Male transsexual gene link found

Male transsexual gene link found

Source: BBC News

Sunday, 26 October 2008

Australian researchers have identified a significant link between a gene involved in testosterone action and male transsexualism.

DNA analysis from 112 male-to-female transsexual volunteers showed they were more likely to have a longer version of the androgen receptor gene.

The genetic difference may cause weaker testosterone signals, the team reported in Biological Psychiatry.

However, other genes are also likely to play a part, they stressed.

Increasingly, biological factors are being implicated in gender identity.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7689007.stm

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I thought that sexual orientation and gender identity were lifestyle choices. :eyes:

If gender identity is genetic, why did our Democratic Senators opposed to include the transgender as a protected class in ENDA?

tests to determine gender I have wondered about this. Not being gay I do not exactly know how to interpret this finding but it seems it will make quite a difference in how people perceive the issues.

the Holy Poly set

Male-to-female transsexuals are women. Ugh, I hate it when people can't get it straight. (Figuratively)

Also, am I the only queer person who finds all this genetic research into why people are queer or trans worrisome? It makes me uncomfortable for two reasons:

- What if they could test for this stuff before birth? People want the perfect child - that's why around 90% of fetuses tested to have Down Syndrome are aborted. While being queer or trans isn't a disability, I still fear that testing would, essentially, have us cease to exist. While I certainly support someone's right to have an abortion for whatever reason, I still find this ethically questionable.
- This kind of genetic testing, inevitably, is going to lead to an endless debate over who legitimately counts as queer. Why isn't it enough to respect people's self-identification? And what about queer/trans folks who don't carry said gene, for one reason or the other? Are we going to continuously deny their identities, just because we don't know, with 100% certanity, that they haven't "chosen"? One of my friends is a trans person who is male-bodied, but considers herself more female-leaning androgynous/genderqueer than just exclusively female. However, she takes female hormones. If she doesn't posess this "magic gene" (which she likely doesn't, seeing as she's transgender but not transsexual in the traditional sense), what does this mean for her ability to access things (such as hormones) that help her to confirm her gender identity?

And, yes, I take no comfort in the genetic research being done on us. Some really dark conservative organizations support the idea that we are "genetically defective" and even viral. Violent, bigoted science is harder to fight against than idiotic religion in many ways.

A lot of people are going to jump to the wrong conclusions here. The fact is that while this is interesting, "more likely" is a far cry from "transsexual gene found."

Think of them as a number, if that number is met then the quality appears. Sometimes the number is extremely low and sometimes it's extremely high. It's a theory that is used to describe the patterns of certain diseases and cancers in family lines. If one has the genes for heart troubles and consistently eat high cholesterol foods... bingo heart disease.

:kick: