The Neuroscience of Being Transgender

In this episode, I discuss the neuroscience of being transgender by explaining the difference between gender identity and biology. I add studies from neuroscience and explain some fascinating findings.

Created by: Amanda Cortex
Edited by: Aaron Amygdala
Logo: Mike Ramsey
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Brief Brain Facts:

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Sources:
Coon, D. & Mitterer, J.O. (2009). Psychology: Modules for active learning. Thomson Wadsworth. Belmont: United States.

Images:

[BriefBrainSnacks]

Did you learn something new in this video that you didn’t know before you watched?

[gkmohair]

I am a straight male with no gender dysphoria. I found your video very educational. Thank you. No one ever presented the difference between gender and sex to me before. This has started opening my eyes and my heart to peoples struggles I am only now beginning to consider and hopefully understand better.

[peterjonesdelacruz]

to me it doesn't matter whether being transgender is a choice or a product of variations in brain physiology, endocrinology, or genetic expressions. people should be free to express themselves however they want to. the exception is when they're causing harm to other people, and i don't think trans people are harming others by their visibility.

[markcaesar]

A very good presentation.
I'm 50 years old and was diagnosed with Klinefelter Syndrome (XXY) 3 years ago. I had always thought my Testosterone was low because I had a high voice despite being 6' 4" and could never put on much muscle mass. I asked a doctor about it at age 26 and was told that my T levels were within the normal range. Unfortunately, she was a very young doctor and only tested my Total Testosterone level and not my SHBG levels and Active Testosterone levels. So, for 21 more years, I thought I had normal T levels. 3 years ago I had a different doctor because I moved house and the issue came up again. This doctor was more experienced and tested me appropriately and I was found to have a low Active T level. I then had a Karyotype test and was found to be 47XXY.

In regards to gender, I have always associated with being male although I am fairly certain I think more like a female than what other men do. In regards to sexuality, I have always known I was heterosexual although there may be some attraction to some males. For all I know, this MAY or MAY NOT be common to other males although nobody would ever admit it. LOL

Thankfully I was able to father a son naturally, well before I even knew about my condition. I have heard since that it is quite rare to naturally father children when you have Klinefelter Syndrome.

[jonhansen]

So, who is gonna be the one to tell Ben that the scientific facts don’t agree with his feelings?

[wednesdayaddams]

It's difficult to listen when I keep focusing on this awesome shirt you're wearing...

[fenix]

4:28 not all nonbinary people go for androgyny. We may look feminine, masculine, neither, both, both equally or one more than the other. We aren't ftm/mtf but we aren't (always) going for androgyny

[joejackson]

I really enjoy your videos. They’re always so well-researched and we’ll-articulated. Thank you for taking the time to create them.

[superiorbeing]

This comment section is actually not that bad, most people here in new either just have questions or are supportive (key word, most)

[DarDarBinks]

Trans woman here. I've been on HRT for five months and counting now. There is no going back to that male hell for me. If I had known as an adolescent in the late '90s and early 2000s that I could have just gone on puberty blockers followed by titty skittles, I'd have done it already. At that point, my only exposure to other trans people was through Jerry Springer and TLC documentaries (For any Gen Z kids reading this, this was back when TLC still stood for The Learning Channel). I had always known I was a girl born in the wrong body but didn't have the language to articulate my dysphoria, nor did I know about hormone therapy. I was supposed to start HRT last March but then COVID happened and my endocrinologist appointment was delayed to July. Started taking titty skittles in August and have been on them ever since. And now that I got my second stimulus check from the Feddies, I plan on getting my name and sex marker legally changed.

[tinamathews]

As a transgender and transsexual woman, I greatly appreciate this information. I look at my transition as remodeling my body, and my life, to make it more comfortable to live in.

[JustATransistorASMR]

I’m pre transition mtf and I think it’s great to know the science of gender dysphoria. Thank you so much for helping me understand these feelings!

[leightonott]

My sister asked me if the moon phases would be different when she went to New Zealand. I laughed at her and said "no, the moon phases are caused by the rotation of the moon and had nothing to do with where on earth you are." But then realized that my mom and dad didn't know this either and I only knew because I am obsessed with space. It just seems so simple to me that I thought everyone knew lol

[dannygjk]

I have been wasting my time for years explaining to people that gender is complicated only for most of them to assume I'm delusional. Finally I found a video that explains it. Now I don't have to try to convince people to do some reading. Many people hate educating themselves.

[sadiegirlson]

FINALLY! Someone who knows what they are talking about and understands that other people's opinions don't determine gender!

[prateekbhurkay]

As someone who keeps getting shown a lot of conservative leaning videos, this video was very informative and really gave me a lot of info on the phenomenon of being transgender.

I've been trying to understand it for a while and was really confused about the whole thing and this helped a lot!

[Earthad]

This idealogy is simply reinforcing gender stereotypes. What does it feel like to be a female? Is it having long hair? No, sex is an evolved method to procreate, it's not cultural. So unless you want to label someone a woman for simply taking on gender stereotypes you need to stick with the biological markers. This will only serve to tell young girls and boys that they aren't girls or boys unless they fit the gender roles associated. Think harder

[kristian]

I had to tell my best friend that his body produces blood all the time. He would suck his own blood when he bleed (so he doesn't loose anything)

[LiteraryStoner]

Thank you <3 I'm a trans man and at 34 I just started transitioning, been on T for 5 1/2 months, and it's making me so much happier

[Levelity]

Gender roles is not your gender, they are behaviors. In this video gender is synonymous with personality and temperament, not a state of being. There is some logical leaps required for this definition of gender to not directly contradict sexuality.