[0:00]Welcome to trans
[0:19]fundamentals of being transgender course at ProfessorPride.com. Transgender is a term used to describe someone whose gender identity does not correspond to their sex assigned at birth. Though this typically means someone describing themselves as male to female or female to male, sometimes seen as MTF or FTM respectively. Transgender is also a blanket term used to describe many other identities. This includes but is not limited to non-binary, meaning someone who describes themselves as not of the gender binary of male or female. Gender fluid, meaning someone whose gender identity changes over time, and agender, meaning someone who describes themselves as not having a gender. Though the term transgender was coined in the 1970s by Virginia Prince, trans people have been around since the dawn of humanity. In fact, the earliest recorded transperson lived in 2900 B.C.E. And while this person may not have described themselves as trans, 5,000 years before the term was coined, they were buried according to their gender identity, not their sex assigned at birth. This means the people in 2900 B.C.E. respected a person's gender identity even after death. Some other important terms to know for this science class include perceived gender, which describes the gender other people may perceive you as when they first meet you. Actual gender, meaning the gender you feel you are internally. Gender dysphoria, which describes a person's distress when their perceived gender doesn't match their actual gender. And gender euphoria, meaning their happiness when their perceived gender matches their actual gender. So how does being transgender work? A person's gender identity is determined long before they are born. We know that a person's sex is determined by their father's sperm cell when it meets their mother's egg in the womb. But that's when scientists have discovered the brain and the body of the fetus can go in two different directions on gender. Your gender is determined by your brain, not your genitalia. After a child is born, most times they begin to experience their actual gender identity between the ages of 3 to 8 years old, though it could begin much later in life. This goes for all children, not just trans kids, but for trans kids, this comes in many forms. From feeling like the genitalia they were assigned at birth doesn't feel right, feeling like they want to wear different clothing, or feeling like their name or pronouns people address them by are hurtful to hear. Once a child shows signs of this gender dysphoria and feels like they might be transgender, there are two types of transitions available for them. Children under the age of eight years old in the United States and many other countries are limited to social transition only. Social transition includes coming out of the closet to yourself in the mirror, your friends, family members, and others. There is no rush to coming out, as sometimes it's not safe in your family or area to do so. But in coming out, you might ask people to use pronouns or a chosen name to affirm your gender. You might start wearing clothing and getting haircuts to match your gender identity. These are all forms of social transition, and they are all completely reversible with no side effects and zero harm done to the child. This social transition period also plays a key role in allowing the child to understand their gender more before any other steps are taken. Some parents might worry a child is just going through a phase, but this social transition period allows the child to test how happy they are. Walking around with different clothes or makeup, and being addressed by a different name. Studies have found when family members, friends, teachers, and others respect this social transition, the child has less anxiety, depression, and less harmful effects overall. When puberty begins at the age of 8 to 10 years old, this is the first time any medical transition could even be considered. Typically, it is around this age when the family helps their child seek help from a certified psychiatrist, working specifically in transgender therapy. After months of therapy, this psychiatrist along with their family doctor, could both prescribe a puberty blocker drug. It should be noted that while puberty blockers are very basically a pause button on your puberty, which could be unpaused at any time. Doctors warn patients and their guardians that these blockers may slow your physical growth, affect your height, and decrease your bone density, which may cause your bones to break more easily in the future. And doctors warn patients that the long-lasting effects of these drugs are still being tested to this day, just like any other drug on the market. Usually around the same age when puberty is taking effect, many trans children socially transition in other ways. These include trans men using binders to cover their breast, so they appear to have more of a masculine chest. And trans women use tight underwear, especially designed tape or gaffs to tuck their male genitalia to appear more female with tighter clothing. Sometimes when trans children are denied from using proper binders or underwear, made to cover their chest or groin areas, they rebel and start using unsafe methods like ace bandages or other elastic materials, which could cause lasting harm. In the United States and many other countries around the world, you cannot legally start the next step until the child turns 16 years old. You also need your parent or guardian's written permission, consent from your doctor, and consent from your licensed psychiatrist to start hormone replacement therapy or treatment, otherwise known as HRT. These are very strict regulations because unlike puberty blockers, hormone treatment cannot be reversed. For men, this includes deepening your voice alongside vocal training and growing facial hair. For women, this includes developing breast and changing your body's shape. HRT can come in many forms, including a shot, pill, patch, gel, or an implant. Doctors warn patients that HRT can increase your risk of blood clotting, high blood pressure, mood changes, and liver inflammation. The most common side effect is a lowered sexual desire. All of these are reasons your doctor closely monitors anyone on these medications. Some of the benefits of puberty blockers and hormone treatment working in tandem include helping the person with emotional and social development. By making them more comfortable in their body, helping combat depression, boost their self-esteem, and prevent the need from future medical transition. Once a person is over the age of 18 or over the age of 17 with parent or guardian consent, a transgender adult can consider further medical transition. They must have been on hormone therapy for a minimum of a year and get consent from their doctors and licensed psychiatrist. For men, they can consider top surgery to remove their breast, hysterectomies to remove their female reproductive organs, phalloplasty to construct a penis using the skin taken from other parts of the body, typically your thigh, and metoidioplasty to make your clitoris work more like a penis. For women, they can consider a breast augmentation to get implants in their breast area, orchiectomy, tracheal shave to make their Adam's apple smaller, facial feminization to create more feminine facial features, and penile inversion vaginoplasty to create a vagina by inverted the penile skin. It should be noted that these surgeries can cost tens of thousands of dollars, which many insurance providers do not cover. Before any surgery, doctors will discuss with their patients the medical risk involved in any surgery.
[7:38]Because of these risks and costs, many transgender people decide to only socially transition. And even for those that begin medical transition with puberty blockers or HRT, most of them choose to never get any surgeries at all. No matter how a transgender person decides to transition, or how much social or medical transition they choose to undergo, their gender identity is no less valid than anyone else. But you might ask, what lets us know their gender identity is valid according to science? Well, in February 2015, the first unbiased study began on trans people to find what causes them to be trans. Previous studies had a bias of either trying to find a cure for being trans, funded by a hate group, or a study funded by a trans non-profit, setting out to find evidence to support their cause. Head of department, clinical staff physician, clinical researcher at the Department of Endocrinology at Ghent University Hospital in Belgium, Professor Guy T'Sjoen, conducted a study titled The European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence, also known as ENIGI. His researchers followed 2,600 transgender participants, who were all taking some form of HRT throughout the study, and undergoing brain scans using MRI machines to determine how happy the person is. This gave doctors and scientists a literal picture of their brain, much like you can see an X-ray of your bones. The researchers also had thousands of cisgender participants undergo the same MRI study to record brain activity. And then they compared the scans with those of trans participants. From their 2,600 trans participants, endocrinologist could not find a single case where a trans man brain scan did not match a cisgender male brain scan. The same goes for trans women. Every trans brain scan matched perfectly with the brain activity in their cisgender counterparts, and did not match the brain activity of their biological counterparts. But one study doesn't prove much. Something cannot be proven until its results can be replicated. That's what Doctor Julie Bakker from the University of Liege did in May of 2018. Doctor Bakker focused her study on 160 transgender children and teenage participants, not on any HRT or puberty blockers, rather than trans adults.
[9:54]She conducted the same MRI test and her results were identical to Professor Guy T'Sjoen's energy study. She later said quote, Although more research is needed, we now have evidence that sexual differentiation of the brain differs in young people with Gender Dysphoria. as they show functional brain characteristics that are typical of their desired gender. As a result, she says, quote, We will then be better equipped to support these young people, instead of just sending them to a psychiatrist and hoping their distress will disappear spontaneously. Other doctors and endocrinologists around the world who have reviewed the data from both studies say the brain scans show some people are somewhere in between, sharing characteristics of both male and female brains, and this scientifically proves that gender exists on a spectrum. We've defined this space on the gender spectrum as non-binary or gender fluid. But with this data, it proves their gender identities are just as valid as well. The best part of science is that it is an endless endeavor of presenting a question, finding answers, and most times, finding more questions to ask. So we can see that more studies should be done, more evidence should be sought out, and more questions should be asked. But as for now, the science and data are pretty clear. If you ask me or many other researchers who have spent years looking at this data, the concept of gender was put into a binary system because we allowed it to get that way. During World War II, women would wear men's clothing so they can help fight in the war. During the Renaissance, men would wear dresses and put on makeup to perform on stage, and no one saw it as an issue. And even 5,000 years ago, a woman's gender identity was respected by her community, even after her death, even though her skeleton was male. I've witnessed thousands of people over the years wearing clothing, shoes, jewelry, or makeup that doesn't match the gender role society labeled them with at birth. Throughout my study, although less scientific than those I mentioned a moment ago, I could not find one person in those thousands who wasn't genuinely happy to live their authentic lives. I've made dozens of terrific friends who don't conform to gender roles. And met some of the smartest people you'll ever meet, who once upon a time questioned why they couldn't wear a dress. Though the thousands of MRI brain scans can prove being trans is valid according to science. No matter where your gender lands on the gender spectrum, to me, validity can be a relative term. No one under the age of 17 is getting surgeries, and most trans people only ever socially transition anyway. So there's never any harm to kids. No one is coming home from school a different gender, and no child can use a bathroom or play on a sports team, matching their gender identity without first spending years working with certified professionals and doctors. Who agree with their gender identity. So if it makes someone happy to wear a dress and high heels, then you go, girl! But for those out there wanting their happiness to end, please know that coming out isn't someone's way of asking your permission. It's their way of telling you the good news. It's not up to you how valid their identity is. It's only up to you how accepting you'll be, and we hope by learning from this episode, you'll make the right choice. If you'd like to support our show, check out ProfessorPride.com. for hundreds of ways to show off your pride. Check them out now, along with our LGBTQ books, magnets, pins, umbrellas, digital downloads and more at ProfessorPride.com. Special thanks to our members and subscribers this month, who proudly support our work providing LGBTQ education and resources. Please subscribe to our channel or click on this video to continue enjoying Power By Rainbows.
