When I began to take my gender identity seriously I read pretty much everything I could find on the subject. Over time I began to collect a number of links that I felt were relevant to the subject. My goal was to be as objective as possible, that meant taking the good with the bad. I read everything from scientific papers, to news articles, to personal blogs. I forced myself to read things that I didn’t agree with or that I found to be outright offensive. I tried to collect everything that I felt was relevant to the subject, and I don’t necessarily like everything I’ve collected. Here is the current list, which I still add to periodically though I make no promises to update the list on my blog. Some of it is definite trigger warning.
Transgender Links
These first few links I feel present a fairly solid case that gender identity and gender non conformity do in fact have a biological basis, and that affirmation really is the best practice.
Video of Stanford Professor detailing basic science of transgenderism
Article detailing physical differences in the brain
Article detailing neurological connectivity via MRI
http://cercor.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2014/09/12/cercor.bhu194.full.pdf
Article on a study indicating children show consistent understanding of gender identity
Article detailing positive effects of gender affirmation
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160226081528.htm
Another article, separate study, detailing positive effects of gender affirmation
Article detailing failed attempts to deliberately assign a gender
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa022236#t=articleDiscussion
Full List
Science Daily report article review synopsis
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150213112317.htm
Statistics on bathroom assaults
Blogger on biological basis for transgender
The biological basis for transgender – part one
Researches change sexual behavior of mice
Study on brain connectivity of transgenderism
http://cercor.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2014/09/12/cercor.bhu194.full.pdf
Studies find neurological basis for transgenderism
Wikipedia
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_transsexualism
Grey matter study
Imaging the transgendered brain
Another article on a study
Youtube video the gender map
Study validating the concept of gender identity
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa022236
Report on a study that proves a neurological basis for gender
Forcing Kids To Stick To Gender Roles Can Actually Be Harmful To Their Health | ThinkProgress
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/08/07/3468380/gender-roles-health-risks/
Clinging to a dangerous past: Dr Paul McHugh’s selective reading of transgender medical literature | The TransAdvocate
Further reading on the subject of de transition
Myths About Transition Regrets
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/6160626
Crossfit’s “scientific” refusal to allow Chloie Jönnson to compete in women’s division not actually supported by science | The TransAdvocate
Study that is able to test gender identity with 74% accuracy, old study, 2006, the 74% accuracy is misleading
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17282888
Counter point, a man who de-transitioned and says transgenderism is a delusion. He also suffered abuse as a child and was coerced into wearing girls clothes by his grandmother.
http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/speaking-out-about-the-transgender-delusion1/
Study finds that strong support from family and friends greatly reduces risk of self harm and suicide in transgender youth
from article
This more or less sums up my opinion on people who invoke the name of our lord in order to justify persecution
Article on a study about transgender kids and gender identity
http://www.mtv.com/news/2067232/transgender-kids/
APA.com 2009 study on the effectiveness of conversion attempts
http://www.apa.org/about/policy/sexual-orientation.aspx
An interesting HuffPost blog about the inherent misogyny of conversion therapies
An article exploring the genetics of gender diversity
http://www.nature.com/news/sex-redefined-1.16943
A trans guy’s perspective on male privilege
http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/05/male-privilege-trans-men/
Various studies on transition regret
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsm.12363/abstract
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsm.12155/abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21937168
http://www.gires.org.uk/assets/Medpro-Assets/trans_mh_study.pdf
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2014/09/02/peds.2013-2958.abstract
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1024086814364
More random links
Networks of the brain reflect individual gender identity
http://www.meduniwien.ac.at/homepage/1/news-and-topstories/?
tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=5379&cHash=37835742aa84acd6b6b2505337c854d
White matter microstructure in female to male
http://www.journalofpsychiatricresearch.com/article/S0022-3956%2810%2900158-5/abstract#sec2.1
Causes of gender dysphoria
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=transgender%20science
Article from Huffington Post linking a number of studies
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brynn-tannehill/how-much-evidence-does-it_b_4616722.html
Trans science project
http://transcience-project.org/brain_sex.html
Trans science project addressing a misrepresentation of their work
http://transcience-project.org/reason.com-statement.html
An article addressing allegations that trans people are attempting to silence critics
Article on government restroom policy
Further evidence that chromosomes do not equal gender
Rethinking the Conservative Approach to Transgenderism
http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2015/07/15377/
Transgender representation on television
http://www.buzzfeed.com/hillarys511/transgender-representations-on-tv-1s01p
Fact sheet on feminizing hormones
Feminising Hormone Information | The Gender Centre Inc.
http://www.gendercentre.org.au/resources/fact-sheets/feminising-hormone-information.htm
Resources for partners of trans people
http://www.crossdreamers.com/2015/08/resources-for-partners-of-transgender.html
Transitioning is effective in treating gender dysphoria
A theory on physiologically based gender identity
http://transcendmovement.com/gender-core-theory-why-am-i-transgender/
Personal account of a black trans woman abused by the system
Examining the history of sexual identity theory
http://www.crossdreamers.com/2015/09/the-two-traditions-of-thinking-about.html
Interview with a trans pilot
Counterpoints to anti trans rhetoric
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brynn-tannehill/fighting-back-against-ant_b_5633450.html
Study on pre-natal deprivation of hormones on ferrets
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3737708
Sex differences in the brain
http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/44096/title/Sex-Differences-in-the-Brain/
2011 Swedish Study Explained
Myths About Gender Affirmation Surgery
A researcher who suggests chimerism could account for transgenderism and homosexuality
Study on neurological differences between male and female, no single trait is consistent among genders, strong indication that gender does indeed exist as a mosaic
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2015/11/24/1509654112
Same study, different article
http://www.crossdreamers.com/2015/12/new-brain-study-indicates-great-gender.html
This is an excerpt which I quite like:
Sex/gender differences in the brain are of high social interest because their presence is typically assumed to prove that humans belong to two distinct categories not only in terms of their genitalia, and thus justify differential treatment of males and females. Here we show that, although there are sex/gender differences in brain and behavior, humans and human brains are comprised of unique “mosaics” of features, some more common in females compared with males, some more common in males compared with females, and some common in both females and males. Our results demonstrate that regardless of the cause of observed sex/gender differences in brain and behavior (nature or nurture), human brains cannot be categorized into two distinct classes: male brain/female brain.
2008 Study showing a genetic link to transgenderism
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7689007.stm
Video on transsexualism in the brain
A history of the medical understanding of transgenderism
https://newrepublic.com/article/123544/what-we-knew-of-the-sexes
How to Love Being a Non-Passing Trans Woman in 9 Affirming Steps http://everydayfeminism.com/2016/01/how-love-being-non-passing/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SocialWarfare via @evrydayfeminism
Trans Science Project
http://transcience-project.org/index.html
Notes on Gender Role Transition – a report from 2001
http://www.avitale.com/developmentalreview.htm
15 studies that indicate a biological basis for gender identity
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brynn-tannehill/how-much-evidence-does-it_b_4616722.html
An article detailing the psychological and medical understanding of transgenderism over the years
http://transgenderuniverse.com/2015/12/09/the-origins-of-the-transgender-condition/
Media Matters reporting on the myth that trans inclusive washroom policies might be problematic
http://mediamatters.org/research/2015/06/03/17-school-districts-debunk-right-wing-lies-abou/203867
Amen
Unrelated to trans issues per se but interesting none the less
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/the-explosive-science-of-genetics/article28462603/
Y chromosome apparently not necessary to create fertile male mice
http://www.theverge.com/2016/1/30/10865518/mice-without-y-chromosomes-genes-reproduced-study
It’s funny, cis exclusionary pundits say gender isn’t a choice. Yet here we have a dysphoric exclusionary pundit saying otherwise.
http://help4families.com/am-i-cured-of-transsexuality
Hormones and brain development
http://transgenderuniverse.com/2016/02/03/the-origins-of-transgender-hormones-and-gender-identity/
An article on shame.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/margaret-paul-phd/dealing-with-shame_b_994991.html
An article detailing why it’s difficult to nail down gender differences in the brain
https://newrepublic.com/article/130352/differences-men-womens-brains
An article on gender agnosticism. I like it 🙂
http://www.philpercs.com/2016/02/gender-agnosticism.html
Do’s and don’ts of coming out
Deconstructing Autogynephilia
Study finds positive effects of transition care in teenagers
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/134/4/696
Bruce Springsteen defending Trans rights
A thorough taking down of Kenneth Zucker
http://harlot.media/articles/2582/zuckers-therapy-mourned-almost-exclusively-by-cis-people
A number of links for various studies
http://aebrain.blogspot.ca/p/transsexual-and-intersex-gender-identity.html
An article on the biological basis for gender identity
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-there-something-unique-about-the-transgender-brain/
Lies and misrepresentation of bathroom issues
http://www.snopes.com/transgender-filming-women-restroom/
http://www.snopes.com/nc-bathroom-bill-opposition-leader-a-sex-offender/
We just need to pee
http://www.advocate.com/transgender/2016/4/15/19-images-show-wejustneedtopee
4 Trans Affirmations
http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/09/affirmations-trans-women/
An account of a de transition
Why are Trans women concerned with appearance? Why go through surgery and do everything possible to fit within the feminine binary? This is why.
This may be a repeat, but it’s another article saying how the gender binary is a social construct, whereas biology is in fact much more complicated
http://www.nature.com/news/sex-redefined-1.16943
Examples of transgenderism in nature
An article that effectively covers the key points that establish a biological basis for gender identity
http://m.voanews.com/a/transformation-biology-transgender-biology-gender-identity/3339274.html
Transgender Kids Show Consistent Gender Identity Across Measures
Transgender Children Supported in their Identities Show Positive Mental Health
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160226081528.htm
On Autogynephilia
https://thingofthings.wordpress.com/2016/07/13/on-autogynephilia/
on desistance, a detailed article that suggests about 2/3 of dysphoric and gender non conforming kids will grow up to identify as cis
http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2016/07/whats-missing-from-the-conversation-about-transgender-kids.html
Counterpoint to the above
Mother’s Day Piece
http://transgenderuniverse.com/2016/05/02/coming-out-to-mom-the-freckle-patch-story/
A thorough debunking of a recent trans-exclusionary article
The history of stigmatizing minorities through bathrooms
http://transadvocate.com/the-politics-of-transphobia_n_18825.htm
Injustice at Every Turn, a report on the National Transgender Discrimination Survey
http://www.thetaskforce.org/static_html/downloads/reports/reports/ntds_full.pdf
Textbook Bigotry. I include this article because it is a surprisingly comprehensive breakdown of how bigotry presents itself. Rationalization, dismissal, accusations of over sensitivity and insinuated threats of violence.
A follow up piece on the anti PC U of T professor
http://torontoist.com/2016/12/are-jordan-petersons-claims-about-bill-c-16-correct/
Violence towards trans women is very real
https://lab.witness.org/projects/transgender-violence/executive-summary/
Detailing mental and medical health issues faced by the trans community
A Conservative Defense of Transgender Rights