Quote Originally Posted by trannie T View Post
Both theories are interesting however there is little to validate either one.
There IS a hormone wash (or bath) near the end of the first trimester -- that is scientific fact!!! That this prenatal wash might, at times, short circuit is biologically (or medically, if you prefer) likely. The effects of such short circuiting (with regard to CDing) is pure speculation at this point in time, and, in fact, may remain so!

Quote Originally Posted by Marina Twelve View Post
Those theories only address Crossdressing resulting from an identification with the opposite sex---That is degress of "transsexualisim"

As Crossdressing has several DIFFERENT root causes---that may induce a person to dress as the opposite sex, no one or two theories can cover all cases. ((( ETC. - Please read Marina's entire post, above. )))
Sorry, Marina, but we'll have to agree to disagree -- hopefully without being disagreeable. Your first sentence labeled a vast majority of mtf heterosexual CDers as being, to some degree, transsexual. The hormone bath/wash does not solely apply to transsexualism at all. It applies to both core gender identity and gender role identity, which are absolutely different. I think you'll agree that we could literally write volumes on this subject and still not reach a satisfactory conclusion.

From things you have posted, I get the sense that you don't accept that someone can be anatomically male AND male in core gender identity, yet have a subjective dichotomy that presents a feminine aspect of their root psyche as it relates to gender role identity. A clear distinction must, therefore, be made between core gender identity and gender role indentity, just as we must distinguish between the subjective and the objective, and that whch is congruus from the incongruous.

A prenatal hormonal milieu DOES occur and determines, to some degree, gender identity. What is unknown is the formation of an unconflicted gender identity and gender role. There is ambiguity within the controlled scientific data . . . for example, most children with gender identity conflicts do not develop into transsexual adults.

Something that I haven't seen noted here is that diagnosis requires the presence of BOTH cross-gender identification (the desire to be, or the insistence that one is, the other sex) AND a concurrent demonstrated, substantial sense of discomfort about one's sex or gender role. This is where the various disciplines come into conflict -- for example, read the DSM-IV-TR, versus the latest edition of The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy. There is some agreement, yet we are still dealing with the differences between medical professionals and mental health professionals, the latter including some medical professionals.

In the main, usually, those who have a greater imbalance in core gender identity tend to be crossdressers; those who have a greater imbalance in gender role identity tend to be transsexual. Same spectrum, albeit completely different ends of that spectrum.