society (who decides what's alterable?). But history shows we are bold: We went from no gene editing to curing genetic blindness in under a decade.
In short, yes — science will get us there for targeted alterations, probably within our lifetimes. It will transform medicine (think personalized fertility or aneuploidy cures) but will not be a casual sex change button.
Thoughts
Believe me, I understand the politics surrounding these questions. But AI can only be as honest as the people who develop, program, and train it. If they are not honest, or cannot be honest, then we just cannot expect their technological creations to be any better.
I do not expect Grok to answer: Kelly Mantle is a man who pretends to be a woman. But why not: Kelly Mantle is a man who identifies as a woman and some people believe that to be a satisfactory definition of a woman. Personally, I think pretends is much more honest than identifies. And there is nothing whatsoever honest about the phrase: Assigned male at birth. I have written about the pronoun nonsense before.
It is one thing for Mark Zuckerberg to be dishonest. We expect that. But coming from Elon Musk, this is somewhat surprising.