Transgender Causation Factor 4: Childhood Learning and Transgender Recognition

06/19/18 • 14 min

This episode provides information on the fourth factor in transgender causation--that o early childhood learning and transgender recognition. Most all children know the basics of the Western gender system including the two gender behavior categories by age 2-3. They come to recognize which one fits with their genetic gender predisposition. In the case of transgender children, the category which fits them is not the same as the one they were assigned at birth on the basis of sex assignment. This is not a conscious lifestyle choice. Like most choices, it involves subconscious processes of which we are not aware. We become consciously aware only after the choice has been made. As for lifestyle, the alternative gender behavior categories are determined by culture, not by biology.

Previous Episode

Culture: Third Factor of Transgender Causation

Culture is the third factor in transgender causation. In earlier podcasts I described how genetic gender predisposition was formed based on two factors: genetics and epigenetics. In this podcast I describe why culture is the third factor in being transgender. It appears that being transgender only occurs in Western culture. Western culture is peculiar among those cultures that have been studied. It has the peculiar characteristics of being binary, cisgender and inflexible. When genetic gender predisposition and culture collide, the result is transgender people. Examples of other cultures that have up to 5 gender behavior categories, that are not cisgender and are not inflexible. Transgender people cannot change their genetic gender predisposition but they can change Western culture to be more accomodating to diversity.

Next Episode

Science of Transkids and Continuance of Transgender Behavior

Previous podcasts provided information on the factors involved transgender causation. Transgwender emergence usually occurs in childhood. This podcast continues from childhood transgender emergence. What happens to these kids? One of the new opportunities for transkids is affirmative therapy including the Netherlands protocol that allows them to delay puberty so that they can decide about their adult gender. The episode also provides scientific information on the issue as to how long does being transgender continue from childhood into adulthood. Critics of affirmative therapy and the Netherlands protocol say that transkids will naturally stop being transgender as adults so that there is no point in providing affirmative therapy. This episode provides a review of the science about continuance of being transgender into adulthood.