Fascinating article about transgendered kids

[jelazakazone]

I found this article through Lauren McLauglin's blog (she wrote Cycler, which unfortunately is not in my library, yet).

So,go read: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200811/transgender-children

Comments

[argentla]

This is an interesting article, but it makes me deeply uneasy.

I feel like both the nature (hormones/brain structure) and nurture (learned behavior) schools willfully ignore what I feel is the biggest problem: the idea that there are two stratified genders, and therefore people must be wedged into one or the other. Why should the impulse to be pretty and flouncy be female, or the impulse to play with monster trucks and climb trees be male? Everyone on both sides is relentlessly determined to preserve heteronormative standards, and it's disturbing.

[jelazakazone]

Exactly! You've put a very fine point on it!

[thomasyan]

One thing I have trouble wrapping my head around: If there aren't stratified genders, would people still feel transgendered? My inability to think about this makes me feel stupid.

[argentla]

Aside from my boundless confidence in the human ability to become uncomfortable with any situation, I imagine there would still be people who would feel discomfort with their natal sex for various reasons. So, yeah, I think.