If CDing Is In Your DNA

[jessbcuzz]

Nobody really knows why we dress. It doesn't matter if its male to female, or female to male, but we all just do it. If it were ever proved that it was in DNA, would you hope that that part of the DNA would or would not be passed on to others in your bloodline? If it skipped a person, would you still tell them that a CD gene runs in the family?

[LilSissyStevie]

In my case, I don't know where the desire to crossdress comes from except that I enjoy it. But I seriously doubt that it's genetic or biological in any way. The claim that crossdressing is genetic or biological is just an updated version of claiming "The devil makes me do it." Nobody likes to take responsibility for their actions as long as there are negative consequences attached to them. It's much more satisfying to blame something or somebody else. Regardless of how the desire arises, the truth is that the act of crossdressing is a choice. I no more have to cross dress because I am a crossdresser than I have to drink because I'm an alcoholic. I have no fear that the lace garter and back seam stockings gene will be passed to my descendants:2c:

[Satrana]

DNA is the genetic instruction set for building biological organisms. It has nothing to do with crossdressing. Our genes don't know what clothes are.

If the question is reworded like - would I accept or feel guilty if my son turned out to be a CD, then the answer is yes I would accept and no I would not feel guilty. Men expressing femininity is a completely natural thing, it is our social values that are screwed up. So another CD to fight the good fight against irrational prejudice? the more the merrier I say. And I know my son would turn out to be a better person for expressing his femininity so I would be happy for him.

[Amy Hepker]

My kids already know about me, so yes, they will know.

[nikki47]

I would accept both my sons whatever they did in life,thats unconditional love.Now that they are both young men,i still could not tell them about me,my wife knows and people on here and thats all.Even though i will never stop dressing and feeling how i do,i would hate to drop it on them after 20 yrs.

Nikki

[Sarah V]

I would hope that a ressessive gene for CDing would not get passed onto my children (if I had any). If I did have children, would I tell them that they might be prone to it? Probably not. I would let them discover it for themselves and I would respect their privacy.

[CD Susan]

No I would never tell an offsprng that a "cd gene" runs in the family. All that would do is create feelings of blame. If my son or daughter was a cd I would be totally accepting of it and would never pry into thier private life but would respect thier privacy to the fullest.

[battybattybats]

I think there is something strong behind it, otherwise few would risk the negative consequences and most who purge would have quit for good.

I suspect that crossdressing is caused by a mild form of the neurological phenomena behind transexualism.

That may or may not be genetic, though I have heard of people discovering relatives also dressed.

As for me, I have a young cousin who seems to stretch the gender boundaries and one of my ancestors wore pants, cut her hair short and became an infamous Irish pirate!

I would definately tell descendants if it turned out to run in the family, and I'd tell it as proudly as I would the other traits and interesting bits of family history.
After all if my kids weren't transgender but theirs or their grandkids would be then they would have to be sure future generations would be prepared to look after them.

[VeronicaH]

In this non-accepting world I would hope that it would not be passed on.

[flacindycd]

From what ive read our brain has both a female and a male side,that said when we are born with genitals we are "trained " to accept and develope the male side only ,because of our physical attributes,, and hide the female side..

[RockerTerri]

I actually spoke at length with my Psych professor about this very topic. His specialty is epilepsy, and he was a neurosurgeon before retiring and teaching as an adjunct at our local university, so i place quite a bit of value on his opinion. He says that he believes it IS a function of the brain, but dosent believe it is genetic, as much as in how our brain arranges itself during growth, and the neural connections we prune, or retain, as we develop in our early years. There IS a physical component, perhaps evident in everyone, that defines personality, and gender is simply a very crude classification of a person's personality, sexuality, and traits. Our conversation focused on TG, not CD, but i believe CDing and TS are related, at least to a point.

When our brains develop, we learn by making neural connections. When we are young, say under 4 or 5 years old, we make a LOT more of them than we do later in life. A person's traits are defined by these connections. There could be connections, or possibly even regions in the brain, that control "feminine" aspects, such as creativity, caring, trust, nurture, and possibly "masculine" control centers, for traits such as competetiveness, analytical thinking, etc etc. The fact that many women are competetive and analytical and many men are creative and caring proves that this is not all there is to it, but I believe that the locus of "gender" is definately in the structure of the brain. Its development could be influenced by environment, learning, or simply by our likes and dislikes, and most likely by a combination of these factors.

I do not believe anyone will ever fully understand the workings of the human brain, let alone the aspect of mind, of that private space we all dwell in. And i certainly hope they dont, because if that day comes, then they will try to "fix" any behaviours that dont fit in to a mold of "normal". Some people have urges to climb mountains, race cars, become police officers, or even serial killers. In all cases, there is more to these decisions than simply what kind of upbringing we had.

CDers want to wear clothing that they have a desire to wear, be the reasons simply because they like it, because they are quietly rebelling against social norms, or because they feel more at home that way. Not so very different from the desires TS people have, we just have a few more of them.

We are a lot more alike than different, ONE lousy gene, known as "T factor" determines the sex of a human being, and it does not appear until the 8th week of pregnancy. Before that, all humans are the same, we are all female and will stay female unless that gene is present AND it activates. Sometimes that gene is even found on the "X" chromosome, and sometimes a "Y" chromosome dosent have it. Yes, there are XX males, and XY females, perfectly biologically normal ones, in the world. ONE lousy gene, out of 25000,
is what society uses to dictate the behaviours we should display for the entirety of our lives.

So yeah, it may be a function of our brains, that determines whether we like to CD, or will become TS, or will develop an obsession for 19th century grandfather clocks. But i dont think its in the genetic code anywhere.

Terri

[Marla]

Gave up trying to analyze it years ago. I just enjoy it!

[PaulaJeanette]

I'm with Marla...without some definitive research, there is no clear way to identify the genesis. Therefore, all I can do is simply acknowledge that I do what I do...crossdress...because I find it pleasurable and very enjoyable...PERIOD. More than likely, I will continue to crossdress for the rest of my life!

Enjoy ladies!

PaulaJeanette :2c:

[MarinaTwelve200]

From what I have read, TS, HS and perhaps CD appear to be the result of a prenatal "event", eg. wrong hormone exposure, rather than actual DNA.

BUT the CAUSE of the "event" that causes TG in one's offspring may be genetic.---suggesting that this gene may be carried by the female. (mother) This tendancy to PRODUCE TG offspring, rather than TG itself may be inherited.---would explain both a TG history in families and also no sign of a "TG GENE" in the TG person.

[trannie T]

I agree with both RockerTerri and Marla's posts. RockerTerri went to some length to say that we don't know why we do whar we do and Marla said to just enjoy doing what we do. The more I go on the less I care about why I'm a crossdresser and enjoy doing it more.

[Karren H]

If it were genetic..... I'd let them be surprised!!!

SURPRISE!!!

"You touch Grandpa's vintage dress's and I'll make you go to school in JEANS"!!

:)

[Jeannie Bingham]

Gave up trying to analyze it years ago. I just enjoy it!

My exact thoughts on the matter.

[Sophia KT]

I think it is unlikely to be a gene because humans have not been wearing clothes for reasons of vanity all that long. Not long enough, nor along well enough defined bloodlines for natural selection to have played any part.

If we are anything we are like bumble bees who have found a new kind of flower to feed upon i.e. women's clothes shops. Whether we make it will depend on our success at reproducing, but if we are not attractive to our opposite sex then we are doomed to extinction.

In my defence, I have had the flu the last few days

:)

[RitaCD]

I'm with Marla...without some definitive research, there is no clear way to identify the genesis. Therefore, all I can do is simply acknowledge that I do what I do...crossdress...because I find it pleasurable and very enjoyable...PERIOD. More than likely, I will continue to crossdress for the rest of my life!

Enjoy ladies!

PaulaJeanette :2c:

Like Marla, Paula, and Jeannie I gave up on self analysis long, long ago. This is who I am and I LIKE IT.

[Rachel%]

Whatever small amount of research i have come across,as well as being interviewed by mental health councellors etc it allways seems to come back to a strict female parent who dominates in the home & childs upbringing & restrains her emotional outpourings!:sad:

Certainly the case in my family history!

So no DNA involvement more psychological!

[Sophia KT]

Whatever small amount of research i have come across,as well as being interviewed by mental health councellors etc it allways seems to come back to a strict female parent who dominates in the home & childs upbringing & restrains her emotional outpourings!:sad:

Certainly the case in my family history!

So no DNA involvement more psychological!

You seem unhappy hun. Don't be, and don't listen to 'mental health' people too much: we are not mad.

[Dramadom13]

Well, I still have pictures of my Dad in a bikini, so go figure.

It was a very popular "fashion show" that him and a bunch of his lodge buddies put on.

God, I love my old man! He's a very hip 73.