Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Scientists discover DNA that could be responsible for gender identity

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2018/03/scientists-discover-dna-responsible-gender-identity/

LGBTQNation/ by Jeff Taylor 03/19/2018


This is only a snippet of the full article on The Times (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/science-pinpoints-dna-behind-gender-identity-3vmrgrdnv) but it is unfortunately locked behind a paywall.

It's nothing that the LGBT community didn't already know, but after a more widespread study and some peer reviews it could lead to interesting outcomes. A legitimate scientific reason, and not a para-psychological one, more akin to being left-handed could lend credence against those that would usually dismiss ->-bleeped-<- as a mental illness or a personal choice.

It could also signal the end of torturous therapy sessions for those who already firmly believe they are transgender and are mis-diagnosed (as I was) as a simple DNA test can show if that person is predetermined to be transgender. Therapy still has a large role to play in the support of transgender people, but I believe it should be used more as a treatment, rather than a form of diagnosis.

Finally, it could potentially spell the end of post-puberty transitions. For example, if during childhood or puberty a child shows telltale signs of being transgender, rather than taking the child to a psychologist who is then put in the difficult position of diagnosing ->-bleeped-<-, a DNA test could see if the child has these genes. There is then a strong clinical basis for allowing the child to go through puberty as their preferred gender.

Of course this study only looks at transsexual men and women, and not at gay, lesbian, queer or gender fluid people and the gender variations that do (and sometimes don't) go along with them. It needs lot more study, but it could lead to some interesting and exciting possibilities.

Interesting.

The ones that most often dismiss this as personal choice or mental illness don't do science.

This is good news though as it may lead to rational people recognizing it as a legitimate medical condition which should lead to much better medical care and insurance coverage.


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Interesting indeed  :o

Quote from: Deborah on March 19, 2018, 11:02:39 PM
The ones that most often dismiss this as personal choice or mental illness don't do science.

This is good news though as it may lead to rational people recognizing it as a legitimate medical condition which should lead to much better medical care and insurance coverage.


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Unless it's Paul McHugh


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Quote from: Gertrude on March 20, 2018, 11:56:49 AM
Unless it's Paul McHugh


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That's why I said rational people. 🤣  That would be the ones that accept reality as it exists and don't put it secondary to political or religious ideology.  Unfortunately, that's currently the minority in this country. ☹️


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Quote from: Deborah on March 20, 2018, 12:42:46 PM
That's why I said rational people. 🤣  That would be the ones that accept reality as it exists and don't put it secondary to political or religious ideology.  Unfortunately, that's currently the minority in this country. ☹️


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Hi Deb,

I agreed with you but now I have to tell you my reality is slightly different from everyone else's :)

Quote from: Kokoro on March 19, 2018, 08:10:43 PMIt could also signal the end of torturous therapy sessions for those who already firmly believe they are transgender and are mis-diagnosed (as I was) as a simple DNA test can show if that person is predetermined to be transgender. Therapy still has a large role to play in the support of transgender people, but I believe it should be used more as a treatment, rather than a form of diagnosis.

Finally, it could potentially spell the end of post-puberty transitions. For example, if during childhood or puberty a child shows telltale signs of being transgender, rather than taking the child to a psychologist who is then put in the difficult position of diagnosing ->-bleeped-<-, a DNA test could see if the child has these genes. There is then a strong clinical basis for allowing the child to go through puberty as their preferred gender.

Conversely, a "negative" result on the test could be used to deny medical services.

There is no gene for the human spirit.

Quote from: Deborah on March 20, 2018, 12:42:46 PM
That's why I said rational people. 🤣  That would be the ones that accept reality as it exists and don't put it secondary to political or religious ideology.  Unfortunately, that's currently the minority in this country. ☹️


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Well, there's no shortage


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I left the State of Confusion and moved to the State of Tranquility!

Quote from: Sophia Sage on March 20, 2018, 01:20:10 PM
Conversely, a "negative" result on the test could be used to deny medical services.

That's what worries me. 

We already know that there is a significant environmental component to ->-bleeped-<-, for example prenatal DES exposure.  There will be no single cause.  Genetics, epigenetics, and environment will all eventually be found to contribute.  Which makes the discovery of a "single cause" problematic. 

There's a popular misconception that X and Y chromosomes determine sex. In fact, all they do is, about 6 weeks into your embryonic development, determine whether you develop ovaries or testicles. Everything from that point onwards is driven by hormones. This is easily demonstrated by conditions such as Swyer's syndrome and Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome, in which genetically male people develop as female.

With Swyer's, this happens because the testicles fail to develop, and so no testicular hormones are produced. With Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome, the testicles do develop and do produce their hormones as they should, however the condition involves a mutation to the gene for the androgen receptor, which renders that person completely unresponsive to testosterone and other androgenic hormones, so all their development takes place as if those hormones weren't there. In both cases, the result is a person who is genetically male (XY), but physically female. People with these conditions look and behave just like ordinary women, often to the point where they don't even discover that they're unusual in any way until, as teenagers, they fail to start menstruating.

Unfortunately, the idea that sex is determined by X and Y chromosomes is so deeply rooted in public consciousness that practically everyone assumes it to be true, outside of scientists looking at the causes of intersex or the effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals. As a result, you get research efforts like the one in that article, which are largely barking up the wrong tree.

While genetic factors can be a cause of atypical hormone levels during prenatal development (and thus cause physical intersex conditions, or intersexed or opposite sexed brain development), anything at all that interferes with prenatal hormone levels can equally well be a cause. That includes exposure to external hormones or hormone mimicking chemicals (e.g. DES or progestins), as well as probably other environmental factors such as illness or maternal stress. For the majority of transgender people, the cause is probably environmental rather than genetic, so I can't see this research producing anything useful as far as diagnostic tests are concerned for instance.

Quote from: Deborah on March 19, 2018, 11:02:39 PM
The ones that most often dismiss this as personal choice or mental illness don't do science.

This is good news though as it may lead to rational people recognizing it as a legitimate medical condition which should lead to much better medical care and insurance coverage.


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It is recognized as a legitimate medical condition, It's the cause that no one has found the answer too.  Insurance companies are a business.  insurance rates and what is covered is a negotiation and the loudest voice (mob rules) is what wins.  Trans coverage = less than 1% of population with a increase in premiums for everyone as a whole.

So there is no interest in coverage regardless of the science until their hand is forced.

Quote from: Sophia Sage on March 20, 2018, 01:20:10 PM
Conversely, a "negative" result on the test could be used to deny medical services.

There is no gene for the human spirit.

It important to remember that what we have is a "condition", a state of being. Conditions can have more than one proximal cause. For one person it could be genetic. For another in vitro exposure. For a third head trauma. Or it could be something else.

A genetic test can give a definite yes, but it can't give a definite no.

The spy who came in from the cold in the War Between the Sexes.

I just can't help but think of the so called "psychopath gene" non-sense over the years. (Not to mention the whole line about finger lengths and being trans which is completely bogus.)

At most, the gene will be listed as like "1.8x chance of being transgender" anyway, all that sort of stuff is. I have all sorts of weird genes (mentioned recent genetic testing before a few times) that don't have any actual effect, and almost none are a sure thing, simply increased chance.

I just love it when you girls talk non-testical!!!!!!

Oops, meant non-technical :)

Quote from: Cassi on March 27, 2018, 01:28:03 AM
Oops, meant non-technical :)

Yeah, right!   ;)