Gender Dysphoria and Genetics

I've not heard of any evidence about it being genetic. The only theory I've heard is something happened in the womb to change how we developed. Not enough is known about gender identity disorder unfortunately. Wish I could have helped more

 

Hmmm... Male homosexuality has a strong genetic component on the individual's mother's side of the family. I don't know of any evidence for a genetic component to transgenderism though.

That being said, I don't know of any evidence to say its impossible either. If it is due to a hormone imbalance within the mother's womb, it would make sense to me that it would be possible for relatives to have the same potential to produce this hormone imbalance.

 

I'm honestly not sure if trans can run through families, but I wouldn't really be that surprised seeing the number of cases where homosexuality/bisexuality runs in families, particularly among siblings. I can't tell you how many sets of siblings I know that have multiple children that are either gay or bi while the parents themselves might be one hundred percent hetero. It's actually the case for my grandfather's children. It has always interested me.

But yeah...no idea why or how this might happen, if it's not just a fluke. But something tells me it's probably more than an odd coincidence.

 

I think a study showed that women who are highly stressed during pregnancy have a greater chance of having GLBT children.

If it's something that happens in the womb, that could be a genetic issue the mother has... and it could happen repeatedly. Who knows, really?

 

There's no studies that I'm aware of that point to a hereditary connection to gender identity, other than studies that examine X/Y chromosomal abnormalities (which are rare).

The problem with studies of gender is that they have to make some assumptions about what constitutes "normal" or "typical". The things that we associate with gender are a combination of genetic, physical, hormonal and psychological factors. That complexity makes it hard to point to one cause to say, "This is what causes gender dysphoria".

One of the reasons that effeminate men and masculine women are considered "not normal" has to do with norms in society. But, while we now consider it normal for a man to show nurturing behaviors toward his children, a generation ago that would have been considered effeminate. Similarly, we now consider it normal for a woman to want to succeed in a professional career or serve in the military but a generation ago, that would have been considered more of a "masculine" behavior.

Your brother's cross-dressing may or may not be considered a gender expression. There are multiple reasons why a person may choose to dress as the other gender and there are many men who are comfortable as men who nevertheless enjoy wearing women's clothing on occasion in the privacy of their home. Similarly, there are women who prefer to dress to de-emphasize the femininity of their body but they still are comfortable with being women.

It's very hard to put together studies that would look at gender issues when it's hard to say what constitutes "male" versus "female". And a lot of what is called "gender dysphoria" is based upon a person's self-reporting of how they feel versus something that can be studied with a genetic test or a behavioral test.

It may be a coincidence that several of your family have atypical gender behaviors. Or there may be some hereditary factor at work. It's such a complicated subject with so many factors that you may never know.

 

Honestly, this is something I have always been paranoid about. I don't think I want to have biological children just in case. Being trans isn't exactly a positive experience. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, so I definitely don't want my child to be afflicted with the thing that's caused me so much pain. I wouldn't care if my child is gay or whatever, but I would fear if they were trans because I know what it's like.

 

I think there's a lot of evidence of physical charateristics running in families - children who "look like" one of their parents, brothers/sisters who look like each other even though they're not twins, athletic prowess and skills running in families.

It's purely a personal observation, but if I accept that physical charateristics can run in families, why should it not be possible for psychological characteristics to do the same?

My sister looks like my dad, my brother and I look like my mum in terms of body-build and facial structure.

Of course out psyche is determined a great deal by our experiences and the environment we grow up in, BUT I can allow for the possibility that some part of "us" comes pre-programmed - we don't inherit our parents' experiences, but we do inherit their dispositions AND the way they treat us as children often refelcts their experiences as children themselves.

I was very interested by the suggestion that it follows more from the mother's side. My mother had a gay brother. The generation before that was girls only, but one of them lived as a spinster (not that that necessarily means anything).


Kara, do you think that a study into this would be considered pseudoscience? It's not something I'd ever thought of before, but I'm curious as to why it's not been researched yet, especially as we seem to research everything and its dog these days.

 

There's not a lot of research going on about sexuality in general these days. Some of it has to do with a general cooling of government funding of anything controversial. And pharmaceutical companies aren't inclined to fund things that won't get them profits later on.

Research like this has to go through a peer review process. Having done a few of these, I can see where any proposed study would have a lot of issues designing a standard measurement.

So far, gender dysphoria hasn't been dropped from the DSM. If it does, then it wouldn't surprise me if there will be even less motivation to study it.

 

I agree wholeheartedly with this. Living trapped as I am, and unable to HRT due to being poor and uninsured has been hell. I've been beaten, ridiculed, and shunned for being who I am, and to be honest I doubt I'll ever manage to afford HRT. And even if I did, I'd never be able to have the joys of having grown up physically female. I've missed out on most of my youth now. The only thing that keeps me going is that one, tiny glimmer of hope that against all odds something in my life will change and I'll be able to. So yes, I definitely will not be having biological children out of fear that they might be like me.

 

This really reminded me of something I think would be interesting to point out. It's my version of proof that each of us inherits more than just looks from our parents. Or perhaps proof that what our genetic makeup is more than just hair and eye color. Or both. Anyway, let me get on with it.

My best friend of almost 11 years was blessed with a mother who loved her more than anything and a dad who for all intents and purposes has always been called 'Sperm Donor.' He wasn't a legitimate sperm donor. No. This man was with her mother and as soon as it came time to raise a child...he bailed. He has never once been involved in my friend's life. Not one single time beyond helping to conceive her. But here's the thing...

She is so very much like him, according to her mother, grandmother, and other family members, that it's scary. And we're not talking looks and such. Though from what I've heard she does carry a few of his facial traits. But the main thing she got from him were all the little quirks her mother and the rest of her family don't have. Little things that she does are exactly the same way he does them. And odd things that would be weird to other people. She hates being reminded of it by her mother, but on he flip side it drives her mother crazy to see her fail ex in her beloved child.

But yeah, this is one reason why I think it's possible for anything like that.