Rough draft:

Intro: define transgender and explain

Origin:
Explanation of sex and gender and the science behind it:
The philosophy behind sex and gender:
Personal experience:
Experiments:
Frequent opponent Q&A:
Just because you like doing boy/girl things doesnt mean you are a boy/girl
Its just a phase
But you were born with those genitals
Can a dog become a cat?
What if I date a transgender person?
Conclusion

AN OVERVIEW OF THE GENDER MOVEMENT

In this modern age, it may seem confusing how rapidly our social ideals are changing.
Its not easy for many to understand the growth and succession of these cultural movements
such as equality in all things sex, gender, race; some of which are deemed less moral than
others. One of these groups is the most silent or least understood by most of the public;
Transgender people are those who experience a gender the opposite as they were born, and
in this they seek to live as that sex which they experience. They come in all age ranges, sizes,
genders, and backgrounds. Many live behind-the-scenes, not easily known as transgender but
rather as a man or a woman. Many people suffer in a social context due to their inability to
blend into the cohesive social norms of a culture due to their internal struggle, and many deem
transgender people as something of an anomaly or an unethical standard. Most of these
people are not in it to make a scene, but to live in a way that feels more natural. In this day to
day life people are often misunderstood and the lack of knowledge and understanding of these
conditions causes a rift between people in varying communities.
Its important to look into all the information about people within these groups before
making swift judgements on the overall concept of gender transition. That is why I implore
everyone to read through and inform yourselves or others about transgender people. In this
guide I will explain the known science behind sex and gender, go over some of the origins,
further explain transgender people, and some factors that may play into the cause of
transgender people. I will also delve into cultural ideas behind gender, a personal anecdotal
account, and some frequent Q&As often said or asked about transgender people.

THE BIOLOGY BEHIND SEX

Before understanding the process behind what makes a transgender person,
you must understand what makes our core functioning of sex and our differentiation between
the two. The most basic underlying principle is that there are two sexes, both of which are able
to exhibit varying traits, some of which are atypical to the proper sex. Sex is reliant on several
factors and not just one, it has to do with chromosomal influence, primary sex traits (genitals
and reproductive parts) and secondary sex traits ( physical traits exhibited by males or
females), hormonal influence, and neurological connections. Sometimes a mix in these known
factors may result in intersex conditions; in which ambiguous or combination traits lead a
sometimes inconclusive factor to determining someone as male or female).
Sex differentiation will start off early in the womb. During its early stages, a fetus will
remain unsexed, meaning all fetal genitalia is typically the same. Previously during
preconception each fetus will have a set of chromosomes, out of the sets there is one pair that
will usually govern the sex that will later develop, the pair will usually be XX or XY (some
atypical sex chromosome combinations exist), and the main attributes of each direct
development. After 6-7 weeks of gestation in the womb, the Y chromosome will begin to induce

changes that affect the growth of the testes. The production of testosterone at about 9 weeks of

gestation results in the development of the reproductive tract and the masculinization (the normal
development of male sex characteristics) of the brain and genitalia. (reference). In contrast,
feminization does not require hormonal secretions from the ovaries and to develop. On rare
occasions the aforementioned atypical chromosome combinations lead to abnormal or intersex
conditions. The main chromosomal ones resulting in feminine or lack of feminine development are
Klinefelters syndrome (XXY) or Turners syndrome(X), in which males will develop feminine
traits during growth, or women will suffer a decrease in feminine traits during growth.
Primary sex traits are the reproductive units that form, which involve the genitals. The
development of physical genital traits are what is typically used in determination, inconclusive
genitals due to an intersex condition can sometimes be traced to the dominant hormone to place
sex. The penis and the vagina are what are called homologous meaning similar in origin though
not funtion, and each one is made out of similar parts that developed in the womb (reference). All
embryos start with the same material that will eventually turn to genitals. After exposure to certain
hormones and at seven weeks, they will begin arrangement and form into certain structures. The
line of the penis, the raphe, is homologous to the lips of the labia, in womb it had fused to form
the penis, The clitoral hood is homologous to the foreskin, the testes are homologous to the
ovaries, and the skenes gland is homologous to the prostate.
One of the third and main aspects that make up an individuals sex is hormonal balance and
release. The release of certain hormonal structures serves the purpose of determining sex and the
development of such. It is present throughout the lifespan of an individual, though mainly at key
moments at development. As stated, the first surge is within the womb, in determining the physical
genital traits that develop from hormonal influence. The resurgence of hormonal traits comes with
puberty, a time in which adolescent growth spurts cause more secondary sex traits to appear.
These will involve height growth and body build in both genders. In males, it will typically involve
facial and body hair growth, a deepening of the voice through growth in vocal chord tissue,
muscle growth, and sexual development. In females, it will involve breast tissue development,
body hair growth, and development of menstruation. Hormonal changes can affect each individual
differently, some individuals experience different levels of these hormones and might need medical
intervention for growth.
The neurological mapping of men and women is typically different, and each will have
certain strengths, weaknesses, and skillsets based on what develops. Although many people
develop a mix of traits, there is some research to conclude that much of the male and female brain
is specifically wired a certain way based on certain traits.
As a result, a combination of factors play into the determination of sex in an organism, and
when a combination of these factors work in succession will give you a male or a female. In other
cases however, genetic predispositions give variance all across the board, and many males and
females will develop in different ways despite being male or female.

WHAT IS TRANSGENDER?

As stated previously, a person who is transgender is someone who

experience a sex the opposite of which they are born (the trans- previx in latin
meaning across or other side), as a result they will seek to live out as such by
presenting differently or seeking therapeutic or medical assistance. The reason for why
this happens is still being thoroughly researched, and evidence based on the scientific
basis for sex applies some answers to these questions, as will be explained in later
sections.
Transgender people come in different ages ranges and backgrounds. Many
people come to this realization in their teens after puberty, later in their adult years after
ignoring it for so long, or some say they realize as early as childhood what it is that is
happening with them.
Those that were born male but readjust their life as female are called
transgender woman, and vice versa those born female but readjust their life as male
are called transgender men. To make this easier to remember, the expanded phrase
male-to-female (or its acronym: MTF) or female-to-male(FTM) are commonly used as
descriptions for further explanation. One many of these people come to terms with and
accept their status as transgender, most will seek means to change aspects of their life.
One of the first steps in most of these cases is people will seek therapeutic assistance
and counseling, in which they will further explain any physical associations, feelings,
emotions they may have with a qualified professional. In this scenario, the professional
will often take a outside stance, educating the individual and giving them other options
before attempting transition. Many people who experience more masculinity or
femininity and not often transgender, and a therapist will talk this through with most
people in order to determine the best option for the individual and whether or not to go
into the next steps for transitional medicine.
Once approved by a therapist, they will often prescribe medication for hormone
replacement therapy (HRT) in order for more masculine or feminine traits to develop in
an individual, many transgender people already have masculine and feminine traits
built into them before taking hormones, but hormones will further emphasize, increase,
or apply traits which they feel more comfortable with. This serves the function of both
decreasing their gender dysphoria as well as being able to pass in public as their
gender, pass meaning for others in society to properly recognize them as male or
female. Hormones are the biological mechanism the brain releases which allows
gendered traits to develop, estrogen is the hormone typically associated with feminine
secondary sex traits, whereas testosterone is the hormone typically associated with
masculine secondary sex traits . Both males and females produce estrogen and
testosterone, although males typically produce more of testosterone while females
typically produce more estrogen. An FTM beginning the use of Spironolactane (an
antiandrogen used to inhibit testosterone, which overshadows the development of
estrogen) and estrogen will experience changes such as softening of skin, breast and
nipple development, redistribution of body fat into a more female pattern, lowered sex
drive, a slowing of hair growth. In transgender men, the HRT medication testosterone

cypionate is an androgen taken that will masculinize facial features, redistribute body
fat into a more male pattern, grow more body hair, an increase in muscle mass, higher
sex drive, stopping of the menstruastion cycle, and development of the vocal chord
tissues to create a deeper voice. Some of these changes will take place in the first 1-3
months, while much of the changes will take 1-3 years to fully settle. Everyone is
different and the effects may vary based on each individual and the genes dictated by a
family line. Some of these effects are permanent, while others are dependent on the
continued application of HRT. Testosterone being a more dominant hormone, causes
more lasting effects and more development. For that reasons, transgender women are
often having to undergo surgical intervention to remove any male development
beginning after puberty. Transgender men will also typically undergo surgery in order to
remove female development after puberty. Medical complications may also exist while
on HRT, such as liver strain or blood clots, or risk of cancer. Proper, regularly
scheduled medical examinations are needed in order to observe the medical effects of
hormones for safety.
The next step typically will be sexual reassignment surgery. In transgender
women this usually may involve breast augmentation, genital reconstruction or teste
removal, facial reconstruction, or vocal surgery assuming they are not able to vocal
train into a more typical female pitch. For men, typical surgeries involve removal of the
breast tissue, removal of the ovaries and/or uterus, and genital reconstruction. Whether
or not a man or woman will pursue certain kinds of surgery depends on the success of
transition pre-surgery, many men or women who were androgynous (ambiguous in
physical traits and can be seen as male or female) prior to HRT development well
usually develop well without much need for surgical intervention for passing, while
other will simply undergo surgery in order to lessen their own dysphoric condition and
for their benefit.
There are also the social and legal aspects of transition. These may involve the
gradual explanation and coming out process to friends and family and all the
associated risks and rewards of the changing process. Transgender people face a risk
of facing life in a social environment at school, work, or family gatherings. It may take
awhile for social peers to come to terms or accept this, or they may become avoidant
instead. In the legal aspect, transgender people may undergo a legal name change in
order to be called under a moniker that better reflects their gender. They may also
undergo a process of a legal sex change in order to have their sex more match their
presentation and how they look, which makes it easier in an identification process,
legally speaking.
Not all transgender people are the same, some may not take any steps to
transition, others may go about them in a different order. No two people are alike. Once
the appropriate steps have been taken and a transgender person appears more like
their gender, many of them do not say they are transgender, but rather just the gender
they experience; male or female. At this point many are stealth, meaning most of the
general public have no indication that they ever were the opposite sex, but rather they

are indistinguishable from those born the same sex that they identify as, and no
suspicion or questions are asked. At this point they continue on their lives less inhibited
by feelings of gender dysphoria.

THE ORIGIN OF TRANSGENDER PEOPLE AND THE

MOVEMENT
Even though it might seem as such, transgender people are not a recent
phenomenon, but rather a developing phenomenon based on shifting ideas and
success in the modern medical field.
Transgender people are not limited to a modern cultural phenomenon, but rather
the word is a new tag for an an idea that has been around through the ages in other
cultures or previous history. In Native American culture it was common for androgynous
or transgender people to be referred as a third gender of sorts, called two spirit
(reference). These people were often revered and looked to for guidance, in their
religious beliefs the Native Americans believed two spirits were blessed and were
sought out for wisdom. Another example is in Indian culture, in which transgender
people are often fall in what is a third gender, meaning those that fall outside of the
typical male or female. (reference) Indian culture calls these people hijras or any
other miscellaneous labels based on the region they are from. In another report from
the Dominican republic, it was quite common for many children to be born with an
intersex condition (Intersex meaning the physical genitals are in between a male and
female state and therefore too ambiguous to properly sex them), in these intesex
children, they were born looking female and raised as female, at puberty they became
male and live their lives henceforward as males, although some choose to get surgery
and remain female. These people are known as guevedoces (reference) and are a
common phenomenon in that culture due to a recurring genetic condition. Many
cultures throughout the world continent have similar situations and cultures based
around these people and transgender people have always played a role in history.
(reference)
In more modern accounts, the term for transgender people was originally
referred to as transsexual, which isnt an apt term considering -sexual is a suffix term
applied to one someone is attracted to. The term emerged in the 1950s, and in 1980 it
was introduced to the DSM-III (The Diagnostic and.Statistic manual for mental
disorders, which is a catalogue published by the American Psychiatric association)
defined as gender dysphoric individuals who demonstrated at least two years of
continuous interest in removing their sexual anatomy and transforming their bodies and
social roles. In 1994, the DSM-IV replaced transsexualism with gender identity
disorder. Later still, the DSM-5, gender identity disorder was re-evaluated given the
basic definition of a mental illness is a condition which decreases the functioning of an
individual in daily life, those that undergo changes in gender experience an increase in

functioning, therefore it has been revised in that Gender dysphoria, an intense feeling
of discomfort or confusion based on physical or social characteristics, has been the
properly used term of mental illness in the DSM. (reference)

SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE AND THEORIES RELATING

TO GENDER
Since the identification and rise of transgender people, it has become a topic of
much speculation and confusion, little is known about what exactly it is or what causes
it. There are many theories or studies that give weight to the significance of its
existence, and after studying the many different factors that lead to sex and gender
certain conclusions can be reached on its prominence. Some of the common
overarching evidence suggests that genetics, brain structure, and prenatal androgen
exposure are some attributes to why these happen.
Gender variations are a common attribute in nature. In one particular genetic
phenomenon, many animals which are naturally sexual dimorphic (show their sex
physically in how they look) may have a condition called bilateral Gynandromorphism,
this means that these animals will often be look physically half male and half female
through symmetry. It is found in birds, insects and butterflies, and crustaceans such as
lobsters.

In one case, a man named Dr H.E Schaef observed a gynandromorph of a

chicken who was half female on one side, while half male on another. The traits were
not limited to the physical, the behavior of this chicken would be to mount the other
hens as a male chicken would, while laying eggs as a female would. When the bird
died, he prepared it to eat; the right half of the skeleton was decidedly larger than the
left. When the gizzard was removed, it showed on one half a testis, and one half an
ovary with a partially formed egg. In another example, a retired high school teacher
observed a gynandromorph cardinal. The behavior of such a creature proved it was an
anomaly of nature; it was never observed with a mate, it never sang as a cardinal
typically would. The isolation, or getting picked on, is quite common for
gynandromorphic creatures.

This condition in these animals is significant, as the physical, physiological, and

anatomical evidence shows that these animals in nature are real anomalies, both male
and female in condition. This shows that sex isnt typically determined in one aspect
and there are individuals that can actually be both sexes in nature rather than only one.
In another case of nature, some Missouri hunters ran into an odd phenomenon
in which they had shot an antlered deer, and their physical genitalia was shown to be
female. This can be explained in the female deer likely having a surge in testosterone
levels, which gives them the antlers which are specifically a male physical trait.

References:
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/oct/11/two-spirit-people-north-america
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/04/23/why-terms-like-transgenderdont-work-for-indias-third-gender-communities/?utm_term=.04d993f1d6d6
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34290981
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgender_history
http://www.skepticink.com/gps/2014/05/03/gender-dysphoria-new-and-revised-in-dsm-5/
https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/gsc/assets/hormones_MTF.pdf
http://www.genderpsychology.org/transsexual/dsm_iv.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK222286/
http://www.ohjoysextoy.com/genitals/ (NSFW)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_transsexuality
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/hope-relationships/201402/brain-differences-betweengenders
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/talking-back/is-the-brain-gendereda-q-a-with-harvard-scatherine-dulac/
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-there-something-unique-about-the-transgenderbrain
/
http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150916-these-animals-are-male-on-one-side-and-female-onthe-other
https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/antlered-female-deer-crop-missouri-s-deer-harverst
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25217469

Picture URLs:
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--4uV6M84--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/18lqzqbnpokstjpg.jpg

https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Golden-Stag-Gynandromorph1.jpg
http://strangesounds.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Rare-genetic-disorder-Bilateralgynandromorphism-1.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Nmp6ivo.png