I knew when I was 4 so what ever the reason it was prior to birth.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7689007.stm

article about genetic link

Thank you, Stephanie!

Quote from: LizMarie on April 07, 2015, 01:45:12 AM
Thank you, Stephanie!

no problem

great article stephanie!

Quote from: michelle82 on April 06, 2015, 04:04:33 PM
isn't that just another way of saying "Environment" is what caused me to realize I'm trans? I started to experience some mild form of dysphoria when I was a pre-teen. So what your saying is my environment influenced that initial internal feeling right?  prior to that i never had any feeling of gender dysphoria. It would seem to me that environment would have everything to do with it based on that statement?

Or are you saying environment influences the point at which I'm "come out" as a trans person.

No I'm not saying "Environment" caused it at all. It may I think influence the coming out part or even gender variance/expression earlier.

Take these scenarios with two kids MTF with broadly the same degree of gender dysphoria:

1.  A child growing up in an open minded environment with a family that's OK with variations from the norm, does not try to steer the child into rigid gender roles and does not express narrow minded views about gender/sexual orientation etc..

2. A child in a narrow minded environment, family that frowns on all this sort of stuff and forces the kid to do the "boy thing"

In which one would the child most likely start exhibiting gender variance or questioning their gender and at what point?  In the second case it could be much later or even never.  Obviously a lot depend on the individual.   

Quote from: Rejennyrated on April 06, 2015, 01:50:43 PM
Speaking as an early prototype of an early transitioner I have to say that I don't think it really matters WHY or WHEN you developed these feelings. What matters is what course of action will best enable you to move forward with your life in an authentic and healthy way.

And yes – I first transitioned well before puberty... then puberty came along, but back then there were no puberty blockers, and worse still the doctors in my part of the world would not treat patients under 21... so I ended up detransitioning, only to retransition and finally have GCS in my mid twenties.

What did I think I was doing? Well I would have told you, even back then, that I was being who and what I am. Kids inevitably would ask "are you a girl or a boy?" and I would always reply, "I'm a girl in disguise." All the surgery did was remove one layer of that disguise.

I've always felt it was biological somehow. I'm from a family of nine girls and one boy (passed, but younger and he led a normal hetero life). I thank my lucky stars for my mother and sisters, who always looked after me when I was a child, knowing I was 'different'. She allowed me to be the person I wanted to be from childhood because of her somewhat familiarity with transsexuals. As I approached puberty, I met another transsexual (there were three of us in my immediate neighborhood in their early teens) who helped me to get on hormones at 13. I wish I had known about blockers but I don't think they existed at that time.

The fact there was three of us all in the same area; and there were other transsexuals as well, all in their teens in the neighboring town -- all on hormones -- has to be biological no?  maybe something in the water?.  For me, it was normal that if you felt you were a girl, you got on hormones had your surgery and life went on. That easy, just like that.

Wasn't until early high school that I realized not all girls can be who they are at the onset.  I came to know others, much older. Their environment did not allow their biological calling to be the woman they were.