Gender Confusion

Firstly, I know that this is a topic which can bear heavy emotional ties because almost everyone knows someone (or knows of someone) who is affected by gender confusion. In no way do I intend to offend or hurt anyone by writing this post, and I acknowledge that views and opinions regarding this topic are widely varied—especially by those who suffer directly from gender confusion or same-gender attraction.

Secondly, my intention is not to sway anyone to a particular view, but rather to share some information our class has been studying which I have found useful and which had an impact on my own understanding of this issue.

Gender dysphoria is a sense that one was born in a body of the “wrong” sex than that with which they identify. Increasingly, this condition is being treated by alternate hormone treatments and sex reassignment surgeries. A doctor may risk their job if they do not support to patient’s decision to undergo such treatment, and those who oppose it are labeled as bigots, insensitive, and cruel. But is this type of treatment really a good way to handle a condition like gender dysphoria? We’ll look at the research, but first let’s consider a comparison.

If an adolescent enters a hospital and asks a doctor to amputate a healthy leg or arm or ear, this child will be diagnosed with a mental disorder and given treatments and help to overcome this unhealthy mentality. But if an adolescent enters a hospital and asks a doctor to remove healthy female or male body parts, the doctor is expected to provide affirmative care such as hormone treatment or even sex reassignment surgery.

Clearly there is a disconnect here. How has removal of healthy body parts somehow become acceptable, condoned, and even encouraged by healthcare professionals? Because of a certain mentality that one is somehow in the “wrong body”? Clearly there is an ethical and moral issue here to be examined.

But, if we put ethics aside, what does the research say? Studies have shown that upwards of 80% of all children who suffer from gender dysphoria have resolved this issue by the time they reach age twenty. Let me repeat: 80% of these issues resolve themselves by the age of twenty. But how much of this natural resolution do we complicate, inhibit, or even prevent by allowing children and adolescents who suffer from gender confusion to undergo hormone treatments or sex reassignment surgery which can cause permanent sterilization?

But wait, you might ask, aren’t non-heterosexual people born this way? Scientific research suggests otherwise, and studies show promise and hope for treatments to help alleviate gender confusion.

Let’s now take a look at individuals who identify as being gay. From the start, I would like to make something clear: terms such as “gay” or “sexual orientation” are observations not explanations. The question ‘why is she attracted to girls?’ cannot be answered with ‘because of her sexual orientation.’ That doesn’t answer anything—that is merely an observation. That is like saying ‘she is attracted to girls because she is attracted to girls.’ We want to know why—to understand what actually causes this attraction.

An article from the American Psychological Association written by Daryl Bem, titled “Exotic Becomes Erotic: A Developmental Theory of Sexual Orientation”, examines the development of homosexual tendencies. In this article, the author presents a theory of progressive factors which build on each other and may lead to homosexual attraction.

The first factor in Daryl Bem’s theory is biological variables. While gender dysphoria and same-sex attraction are not determined by biology, there are some variables such as prenatal hormones which may contribute to certain tendencies in a child. We know from extensive twin studies (where identical twins have the same genetic make-up, and therefore should presumably have the same sexual orientation) that if one identical twin has same-sex attraction, the chances of the other twin also having that attraction are very low. However, biological variables may contribute to some initial tendencies in children toward temperaments and activity levels which may be culturally considered as more male or female. These temperament variables may contribute to atypical activity or playmate choices. This, in turn, can lead to a sense of being different from their same-sex peers, creating a perceived rift or separation from them. This feeling of being different from, or not having a place with, peers of one’s same sex can grow throughout childhood as one’s choice of preference is different and therefore the friendships they establish may tend towards those of the opposite sex. Identifying oneself with those of the opposite sex widens the breech between same-sex peers, creating a feeling of alienation. And the boy whose closest relationships are with girls (because of his tendencies towards “girl-like” behavior and interests) then reaches puberty and suddenly his autonomic arousal is misdirected towards the group of peers with which he has not associated as much and from whom he has never felt acceptance—boys. It is easy to see how this type of misdirection can be caused, from feeling unfamiliar and intimidated by a group, and at the same time having an unmet need for acceptance and closeness with this same group. My teacher made the point that up until this point in the process outlined by Daryl Bem, identifying oneself as “gay” has had nothing to do with sexual inclination. Only at this point does this misdirected arousal lead to misdirected attraction of the same sex.

A study was done of people with unwanted same-sex attraction who were given certain psychological therapy including help to develop healthy relationships of those of their own sex. The results: When those who identified as gay began to be psychologically healthy and socially healthy, by developing healthy relationships with those of their own sex, their same-sex attraction diminished. This study reinforces the understanding that those who identify as gay usually suffer an unmet need of being close to and having acceptance from those of their own sex.

There are many factors related to the development of same-sex attraction, but studies consistently show that biology is not solely responsible. Studies also show that such attraction is not fixed or immutable.