All humans can have male and female traits. In fact, we all do. “What we know for sure, is that we all essentially begin life genderless, at least in terms of sexual anatomy. The last of our 23 chromosomes make us either genetic males XY, or genetic females XX. But there are at least 50 genes that play a part in sexual identity development and are expressed at different levels early on” (Nutt, 2015) in fetal development. “We humans are first and foremost social creatures, with brains that quickly learn to perform in socially acceptable ways. By adulthood, most men and women have learned to behave in a gender-appropriate manner. But how much of this gendered behavior is innate and how much is learned?” (Brizendine, 2010). This is one of many questions I wish to explore throughout the constructs of this article. What happens when a child knows he or she is of the opposite sex than what was biologically shown at birth? What happens when a boy knows he is a girl and no amount of socialization will change their mind? How do we explain this seemingly innate understanding of the self to a society that believes a gender-appropriate manner can be learned?
Throughout this article, I will explore the biological constructs, neurological developments and psychological processes of a transgender female, in other words, an individual who has the biology of a male, but the psychology of a female. I will be looking at fetal neurological and hormone developments, which I have found to be the two major components that determine the biological sex, person’s biological status, and gender identity, a personas sense of self as male, female, or transgender (American Psychological Association, 2011). “When one’s gender identity and biological sex are not congruent, the individual may identify as transsexual or as another transgender category” (American Psychological Association, 2011).
Contrary to what most believe, scientists are realizing that being transgender is not in fact, always a choice. Like in the case of eighteen year old Nichole, and eight year old Malisa, both born biologically as males but knew by the age of two, they were female (Nutt, Snow, 2015). Both Nicole (who used to be Wyatt) and Malisa (who’s male name was not given) were born into a conservative household with a father, mother and siblings. Neither knew what transgender even meant, they just knew who they were and that, was female.
Today, there are about 700,000 transgender adults living in the United sates (Snow, 2015). “As many as 1 in 100 infants are born intersex, having a mixture of male and female characteristics because of nonstandard genitals, internal sex organs, chromosomes or hormones. In the past those born with this condition were called hermaphrodites. Today scientists estimate that between 1 - 4% of all babies are born with sexually ambiguous genitalia” (Nutt, 2015). Over the past decade, there have been an increasing number of families going public with their child’s story and what it means to be transgender (Snow, 2015).
Children are becoming more open about their identities and parents are becoming more receptive to what their child psychologically identifies as regardless of their biological appearances. But why is this? Where does this all begin? How is our gender identity determined if not from our biological appearances and reproductive organs? These are some of the questions I began asking myself when beginning research on this topic. The common denominator to each of these questions, I have found is; the brain. It all starts in the brain. “Rather than being immutable, our brains are much more plastic and changeable than scientists believed a decade ago. The human brain is also the most talented learning machine we know. So our culture and how we are taught to behave play a big role in shaping and reshaping our brains” (Brizendine, 2010). The development of the brain however, begins before it is ever predisposed to any culture or human behavior. If children, such as Nicole and Melissa say, as soon as they are able to talk “I am a girl, not a boy”, even though everything they have been socially and/or culturally exposed to from birth have influenced them as boys. What does this say about the neuropsychology of the brain as well as hormonal development in these children? “Our understanding of essential gender differences is crucial because biology does not tell the whole story. While the distinction between boy and girl brains begin biologically, recent research shows that this is only the beginning” (Brizendine, 2010). What scientists have begun to discover is; “The brains architecture is not set in stone at birth...” (Brizendine, 2010) or before birth for that matter. While the sex (biology) of a child may be known at birth, gender identity (sense of self), is not always known. This can take up until age three to fully understand (Snow, 2015). Sometimes sex and gender identity match and sometimes they do not.
Scientists are finding that hormones, along with neurological pathways are linked to the gender identity of a fetus, but not always to the biological sex of a newborn (Nutt, 2015). This is not necessarily a new mutation that has begun to occur during fetal development, but now, with modern technology, we are finally able to begin mapping out and understand the biological constructs of a transgender individual. “Scientists have identified more than 25 genes that are involved in creating differences in sexual development. With the advancements in DNA sequencing they are uncovering an enormous range of variation in these genes as well”(Nutt, 2015).
“During fetal growth of a male, brain development begins eight weeks after conception. Testosterone masculinizes and then works with Mullerian Inhibiting Substances (MIS) hormones to defeminize the male brain” (Brizendine, 2010). Through my research, I have found that Testosterone and MIS hormones are the most important to consider when looking at the psychology behind a transgender individual. As Louann Brizendine, M.D. explains in her book The Male Brain, testosterone is “king of the male hormones, he is dominant, aggressive, and all-powerful. Focused and goal-oriented, he fervently builds all that is male, including the compulsion to outrank other males in the pecking order. He drives the masculine sweat glands to produce the come-hither smell of male-hood- androstenedione” (Brizendine, 2010). MIS, or Mullerian Inhibiting Substance is the hormone in which is known as the “defeminizer, he ruthlessly strips away all that is feminine from the male. MIS builds brain circuits for exploratory behavior, suppresses brain circuits for female-type behaviors, destroys the female reproductive organs, and helps build the male reproductive organs and brain circuits” (Brizendine, 2010).
“Hormones can determine what the brain is interested in doing. Their purpose is to help guide social, sexual, mating, parenting, protective, and aggressive behaviors” (Brizendine, 2010). But, what if, somehow these hormones do not activate when they are meant to? What if one activates, while the other does not? “If you watched the fetal development of a male and a female brain with a miniature time-laps brain scanner, you’d see these critical movement circuits being laid down from the blueprint of their genes and sex hormones. Scientists agree that when cells in various areas of the males and female brains are stimulated by hormones like testosterone and estrogen, they turn on and off different genes” (Brizendine, 2010). Brizandine makes the statement that “Every brain is either male or female and, while they are mostly alike, scientists have discovered some profound differences. Certain behaviors and skills are wired and programmed innately in boys’ brains, while others are wired innately in girls’. Scientists have even found that male-specific neurons may be directly linked to stereotypical male behaviors…” (Brizendine, 2010) but what happens when the brain of a female is neurologically wired to the body of a male? This was the case for both Nicole as well as Malisa. Each one, biologically born males consistently followed the stereotypical development of a female (Nutt, Snow, 2015). Each one, from the moment they could communicate knew they were girls and asked their parents when their penis was going to fall off or why God made them the wrong way? (Nutt, Snow, 2015).
When breeding male mice to lack the MIS hormone, scientists realized the mice “did not develop male typical exploratory behavior. Instead, they behaved and played more like females. The female brain circuits that make a girl a girl are laid down and develop without the effects of testosterone or MIS.” Is it possible for these hormones to naturally be lacking during the development of a male fetus? If so; this could explain the biology behind a transgender female child. If we are able to understand biological gender differences, we are then able to help dispel the negative stereotypes behind the transgender community (Brizendine, 2010).
“We are entering an era, finally, when both men and women can begin to understand their distinct biology and how it affects their lives. If we know how a biological brain state is guiding our impulses, we can choose how to act, or to not act, rather than merely following our compulsions” (Brizendine, 2010) or social norms. If we begin to understand that a transgender child is not choosing to be male or choosing to be female but rather, it is how their biological and neurological system developed, we can then understand that “it is a system, and with any system, small changes or interruptions can lead to non binary results neither wholly male nor wholly female” (Nutt, 2015).
References
American Psychological Association. Definition of Terms: Sex, Gender, Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation. (2011). The Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Clients.
Brizendine, L. (2010). The male brain. New York, New York: Broadway Books.
Nutt, A. (2015). Becoming Nicole. Portland, Maine: Random House.
Snow, K. (Director). (2015). Growing Up Transgender: Malisa'a Story [Motion picture]. United States: NBC Nightly News.
