Why?

[beccy]

Ok ladies and gents this may not be a new question but what is it that (I hate to phrase it this way you will have to excuse me but I can't think of another way to put it) causes transgenderism. Is it the way the person was raised ( not in my oppinion) isit an influx of hormones in the later stages of fetal development ( this is where my money is at) or do you have your own oppinion. I'm not really intrested in the actual scientific reason I'm just being nosey. I think we are who we are and we should be happy to be that person

[Elizabeth 66]

I think it is a mixture of all the above and then some more, i think it depends on so many different factors that you cant say just one thing is the cause!

[Katesback]

When I do cultural competency training with privoders on transgender topics I sometimes get asked that question. I will tell them that there is NO real difinitive answer for why people are trans. I will also mention that if they can explain why some rare people are CLYMERAS (not spelled correctly) they will certainly have all the answers to all the questions!!

[Stephanie Anne]

There is a great story about Bruce Reimer who was raised as a girl from a baby. Regardless of trying to influence female traits, he never felt like a girl. At the time it was praised as proof that gender identity is learned by psychologist John Money.

What happened is as he learned the truth and entered adulthood, he rebelled at the idea and transitioned back to male.

While this is an isolated incident and is fraught with abusive doctors and poor education, it does bring up a point about possible nature versus nuture.

I think those who are truly transgendered or as it is defined, gender dysphoric where you are mentally female but your body incorrectly gained male characteristic is a more sound opinion.

That being said, I do feel there is a large nurture aspect to many who are not truly transgendered who find the feminine "mystique" a comfort and are pulled toward dressing as a female while never actually wanting to transition to a woman.

There are still those who never had the support structure to understand their situation and go through life anxious, depressed, and introverted, often wishing they could be normal.



But really, I don't know. I have spent my entire life confused as hell about who and what I am and often so fraught with anxiety over my damnable male body that I am sick of trying to outgrow or ignore something that has nothing to do with how I was raised and everything to do with how I was born.

[Jorja]

Why is a good question. Ask 10 TS women and you will get 10 different answers. Ask 10 different doctors and you will get 10 different answers. The one you should be asking is yourself. Why do I feel this way? Why must I become a woman? Only when you are comfortable with yourself will you be comfortable in the world.

[morgan pure]

Thank you Viktoria, I would have said the same thing, but not as well.

I was an early dresser. I grew up in a house with 2 good-looking and popular older sisters and a strong, resourceful mother and an sporadically unemployed alcoholic, emasculated by circumstances, not intention. BUT, I was raised strictly male-still can't get into kissing-and enjoyed and still enjoy male perogatives. And I love women.

I also had a thing with a priest when I was in 5th grade, and I thought I was going to be his wife. That's when I started stealing underwear from the local Newberry's. By 6th grade I got up the nerve to buy it. I remember my first convertable shelf bra! Black. When and where I bought it and where in Mill Pond Park I hid in a creek bottom to try it on. I could wear that bra today without padding!

But I think that all that stuff just confirmed it though. I think my chromasomes are mis-adjusted.
Morgan

[Midnight Skye]

I vote on hormone screw-up. I had a very strong father figure and healthy life growing up. And I felt like a girl right off the bat... and dressed like it whenever I could without being caught. There's nothing environmental to explain why I feel like a girl on the inside.

[Karen564]

Would it change anything if you did know? :doh:

So does it really matter what I know or don't know....either way, I seriously doubt what I say matters... :drink:

[TerryTerri]

I honestly do not know why I am transgendered. I guess it is simply the card in life I was dealt. Sort of like the color of my hair, my height, my eye color, etc. I just don't have a lot of control over whether I have it or not, just whether I decide to do something about.

Reminds me of the analogy of a pickle. Doesn't really matter how the pickle came to be. Whether it was once a cucumber and transformed into a pickle or it simply always existed as a pickle. The FACT is, you can't make a cucumber out of a pickle. Don't know if that makes much sense to anyone else. My analogies can be kinda wierd sometimes I guess. Consider the source!

I do find it interesting that anyone and everyone who has honestly explored this has come away with the belief that being transgendered is an immutable core condition about oneself and the only real way to 'eliminate' the malady is to transition the physical form to match the internal image identification. There's no way to 'adjust' someone to their physical gender.

Just my ramblings about all this and the infamous WHY?

[Kerigirl2009]

I have to say that I believe it has a lot to do with the way we are brought up but also a mixture of hormones in the development stage.

I have a few theories on this about myself personally, but you will have to wait until I finish my book. Work in progress still. LOL :)

[Andrea85]

I sort of have to disagree with it having something to do with how the person is raised. I was raised in a semi religions family, raised as a male, but until 5 or 6, never really knew the differences in sexes. Once I learned it was like a light switch that came on that I wanted to be like my girl cousins and not my boy cousins.

My parents discouraged me wearing girl clothes, but never said it was wrong. ow if I could figure out how to tell them I'm going to transition now...

[Rianna Humble]

There is a great story about Bruce Reimer who was raised as a girl from a baby. Regardless of trying to influence female traits, he never felt like a girl. At the time it was praised as proof that gender identity is learned by psychologist John Money.

Only a psychologist could look at evidence that Bruce Reimer never accepted he was the gender that he was taught and still say that provs gender identity is learned.


What happened is as he learned the truth and entered adulthood, he rebelled at the idea and transitioned back to male.

Tome, this indicates that Gender is something innate and not learned behaviour or defined by what we have between our legs.


While this is an isolated incident and is fraught with abusive doctors and poor education, it does bring up a point about possible nature versus nuture.

I think those who are truly transgendered or as it is defined, gender dysphoric where you are mentally female but your body incorrectly gained male characteristic is a more sound opinion.

I'll vote for that


That being said, I do feel there is a large nurture aspect to many who are not truly transgendered who find the feminine "mystique" a comfort and are pulled toward dressing as a female while never actually wanting to transition to a woman.

There are still those who never had the support structure to understand their situation and go through life anxious, depressed, and introverted, often wishing they could be normal.

Whilst I was in denial, I told myself I would not want to transition every time that I found myself dreaming about doing just that.

Thanks, in part, to being made to feel that cross-dressing was sinful when I was an adolescent, I have spent a great deal of my life introverted and wishing I could fit in with what society calls "normal". Fortunately, I have now come to accept that I am who I am and I am not someone to be ashamed of.


But really, I don't know. I have spent my entire life confused as hell about who and what I am and often so fraught with anxiety over my damnable male body that I am sick of trying to outgrow or ignore something that has nothing to do with how I was raised and everything to do with how I was born.

:iagree:


I have to say that I believe it has a lot to do with the way we are brought up but also a mixture of hormones in the development stage.

There may be those for whom it has something to do with how they were raised - that is definitely not the case for me. If it had to do with that, I would be a cisgendered male. As it is, I am a transgendered woman, hoping to become just a woman eventually.

[Sophie_C]

Honestly, I believe there is an genetic inheritable factor to the whole thing. I am not at liberty to explain why I see this, but I am somewhat confident that is the case. Now, whether that leads to a surge in hormones in the womb, that is still a question. Regardless, this is something innate, at least for some of us. It's always been there, even before when knew what it was...

[noeleena]

Hi .

I would never ask any one because they dont know regardless how much they think they know, why because they are not like us .& how could they .
we in our communitys know more than they ever will,& you know the ones im refering to , Dr,s G p,s & so on ,

The way we are born is how we are .really it starts about 6 months before then .& even then conception , & im not talking about our bodys ,
This is about our mind we just know , & theres plenty of info to look at ,
& I knew i was different some 50 years ago. it just took many years to understand who i was / am ,
It had nothing to to with family life or in my case a lack of in the true sence of for me it was how i was wired both male & female & thats where i am in the middle & oh so happy being there ,
As to hormons that is only one of many details going on & theres a lot more as well & im quite happy with that .

...noeleena...

[Jorja]

Recently i saw a girls signature line that said ......... My switch is stuck half way or something to that effect. This may not be far from the truth. As we know that upon conception until 6 weeks or so we are female. The genes that switch on to make the gender difference may be damaged, incomplete, or just not work properly.
For some, the way they were raised may be a factor but in the majority of cases that is not a factor.

Jorja

[CharlotteB]

I vote the hormone theory.

[Empress Lainie]

I am with Noeleena. I always knew but didn't what it was until I was 72.

Environment had NOTHING to do with it. This body was obviously meant to be female, but something went wrong when genitalia was formed.

I lived all my life in the world view of females not males.
I played with the girls in elementary school. I was never comfortable in a male environment, but always was in a female environment.

I am so happy that 3yr old Shiloh, Angelina Jolie's child knows at 3 years old and is insistent on being the boy she is (she won't answer unless you call her John) (she won't wear girl clothes) is being allowed by Angelina to be himself, and the media are bashing her for it, saying she is forcing the child to be a boy. They are dead wrong, and I applaud Angelina for allowing Shiloh/John to be himself. I hope that the child is treated with hormones before the testosterone damage is done.

[Melissa A.]

Ok, I knew when I was 3. Three years old. long before sexual awareness. There was nothing notabley unusual about my family at that point, that I can really remember. Obviously, I don't remember a whole lot from when I was that young, But in talking to my parents, again, there was nothing you could really point to. I just don't see how my environment could have contributed in any way whatsoever.

Like Karen, I have personally stopped caring about why for a long time. I know in my heart that knowing isn't going to change what is true. It is a relevant issue, however. I wish it weren't, but it is. If there are any environmental factors involved at all, that's an arguement for reparitive therapy. Of course, the fact that it just about never, ever works brings us back to the idea that transsexuals, at least, were born being who they are. But the fact is, you really cannot talk to those who think you can be cured. Their deeply held beliefs really wont allow them to consider otherwise. And don't EVEN get me started on DSM V! Grrr...

Hugs,

Melissa:)

[Chickhe]

Why are you right or left handed? Why did you get blue eyes? Why do you like icecream? Hope that helps you understand...

[Traci Elizabeth]

I honestly do not know why I am transgendered. I guess it is simply the card in life I was dealt. Sort of like the color of my hair, my height, my eye color, etc. I just don't have a lot of control over whether I have it or not, just whether I decide to do something about.

Reminds me of the analogy of a pickle. Doesn't really matter how the pickle came to be. Whether it was once a cucumber and transformed into a pickle or it simply always existed as a pickle. The FACT is, you can't make a cucumber out of a pickle. Don't know if that makes much sense to anyone else. My analogies can be kinda wierd sometimes I guess. Consider the source!

I do find it interesting that anyone and everyone who has honestly explored this has come away with the belief that being transgendered is an immutable core condition about oneself and the only real way to 'eliminate' the malady is to transition the physical form to match the internal image identification. There's no way to 'adjust' someone to their physical gender.

Just my ramblings about all this and the infamous WHY?


I think Terry has the best answer. I also think it is a huge mistake to try and lump all of us into the same "Transsexual" conception. What might have caused you to be TS may or may not have anything to do with me or the rest of us.

I AM, I AM! Nothing else really matters does it?

Life is way too short to dwell on the past or why we are who we are. Look forward to being the woman you see yourself to be.

And as Terry's Pickle fable goes, you can never go back. You are what you are.

[Jorja]

I came across this one day that pretty well summed up the situation

I would have wanted to be born with a like mind and body. It was bad enough to warrant a factory recall, but since the baby factory had shut down, I had to do some after-market modifications. It seems to work fine now. Maintenance is a bit more than it was but its working fine.

[beccy]

Hi all and thanks for the replies the why's don't really bother me as I pointed out in my original post I was just curious to have peoples views on the matter of how we come to be.

[Schatten Lupus]

There is no actual answer. It's commonly theorized that a developing fetus' brain is exposed to the incorrect sex hormones, and that possibly something in the nurture department causes this to "turn on." The best guess is that it's probably something to do with both biology and environment, but nobody really knows for sure.

[jennaj]

This is a question that I have been curious. I respect the people that say it doesn't matter and that it wouldn't change anything if we knew exactly what makes us trans, but it is a curious question none the less.

As a biologist I am very curious on the mechanisms that produce the patterns we see in nature, including trans folks like us. I do think there are several mechanisms that can result in one feeling trans. But there are so many of us that have never really known not being trans that it must be something inherent at birth.

John Money's theory that there is a time when we are real young (<2 years old) that our gender identity is fluid and then becomes ingrained shortly after that does not seem to hold much credit now, especially after the Reimer case.

Endocrinologists have been able to demonstrate in many different mammals that a single dose of hormones before or just after birth can change the behavior of that animal for the rest of its life. This seems to be pretty similar to my understanding of my transexuallity.

Further support for this is the Dutch article published in Nature by Zhou et al. (1995) that was able to show certain regions of the brain essential for sexual behaviour is larger in men and both women and MTF transwomen.

I also find it very striking that DES, an antiabortion drug prescribed in the 50s and 60s, can increase transexualism in male and female offspring, further supporting a biological and not social mechanisms.

To me know the bigger question is how did these hormones levels change that altered normal brain development. There seems like there could be a number of causes, including genetics, endocrine disruptive chemicals (EDC) which are plentiful in our environment (including DES) or other unknown mechanisms.

So I would go with the hormone theory too.
Jenna!

[Rianna Humble]

Why do you like ice cream?

Why? Are there some people who don't like ice cream?

[morgan pure]

Not to get too Jungian or Vedic, but,

If I take into account my various fantasies and fetishes, dreams and phobias, I think about what the hell I did in my past life that brought this state on. I think that in the next embodiment I'm going to be a girl and this life is kind of preparation for it. It takes lifetimes to learn some things, after all. I've studied girls all my life and still don't think like one. But I'm told that I do act like one.

I really want to be buried in a dress but my wife refuses.