The Science Behind Gender Identity

LGBTQQIP2SAA No, this is not the manifestation of smashing one’s head on a keyboard

during exam season. This is one of the longer acronyms summating sexual orientations and gender identities.

Today, we spill the ‘T’ of this acronym. In this case, taking a deep dive into

the science behind transgenderism. Often highly politicised, I’m going to attempt to balance the

political side of gender identity with the completely rational. Wish me luck.

Note that this is a layered topic with a multitude of terms many readers will be

unfamiliar with. I’ll try my imperfect best to navigate us through it all carefully. Hold onto your hats.

First, let’s define what it means to be transgender, in the most linguistic of senses. The OED seems like the highest authority on that matter, and concludes that to be transgender is ‘Designating a person whose sense of personal identity and gender does not correspond to that person’s sex at birth, or which does not otherwise conform to conventional notions of sex and gender’.

Let’s dissect that a little.

What do we mean by ‘sex at birth’? On a basic level, it’s a doctor’s assertion based on what’s between your legs when you pop out of the womb. Male or female. This proves problematic, initially, for anywhere between the 1 in 1500 or 1 in 2000 people who emerge as intersex. Still, though, as an objective standard, it works.

Chromosomally speaking, an objective standard exists again. If you’re an XX, you’re a woman. If you’re an XY, you’re a man. Once more, there are the odd exceptions. An XXY, or a lone X. But these are rare, again. Male and female exist as the core biological categorisations, and certainly have physiological relevance. Maintained until puberty, these two sex categorisations differ in the increased amount of body hair on men, and the commencing of periods in women, both fuelled by hormonal differences. Men are, on average, taller, have greater muscle mass, and have a lower percentage of body fat. But, they also live about six to eight years fewer than women. Swings and roundabouts.

This binary division, that between man and woman, lays basis for the term ‘cisgender’, meaning ‘Designating a person whose sense of personal identity and gender corresponds to his or her sex at birth’.

For the whole of human history, just about, this binary division has gone relatively unquestioned. Even today, in areas of the world where human rights and individual freedom remain repressed, society lacks time to consider gender identity, as the focus remains on staying alive. However, in the Western world, binary distinctions are now being routinely challenged. Our Western society, thankfully, is becoming increasingly accepting of those whose ‘personal identity’ ‘does not correspond’ to their ‘sex at birth’.

But, to many, particularly outside the liberal and progressive bubble of university life, it is a radical idea.

And, it is science that people tend to cite when expressing concerns about transgenderism. Many point to gender dysphoria, the medical term for the distress felt when this initial mismatch between gender identity and biological sex is first experienced, as a mental health disorder that needs treating so those feelings go away. Current treatment supports transition for the person so they feel more aligned with their gender identity, as opposed to more aligned with their biological sex, which leads to the terms ‘trans man’ (a biological woman identifying as a man) and ‘trans

woman’ (a biological man identifying as a woman). Those reluctant to accept multiple genders point to some of the facts referred to earlier regarding the biological differences between men and women, arguing that such physical differences mean that anyone born a man cannot ever truly refer to themselves as a woman (or visa versa), no matter how strongly that sense of ‘personal identity’ may stress otherwise. The controversial debate regarding whether trans women have an advantage when competing in female-only events adds content to this conversation.

People often forget, though, that there is much science out there that wholly supports the idea of gender identity too. constitutes gender identity remains an important one. What remains now is to consider this science in a socially relevant context.

Fundamentally, the concept of gender identity remains a new idea to many, and it shows. For example, transgender hate crime rose by 37 percent in 2018-19, higher than any other increase in hate crime.

This is unacceptable.

Discrimination still very much exists, and appears, unfortunately, to be on the up (though this could be due to people’s increasing comfortability in expressing their desired identity). This being said, it is wrong to brand anyone who even begins to question the concept of gender identity as ‘transphobic’. Concerns about trans women being allowed in female changing rooms should be heard, whilst a person who questions whether it is socially viable for there to be the 71 genders Facebook indicates exist, is simply utilising common sense.

There is a genetic basis for gender identity. Twin studies are often used to show whether a trait is genetic or environmental (due to the fact that identical twins share 100% of the same chromosomes, whilst fraternal only half). Identical twins are more likely than fraternal twins to both be transgender, rather than just the one twin, implying that this is a result of genetic factors, as opposed to environmental ones. There is evidence too that the brains of transgender women resemble those of cisgender men, denouncing the viewpoint that transgender identity is a choice.

One must also acknowledge the revolutions in science that have facilitated improvements in the quality of life of transgenders. Sex reassignment surgery, whilst still not perfect, remarkably allows one to live with their preferred genitalia. Hormonal treatment continues to improve, helping people feel more comfortable in their bodies and allowing their identity to become fully realised. In years to come, and with the increasing awareness of people departing from the binary norms, one can only expect these measures to allow the quality of life of transgenders to continue improving.

Science can be used, justifiably, to argue for and against gender binaries, and this distinction between what constitutes biological sex and what

Freedom for people to comfortably express themselves is paramount. The University of Nottingham remains an open and welcoming place for all. One can only be happy that the science does support that.

Joe Paternoster Graphic & Page Design by Natasha Phang-Lee