How much of being transgender is nature v. societal expectations?

Question

For example, is a male-to-female person really feeling like she was a woman born into a man's body? Or, is she really a man who wishes he could wear dresses and make-up and do other feminine activities that society says are wrong for a man to do? And, vice versa for a FTM person.

Answer 1

For myself, I realized that there were all these societal things a "man" was supposed to be (I ID as cisgendered gay male). I didn't fit most of them, so I thought that gender was bull that society forces on people. I then realized that, despite not buying that sports are what makes a male a male, I still feel male. So I definitely think there's SOMETHING going on from the inside. I won't get into the research, because i don't remember it off the top of my head and I don't feel like looking it up, but there does seem to be a possible biological factor.

That having been said, bravo for noticing both. the word "gender" is often used to refer to at least three different things. It's inaccurately matched with biological sex (which, I might add, also doesn't come in binary). It's used to refer to "societal gender" that you were talking about. And it refers to an innate sense of one's own gender.

I think that the societal things, for a transperson, are merely ways of expressing one's gender, and not the end goal as it were.

Answer 2

If you just want to play dress up then you are not a transsexual. People that are truly transsexual know from a very early age that they are different. You may not know exactly why at that age but you KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt that your mind and body do not match. Over the years it has gotten easier for people to find information to help them. It is still a big taboo for society to handle but not like it was 20 or 30 years ago. A MTF can have the surgery and lead a normal life. For a FTM it is another story. To become completely male from top to bottom is rare because there are not a lot of doctors that can preform the phallus operation plus it is VERY expensive and takes several operations and years to complete and there are no guarantees that what you get will look normal or even function. And finding a woman to love you and except you is a million to one shot. But once you know you do whatever you can to go as far as possible. It is the only way to keep from going crazy. It is truly a life changing experience !

Answer 3

i have a lot of compassion for anyone who feels they are not in alignment with their birth gender i am married to a ftm and before transition was begun he was miserable thoughts begun at age 3 and although he was raised a female this didn't make the problem go away at 23 everything came to a head and changes were begun to resolve this i believe you are born with a female or male brain and sometimes the body doesn't match. you would like to see a movie that really moved me watch NORMAL. It takes you through the transition of a male to female transperson. there are feminine men and masculine women and they are not trans we are all different in some tribes being intersexed or two spirited you held an important position. Being transexual is a very hard life to lead and it is real beyond being gay transexuals not only are discriminated by the straight world but also by their own community many gay and lesbians don't except trans people it is sad.

Answer 4

Transsexualism is caused by hormonal levels in fetal development. It is caused by the same hormones that cause homosexuality. Even the DSM IV (psychological disorder bible) doesn't claim them (homosexuality or transsexualism) as a disorder. Why isn't it a disorder might you ask?? Well, because it has been proven as a genetically linked gender orientation. Although the link only explains the causes for homosexuality, the method is still the same. The hormones that effect fetal development have a range of effect from high to low. Depending on the level of effect is how you get homosexual and transsexual orientations. Here is the link...

http://webpages.marshall.edu/~woods18/homosexuality.htm

Answer 5

That's Nice.

Answer 6

If you ask them they say they were born into the wrong body as does all the counseling they must go through before the change.

Answer 7

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