Why we are who we are?

[Sonia_cd]

Granted there might have been many discussions on these lines, but there is always the possibility of a new perspective isn't there?

My theory is built on the premise that some of our chromosome didn't quite decide which side of the gender fence they want to sit on. If completely male and completely female are 2 ends of the spectrum then the entire TG/TV/TS/CD community falls inbetween. To draw you a picture, I see it as a scale of evolution/development for the chromosomes. While for some they develop fully resting firmly on either end of the spectrum for others (us) they stop at various points. There are those that are happy simply wearing the clothes every now and then with no desire to pay attention to the appearance while there are those who want SRS. In other words, we are CD's or TG's (or whatever you want to call us) simply because of the same reason that some of us are TS's, except not to that extent. If there is a clear theory on why people are TS then I suggest that it's the same reason that we are CD/TV/TG.

Make sense?

[Joann0830]

Granted there might have been many discussions on these lines, but there is always the possibility of a new perspective isn't there?

My theory is built on the premise that some of our chromosome didn't quite decide which side of the gender fence they want to sit on. If completely male and completely female are 2 ends of the spectrum then the entire TG/TV/TS/CD community falls inbetween. To draw you a picture, I see it as a scale of evolution/development for the chromosomes. While for some they develop fully resting firmly on either end of the spectrum for others (us) they stop at various points. There are those that are happy simply wearing the clothes every now and then with no desire to pay attention to the appearance while there are those who want SRS. In other words, we are CD's or TG's (or whatever you want to call us) simply because of the same reason that some of us are TS's, except not to that extent. If there is a clear theory on why people are TS then I suggest that it's the same reason that we are CD/TV/TG.

Make sense?

Sonja is right on the money, I read so much about when we are born that we are all born Fem and then the chromosome take charge and start to make little boys and little girls but as Sonja said ours dont really develop all the way.Joann0830

[O2B Barbara]

I do agree that genetics may play a major part in the disposition to crossdress for many of us. There are certinally many genetic males that appear quite feminine as well as genetic females that appear masculine.

I also feel that there may be other influences that may be at work here. Childhood training or conditioning toward the opposite sex. Possibly some of us view the stereotypical female role as one of submission and to be provided for and dressing is a way of escaping the provider role for a short time. Possibly rebellion towards "The System" and showing that we are our own person and can do what we want. Some just because we like the feel of softer clothing. Some may not crossdress as a result of it being beat into us that we must act a certain way or we go to hell.

I can not say why I crossdress with any definative reason, just that I do. I feel better when dressed and more at peace with myself and the world. Now if I could only get the closet to be at peace also, it groans each time I buy someting new for Barbara.

[VikkiVixen7188]

I dunno, I have a seperate theory but its more specific to myself, so heres what I think explains me.

I have a very loving and supportive awesome mom. The problem is when she was younger she married my ***hole father. My father was a jerk untill my mom filed divorce. I think I grew up seeing just the bad side of men, so I didnt really want to be one. I wanted to be like mommy instead. Thats where I think it all starts with me at least.

[Joy Carter]

I'm going with the first theory. I know that the fetus is almost indistinguishable, between sexes, until twelve weeks when the genitals start forming. And just why do males have nipples ? Kinda like buying a car with no radio. If you decide later you want that option, add estrogen. LoLAnd what of intersexed people ??????

[deja true]

Aye chihuahua! It's the nature/nurture puzzle again!

As long as we (the human race, not just us trannies here) have been obsessing over this, nobodie's ever come up with a satisfactoy theory that all can agree on or be tested scientifically. We'll never know! And that's not a bad thing.

Any question as to motivation can probably be answered eventually for fish or fowl or beast. But when you throw a soul into the mix, you complicate the problem by a factor of googel.

The variabilities in personalities and motivations for humans is a total unknowable mix of nature and nurture. And trying to answer any question about gender using a theory based on a binary system only is a waste of time.

We are all much more than a sum of our nature parts and nurture parts. The soul is capable of infinite variation, infinite. There is no fathoming the mind of God.

We are who we are because it pleases Her to keep the pot stirred. That way she doesn't get bored with us and we don't get bored with each other.

Don't stress over trying to find out WHY you are what you are. Do your best to find out WHO you are in the great wide universe. That path leads to inner peace.

respect and love (for the search, not just the searchers),

deja

[Angie G]

Whatever it is I like it.
Angie

[Suzy Harrison]

For some of us it may be due to the fact that our mothers took Desplex (diesthylstilbestrol) when they were expecting their babies (us).
It was used between 1941 and 1971.

desplexad.gif



From - Simon Baron-Cohen's book "The Essential Difference, The Truth about the Male and Female Brain." Quotes from pages 99 and 98 respectively, Copyright 2003. Published by Basic Books (Amazon.com listing) 198).

"There was a time when women were prescribed a synthetic female hormone (diesthylstilbestrol) in an attempt to prevent repeated spontaneous miscarriages. Boys born to such women are likely to show more female typical behaviors enacting social themes in their play as toddlers, for example, or caring for dolls. This is a further indication that hormone levels can affect the ability to empathize."


"Most people who want to determine whether a person is male or female stop at this first level. But even if you are genetically female, and even if you are genitally female, you could be more male gonadally, and have a male brain and male sex-typical behavior. Conversely, even if you are genetically and genitally male, you could be more female gonadally, or you could have a female brain and female sex-typical behavior. And prenatal testosterone, an androgen, oozing from your testes if you are genetically and gonadally male, or dripping out of your adrenal glands if you are genetically and gonadally female, appears to be one important variable in determining your brain type or your sex-typical behavior.
There appear to be three points in development when testosterone secretion really surges. The first is the prenatal period, between eight and twenty four weeks into the pregnancy. The next one is around five months after birth. A final peak is at puberty. These periods are referred to as the "activational" periods, because it is at these times that the brain is thought to be most sensitive to such hormonal changes. The sex hormones are said to have a prenatal activating effect on the brain."



more info here

[Kate Simmons]

No doubt in my mind whatsoever Sonia. It's in our DNA and we are who we are for a reason. The journey is about understanding that reason and what we do with our gift once we understand it.

[DemonicDaughter]

I know without a doubt, I was born as I am. From the moment I hit puberty, I was attracted to both males and females. Now, I can "say" it was because I was raised primarily by a man... but then why aren't I a full lesbian? I could "say" men have been the cause of almost all of my childhood trauma, but again... I don't hate them. I could "say" that being I didn't grow up with a mother figure that I am drawn more towards men. But I'm still bisexual. See my point?

Our childhoods, raising and influences do play a role in our personalities but I definitely don't think they are the biggest factors. I do believe genetically we carry certain behaviors that develop our general personality. From there, its our own choices.

So in a sense, I see it as both nurture and nature. Genetically, I'm extremely feminine, through nurture, very masculine. Thus me. A bi GG with a huge love of life and all its wonderment.

Enjoy it. Don't analyze it.

I'm going with the first theory. I know that the fetus is almost indistinguishable, between sexes, until twelve weeks when the genitals start forming. And just why do males have nipples ? Kinda like buying a car with no radio. If you decide later you want that option, add estrogen. LoLAnd what of intersexed people ??????

Did you know that if you create enough suction long enough you can actually get some milk from a man's nipple? Though I've never tested this theory and don't know its validity, I would be surprised. The biggest genetic difference in males to females ISN'T genitalia, its our bone structure! Go figure. lol

...The variabilities in personalities and motivations for humans is a total unknowable mix of nature and nurture. And trying to answer any question about gender using a theory based on a binary system only is a waste of time...

Don't stress over trying to find out WHY you are what you are. Do your best to find out WHO you are in the great wide universe. That path leads to inner peace.

Oh so very much agreed. No need to play amateur scientists, we have them abound. I'd much rather play dress up.

[COLOR="Blue"]

For some of us it may be due to the fact that our mothers took Desplex (diesthylstilbestrol) when they were expecting their babies (us).
It was used between 1941 and 1971.

Now that's an interesting tidbit... but what about all the people that have been cding for centuries?

[Daintre]

I do think that it is primarily nature, the passing on of traits, heredity. I just had a long talk with my doctor on heredity, as we were talking in an exam, she said my varicose veins were inherited from my mom. This led to a comparison of my mom's health to my own. Side by side our ailments are almost identical, to much so to be a coincidence. That left me thinking that if the physical features and ailments are passed on, surely the brain must also have traits that are passed on. As for the nurture side, family dynamics do shape us, our roles in the family, our closeness to certain family members and a host of factors affect our growing up.

[Carly D.]

I think it more as simple.. I played a game of dress up with my older brother when I was younger and then when I was a junior in high school I got really sick and tried to while away the day one day and went through my moms clothes and found my love for pantyhose... Love is...

[Patrice]

My theory is a bit different, and requires a belief in reincarnation. Very basically a majority of our more recent and powerful past lives were female and this is just carrying over into our present incarnations. Many aspects of our personalities come from this, strange attractions, unreasoning illogical fears, 'knowing' we dont like something (place, food, drink, etc) before we try it, memories of places we have never been.

All quite logical

[Nicki B]

There is a physical cause or causes - but we don't yet know what it is. Nurture possibly plays a part in some cases?

There is a range of sexualities - why wouldn't there be one for gender?

Enjoy it. Don't analyze it.

Exactly...


BTW, it's been shown to not be true that the default development for foetuses is necessarily female?

[trannie T]

Trannie T's Top 10 Causes of Crossdressing

10, It is genetic.
9, My father wore dresses.
8, I listened too many times to Monty Python's "Lumberjack Song."
7, My mother took Desplex.
6, My father took Desplex.
5, I think I look good in a dress.
4, It was those nuclear tests.
3, I got carried away playing dressup.
2, One word, "panties."
And the top reason for crossdressing,
1, One summer I was sent to live with my aunt. . .

[Niya W]

chose to believe I'm this way because this is what god intended. Since god is neither man nor women but yet both and we are created in his image, this nothing no more then the diversity of being human.

And if you don't follow that logic , follow this one. Men are from mars women are from Venus. That makes trannies the only ones from earth

[vivianann]

I agree to some extent, however for me it started when my mother forced me to wear dresses when I was a little boy, I was somewhat efeminate, but had no desire to wear dresses a that time, when I reached the age of 9 or 10 I grew to love wearing dresses, I did not tell my mother until I was 13, when I told her I wanted to wear dresses to school, well that ended her making me wear dresses, infact she got rid of the dresses,after that. I was hooked, I love wearing dresses. now I am to the point that I want to live full time.

[bgirl]

So while my chromisones were all sitting in the fence. I believe the noble brain cells were defending the percarius balance that sitting on the fence brings. And a fine job they did.
However in the sixties and seventies I used to engage in various forms of behavior that was detremental to these brain cells. I would call out for volunters and all the noble ones would step forward.
This tipped the balance and the next thing I knew I was transgendered!
I stopped before TS or SRS only because I quit calling for volunters and was more indesciminate. Random selection.

Brain cells aside, you may be right. I have been this way a long time. But, I don't know or search for the why anymore. One it gives me a headache and two, I would rather spend the energy on letting the remaining brain cells accept what is. The what was won't change anything for me.

[guardian832]

The question I have is: If you believe in an almighty creator, no matter what you name him, how/what do you think he's thinking about us?

[DemonicDaughter]

The question I have is: If you believe in an almighty creator, no matter what you name him, how/what do you think he's thinking about us?

If you believe yourself to be a creation of his/hers then you were made in your own individual perfection and therefore were not made wrong.

[DeeDeeB]

The question I have is: If you believe in an almighty creator, no matter what you name him, how/what do you think he's thinking about us?

I do believe in an almighty, and I think she is too concerned with all the violence and injustice to care much how we dress. The only Bible reference I'm aware of concerning God's opinion of clothing is when she threw Adam and Eve out of Eden for putting some on. (That wasn't the reason, but a clue to the transgression)

On the original topic, I do think our DNA has much to do with our CDing, tempered by environment. Something else I've wondered is that for those of us who have recognized it later in life, could the decrease in testosterone in relation to estrogen be putting us across the line? I've always been pretty effeminate, but didn't develop this obsession with dresses until 55 or so.

Anyhow, I am clearly overanalyzing. I'd rather just enjoy this part of me.

Dee

[Amy Hepker]

It's very simple, no two people are exactly the same, if everyone was the same, this would be one real boring place to be. Thank GOD we are all different, I do not want to be exactly like anyone else, I want to be myself, even if it's not who people say I should be.

[KeriB]

While I think a great deal of it is all biologic - I've spoken with a number of TG's like me and while we have some similarities in upbringing, we're all from very diverse backgrounds - I've simply given up sweating the "why" and just embrace who it is I am.... now if others would embrace us as well.

[Niya W]

I also look at it this way. Why do I have to justify what i am, who I am, or why the way I am. There is no reason to define it, except for those that are uncomfortable. You know the people that think every thing is suppose to be neatly labeled so they can quickly define stuff. The ones that see the would in black in white.

Well I Defy labels and hate to be defined. I am deserve person and I celebrate my diversity and uniqueness . will admit when I was first trying to find my self I would ask questions why am I this way. I have come to understand that this is the way I am spouse to be.

[Nadia-Maria]

I dunno, I have a seperate theory but its more specific to myself, so heres what I think explains me.

I have a very loving and supportive awesome mom. The problem is when she was younger she married my ***hole father. My father was a jerk untill my mom filed divorce. I think I grew up seeing just the bad side of men, so I didnt really want to be one. I wanted to be like mommy instead. Thats where I think it all starts with me at least.

My story is much like that (except the facts my father was not a bad person and the parents did not divorce).

My mother was very critic about men and was very supportive to me and my brother. I think I grew up seeing the bad sides of men, so I didnt really want to be one. I wanted to be like mommy instead.

The problem with this theory is the following :
I CD , but my brother doesn't.
Hence this theory cannot be generalized. It doesn't work.

Hugs

Nadia