Hi, I’m Aaron Kimberly, Director of the Gender Dysphoria Alliance. I’m a mental health nurse and a transman. I was born biologically female with a rare disorder of sex development. I’m same-sex attracted and transitioned to live as a man as a young adult due to severe gender dysphoria.
There are three pathways to the development of gender dysphoria described in the American Psychological Association diagnostic manual.
Autogynephilia is thought to be the most common and most intense of the three, which can progress to gender dysphoria in adolescence or later in adult childhood.
Child-onset gender dysphoria is highly correlated with later adult homosexuality.
And less common is gender dysphoria related to a disorder of sex development.
In this video, I’ll be discussing the homosexual pathway.
Gender non-conformity is a common and normal dimension of homosexuality, especially inchildhood, which is seen across cultures and even another animal species. However, cultural responses to gender non-conformity varies from total acceptance to open hostility in many places.
In Samoa, for example, boy who exhibit strong, feminine characteristics are identified as fa'afafine, which means "in the manner of a woman," and many of these boys grow up to be highly effeminate gay men who participate in some aspects of social and occupational life with women and attract highly masculine men.
The western concept of gender dysphoria in children is characterised by: a strong desire to be of the other gender or an insistence that one is the other gender; a strong preference for cross-dressing, cross gender roles in make believe play or fantasy play, for the toys, games or activities stereotypically used or engaged in by the other gender, for playmates of the other gender; a strong rejection of sex-typical toys, games, and activities; a strong dislike of one sexual anatomy; and a strong desire for the physical sex characteristics that match one’s experienced gender.
How does this medical model fit what is known about homosexuality globally? There are two studies I’d like to highlight.
The first is by Paul Vasey who studies the fa'afafine in Samoa. After collecting and analysing data about the fa'afafine, he concluded that cross-sex identification and extreme gender non-conformity within the context of social acceptance, do not lead to distress. In other words, gender non-conformity is a universal aspect of homosexuality, whereas gender dysphoria is culture-bound, related to the society responses to gender non-conformity.
A paper by Katherine Heistand and Heidi Levitt on butch identity development from childhood and adulthood leads to a similar conclusion as Vasey's study. The authors expressed concern that a normal aspect of homosexuality is being pathologized. Despite the fact that approximately 85% of kids who express a strong discomfort with their biological sex, do reconcile themselves with their sexuality and their body through adolescence. Only a small percentage of gay men and women do become homosexual transsexuals through hormonal and surgical interventions.
There are a number of motivating factors which include: intense gender dysphoria that persists into adulthood; low economic status; poor understanding and education about gender non-conformity; homophobia; desire to attract romantic and sexual partners; and comorbidities like autism may complicate the developmental process.
Even in places like Samoa, some individuals choose to cosmetically, feminize or masculinize their bodies, but the number one takeaway I’d like to leave you with is this: children who are obviously gender non-conforming are less likely to develop lifelong gender dysphoria if they are well-supported, accepted and integrated into their families and communities as they are. With support they are very likely to grow up into healthy gay adults.
For more information, visit the Gender Dysphoria Alliance at: www.genderdysphoriaalliance.com
Source: tiktok.com