Why Are Some People Transgender? an APA pamphlet [1] asks.
Their answer? “Many experts believe that biological factors such as genetic influences and prenatal hormone levels, early experiences, and experiences later in adolescence or adulthood may all contribute to the development of transgender identities.”
Um, no. People are transgender because they are intelligent and thoughtful enough to realize that gendered behaviours are typically constraining and that feminine behaviours in particular subordinating. And so, they reject them; they refuse to conform to the gender expectations aligned to their sex.
How Does Someone Know They Are Transgender? the pamphlet then asks.
Their answer? “They may have vague feelings of “not fitting in” with people of their assigned sex or specific wishes to be something other than their assigned sex. Others become aware of their transgender identities or begin to explore and experience gender-nonconforming attitudes and behaviors during adolescence or much later in life.”
Again, no. I know I’m a writer because when I write, I actually realize that that’s what I’m doing when I do it. Similarly, when I refuse to wear make-up and high heels, I know I’m doing it. I’m that aware. And I know it’s transgressive. I’m also that aware. I know what the gender expectations are in our society, so I know when I’m refusing to meet them. That’s how I know I’m transgender.
One doesn’t “become aware” of one’s gender identity. One creates it. One chooses it. Unlike sex [2], sexual orientation, height, skin colour, eye colour … gender is not a biological given. It’s an arbitrary collection of preferences that ‘society’ says should you should adopt: the so-called feminine collection is supposed to be adopted by female people, and the so-called masculine collection is supposed to be adopted by male people.
Do you always do what you’re supposed to do?
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1. “What Does It Mean to Be Transgender?” from “Answers to Your Questions About Transgender People, Gender Identity, and Gender Expression” American Psychological Association 2011.http://www.apa.org/topics/lgbt/transgender.pef
2. Which is why it’s particularly disturbing that professional psychologists believe that “Sex is assigned at birth …” No, sex is recognized at birth (or before, if a conclusive ultrasound is obtained). Typically by external genitalia.
