I've been thinking about this lately. Any thoughts?

I also have wondered about that. It should be, but I have no idea about the detailed mechanisms.

When there was no mom in a family, a dad probably had to play a role as mom for survival of his kids?

Or purely, some sexual selection could be related.

barbie~~

I think it provides some benefits to our culture, which is probably why evolution hasn't wiped it out of the species.

I also believe that people might have evolved some "resistance" to it, the capability to ignore or endure our transgender into middle age, long enough to have kids. Over the eons, transgender people who didn't have this resistance and succumbed to transition at an early age and didn't procreate.

I wonder if that would explain why so many of us suddenly feel in middle age like we can't stand it anymore and have to do something about it.

My hypothesis -which I am sure is somewhere in the internet- is that evolution selected and maintained the genes responsible for male homosexuality and male transsexuality because it enhances the survivorship of our specie.

If you think about, for most of our existence as "modern" humans, say about the last 100,000 yeas, one of the main role of the males has been the acquisition of large source of protein (meat) for the tribe. leaving the females, children, and old man while going out for long haunting trips left the tribe exposed to enemies and predators. Having some transsexuals and/or homosexual males who wanted to stay behind doing the female-role chores was advantageous because this trans-females and gay males were still able to defend the females, children, and old males left behind.

Ok so far, the question that then arises is: "How about the last 5,000 years?" This questions arises because we invented agriculture (and by that I mean we females..LOL), and made other cultural developments that resulted in the permanent presence of males within a city/tribe. Well, my hypothesis, and again I do not know if other have proposed a similar one, is that the mutation leading to GID or homosexuality more often than note are also associated with genes that conferee added intellectual capabilities. It is thus not surprising to notice that even in the absence of education most GID and homosexual people tend to be "gifted" peoples, inventors, musicians, artists, craftsman, innovators, educators, etc...

of course these are just my unproven hypothesis.... food for thought gents and ladies

Nice thread Brianna!

Dr. Peky

PS Oh, and please do not give me any applauses, it may distract my intellect..LOL

The GID/homossexuality gene needs to pass to the next generations and sometimes this is just not possible. Homossexual men normally won't pass it as they are not into heterossexual relationships and trans woman might pass it, but some (like me) probably won't because they will transition before having any children.

This might be a way that evolution found to hold this genes back...I don't know if it is working...I don't think so.

Unless these genes are recessive genes that might partially express higher intellectual capabilities and make men behave in a more female pattern with their children...and this is a favorable change that will much likely go on to the next generations...but if these genes are expressed totally, then the final result (us) might not be able to pass the gene forward...

 (Disclaimer: My opinion only) I think it may be as much of a spiritual evolutionary process as much as a physical evolutionary process. Not to get on a spiritual discussion totally but the whole message of most spiritual beliefs are of something more than this life. We are supposed to rise above a materialistic existence in which we are limited to what we are and limited with or to physically. With that part said our brains are evolving or should be to comprehend these things. Our brains may be evolving to a point in which we realize that internal gender and feelings of such aren't bound by physical birth traits. Sort of something like we are more than the sum of our genitals and physical birth gender. These are just my thoughts on the mind, brain and being spiritual and transgender.

On a social level, masculine and feminine roles are changing. More females in the family are bringing home more of the household income and more females are going to college than males. Seems like the gender roles are changing. In my opinion with the gender roles changing our feeling of "self" could be changing right along with them. More females are seemingly getting emotionally stronger in order to climb the corporate ladder and just the other day a friend of mine (male) had tears in his eyes because he got passed over for a promotion at his workplace. He is 100% straight masculine or at least I believe so anyway.

Even though it may not seem so, life is way easier than it was even just 100 short years ago. We have more time for introspection instead of just trying to survive. We don't have to hunt for meat anymore. We don't have to nurture the earth to produce what we eat. When hunting down enough meat may take weeks in order to feed the family or community and half the year or more to nurture the plants we eat, it takes me 45 minutes to shop for enough to eat for a month. Winter comes and I don't have to find a place for shelter and have plenty of heat, aside from storms. Summer comes and I have plenty of cool air instead of having to move someplace cooler. That leaves me way more free time and since the brain is always or should be active, for introspection. To examine my feelings and who I am or may be inside. I have said this before and will again and that is I think there are way more transgendered people out there with varying levels. Its just that we feel it so much stronger than the rest of society or maybe we are courageous enough to go against the grain of society when so many others aren't. Again this is just my opinion and some observations.

I believe there has always been transgenders throughout history and cultures and accepted in some instances but it is seemingly on the rise or maybe just more and more people embracing who they are on the inside and breaking the boundries of the physical limitations of their birth genders. 

These are just my thoughts and observations and can't be backed up by studies and so on. On the spiritual thing I know there are atheists out there so I'm not speaking for you guys, or anyone else other than myself so please don't take offense to the first part.

Wow. Thanks for the awesome responses! 

"spiritual evolutionary process", I like this idea very much.

I also think that we are becoming increasingly more gender-fluid as our species continues to evolve.

Quote from: brianna1016 on February 12, 2014, 12:58:50 PM
Wow. Thanks for the awesome responses! 

"spiritual evolutionary process", I like this idea very much.

I also think that we are becoming increasingly more gender-fluid as our species continues to evolve.

I guess I could have used the term metaphysical even but for me it just seems more of a spiritual "thang".

About becoming gender fluid, a male really doesn't need brute strength in the modern world and with most men and women crossing gender roles it may very well be possible that we may eventually become an asexual or gender neutral species way down the line. I mean really we already know quite a bit about genetics maybe even enough to take traditional human conception outside of the body to where human pregnancy would be a thing of the past. Enter Twighlight Zone theme here.

Quote from: Jess42 on February 12, 2014, 01:11:10 PM

About becoming gender fluid, a male really doesn't need brute strength in the modern world and with most men and women crossing gender roles it may very well be possible that we may eventually become an asexual or gender neutral species way down the line.

That's a good point Jess. I think we're living in a time when acceptance/tolerance of gender-fluid behavior is too far behind where it should/could be. Maybe one of the side effects of being transsexual is that people are forced to interact with us and we're winning their acceptance and making it easier for the next trans* person to live their life how they want to. The interesting thing to me is that women have much more room to express gender-fluidity than men (in most places in the world). cis hetero males should be able to express femininity without it being seen as silly, awkward, unusual, or a sign of weakness. Just my opinion.

Quote from: Jess42 on February 12, 2014, 01:11:10 PM
I mean really we already know quite a bit about genetics maybe even enough to take traditional human conception outside of the body to where human pregnancy would be a thing of the past. Enter Twighlight Zone theme here.

I think we're still far from that becoming the norm, as our species is still very much a sexual one.

Quote from: brianna1016 on February 12, 2014, 01:32:56 PM
That's a good point Jess. I think we're living in a time when acceptance/tolerance of gender-fluid behavior is too far behind where it should/could be. Maybe one of the side effects of being transsexual is that people are forced to interact with us and we're winning their acceptance and making it easier for the next trans* person to live their life how they want to. The interesting thing to me is that women have much more room to express gender-fluidity than men (in most places in the world). cis hetero males should be able to express femininity without it being seen as silly, awkward, unusual, or a sign of weakness. Just my opinion.

Yes, unfortunately "tomboy" in our youth is a sort of term of endearment but "sissy" or "girly" is such a negative connotation. Thank you social conditioning.

I think we're still far from that becoming the norm, as our species is still very much a sexual one.

Maybe, maybe not. All it would take is an STD with all the same symptoms and results and death rate of Ebola and I guarantee masturbation would be the only sexual release one could safely have. Look at how much more careful we are after HIV and AIDS and the scare there. Think of an STD virus that would kill in 7 days and 100% contagious. Even HIV being a virus can mutate to something worst than it is now. We're just pretty lucky that it hasn't. This of course is a Science Fiction situation and yeah your right we are a long way off from that but anything can happen.

Quote from: Jess42 on February 12, 2014, 01:46:44 PM
Maybe, maybe not. All it would take is an STD with all the same symptoms and results and death rate of Ebola and I guarantee masturbation would be the only sexual release one could safely have. Look at how much more careful we are after HIV and AIDS and the scare there. Think of an STD virus that would kill in 7 days and 100% contagious. Even HIV being a virus can mutate to something worst than it is now. We're just pretty lucky that it hasn't. This of course is a Science Fiction situation and yeah your right we are a long way off from that but anything can happen.

As much as I don't want to admit it, you're absolutely right.  Sex as we know it is already becoming unnecessary for childbirth. The behavior of a "sexless" society would no doubt be very gender-fluid or genderless. Makes me think of that book "The Giver" that I read in 4th grade. Maybe our species will evolve to mind-sex and give each other orgasms without physical contact (and without needing any technology).

It could end up that our gender expression will no longer be a choice for us. Some authoritarian power (aliens? the oligarchy on steroids?) could enslave us and force us to behave asexually or even castrate everyone at birth and remove our bodies ability to create hormones entirely.

You're right about the STDs though, we're lucky we haven't all contracted a super-virus. Our species is approaching some major shifts both in consciousness and physical characteristics. Our purpose as a species is desperately in need of reevaluation. Our spiritual / vibrational state of existence is becoming more obvious and we're using the law of attraction to achieve harmony and mutually assured happiness. The media machine is desperately trying to keep our species confused, materialistic, selfish, non-spiritual, disconnected and fighting amongst ourselves. IT ISN'T WORKING THOUGH We're winning the battle against evil. It's happening all around us.

ok, I'm done for now

Quote from: brianna1016 on February 12, 2014, 02:33:30 AM
I've been thinking about this lately. Any thoughts?

Transsexualism is cut from the same cloth as any other uniquely human behavior; our brains.


Our brains are they way they are not in spite of but because of the evolutionary process. Have you ever heard the addage "It is better to be Socrates dissatisfied than it is to be a pig satisfied."?

Basically we have the high enough function to even notice that we are the wrong gender.  Pigs cannot be transsexuals, because they lack the brain capacity for rational thought or at least rational enough to understand the differences between sex and gender.

-AM

Quote from: brianna1016 on February 12, 2014, 02:23:04 PM
As much as I don't want to admit it, you're absolutely right.  Sex as we know it is already becoming unnecessary for childbirth. The behavior of a "sexless" society would no doubt be very gender-fluid or genderless. Makes me think of that book "The Giver" that I read in 4th grade. Maybe our species will evolve to mind-sex and give each other orgasms without physical contact (and without needing any technology).

It could end up that our gender expression will no longer be a choice for us. Some authoritarian power (aliens? the oligarchy on steroids?) could enslave us and force us to behave asexually or even castrate everyone at birth and remove our bodies ability to create hormones entirely.

You're right about the STDs though, we're lucky we haven't all contracted a super-virus. Our species is approaching some major shifts both in consciousness and physical characteristics. Our purpose as a species is desperately in need of reevaluation. Our spiritual / vibrational state of existence is becoming more obvious and we're using the law of attraction to achieve harmony and mutually assured happiness. The media machine is desperately trying to keep our species confused, materialistic, selfish, non-spiritual, disconnected and fighting amongst ourselves. IT ISN'T WORKING THOUGH We're winning the battle against evil. It's happening all around us.

ok, I'm done for now

Wow Brianna, sounds like you're as far on the outer reaches of sane thought as I am. I don't feel so lonely on the outer perimeter of rationality anymore. But ain't it a fun place to be.

I definitely agree with you on major shifts of consciousness and with that the physical changes will follow. I also agree about the media keeping everything and everyone stirred up, restless, untrusting and resentful and resentful of each other.

Quote from: Jess42 on February 12, 2014, 03:20:52 PM
Wow Brianna, sounds like you're as far on the outer reaches of sane thought as I am. I don't feel so lonely on the outer perimeter of rationality anymore. But ain't it a fun place to be.

It sure is! Glad I found you I'm usually here sipping green tea on the outer rings of Neptune. I challenge people's belief systems for fun

Quote from: brianna1016 on February 12, 2014, 03:35:34 PM
It sure is! Glad I found you I'm usually here sipping green tea on the outer rings of Neptune. I challenge people's belief systems for fun

I hear ya' girl but a nice glass of Port for me please. I definately need something a little stronger. Plus Neptune is cold and the wine warms me up.

As a biologist, I have several hypotheses on this:

1) "Gender bending" genes may help reduce the cognitive gap between the sexes. If males and females were as cognitively different, as, say, separate species, a cohesive society would be impossible.  Evolution drives male and female brains to be different, but if they're too different, then communication and family units break down.

2) Tying into the first, a man whose brain is a "little female" may better understand women and have more reproductive success.  If enough of these genes happen to converge in a single person, it may simply make their brain develop as the opposite sex.

3) Among animals, human societies have by far the most complex conformity.  This means that trans people can absorb enough of their assigned sex's characteristics through learning that they can pass on their genes as a pseudo member of that sex.  Obviously, it's not optimal but it may happen enough that those genes keep getting passed on.  This would apply equally to homosexuality I imagine.

Just a different thought here. It may or not be evolutionary, who knows, but I know this. Think of all the unwanted babies trans people adopt every year. I see a noble purpose there. 

Quote from: Inanna on February 12, 2014, 08:30:11 PM


3) Among animals, human societies have by far the most complex conformity.  This means that trans people can absorb enough of their assigned sex's characteristics through learning that they can pass on their genes as a pseudo member of that sex. 

Can you please elaborate on this, I don't quite understand :| thanks

I have wondered if it was a bit of natures idea of population control.

I have a Masters of Arts degree in anthropology and I was thinking about this question when I was a student. I came to the conclusion that, no, homosexuality is not an evolutionary process.

There is the assumption that the natural biological process is genetically changing due to a population explosion. This isn't how biological evolution works. Genetic changes take place as a change of the survival of the fittest within an environmental niche. The genetic make-up of plants and animals never come about as a relation of a change in population. Historically what happens when a specie's population gets too large for the environment, the species starts to die off. There isn't a change in genetic make-up for the species to not reproduce or survive on little subsistence. We see this happening around us already with animal populations starving off because of the destruction of their food supply.

Also, homosexuality has been with us for a very long time. There is evidence of transsexualism going back to archaic homo sapiens. It isn't anything new. The only reason we are seeing more of it now is because there are more people living today. It is just a matter of mathematics. Lets say that 1 in 20 have a certain feature. I take a 20-side die and roll it 20 times. I won't get one of each number, but a random assortment of numbers between 1 through 20, each with a 5% chance to show up. The more times I roll that die the higher the probability the number one will show.