Transgender is not scientific [WRONG!]

[koti]

Nice Arete. tThis thread is not a dud due to your post, +1

[swansont]

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Moderator Note

Social construct discussion has been split

http://www.scienceforums.net/topic/112306-gender-as-a-social-construct-split-from-transgender-is-not-scientific/

 

 

[Sensei]

10 hours ago, Misty said:

No evidence of transgenders being real. I've heard one theory that they are not born with enough testosterone or estrogen. But that's pretty much it.

People don't born with final levels of testosterone, estrogen or other sex steroids. They're produced during lifetime by f.e. gonad.

Malfunction/mutation of gonad cells could result in misproduction of sex steroids.

 

Reading wikipedia pages about sex steroids should help understanding how they work:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estradiol

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estetrol

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estriol

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estrone

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progesterone

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androstenediol

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androstenedione

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dehydroepiandrosterone

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dihydrotestosterone

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testosterone

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progestogen

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androgen

 

[mistermack]

I think the confusion comes from people expecting gender to be binary, either male or female, when it clearly isn't. It's binary enough, to maintain the survival of the species but that's all. Like everything else in nature, it's fiendishly varied. Variation is a huge evolutionary advantage, so it's built into our genetics. It doesn't matter whether it would be better not to have variation in a particular case. It's going to be varied anyway. The general advantage of variation overrules the specific case. That's what happens when you have evolution, rather than design. 

People who are born with a brain that identifies as female, but in a male body, with male organs and genetics, are exactly that. If your brain tells you you are female, that's a fact, and just as much a fact as your organs indicate a male. You are what you are. But you can't change your brain, whereas you can with modern surgery change your organs. That doesn't match your genes, but it does match your brain. You simply are what you are.  

We instinctively try to classify other people as man/woman, when in real life it can be a grey area. You can have a female brain and male genetics. And in varying degrees, because what's in your brain isn't binary.

It's difficult. Socially, we say "he" or "she" so you are forced to confront it in normal conversation, whether you want to or not. I have a transgender friend who is still confused, even after surgery. I feel awkward having to choose whether to say he or she, as you don't know what to expect anyway.

He is simply what he is. (or she).