Is Being Transgender Real?

Anti-trans activists, “gender critical” proponents, and TERFs often claim that being transgender isn't real or valid. Their arguments typically include variations of:

• “There's no such thing as being transgender – it's just confusion or mental illness”
• “You can't change your biological sex, therefore being trans isn't real”
• “Transgender identities are a new social contagion/trend/ideology”
• “It's just body dysmorphia/autism/trauma/internalized homophobia”
• “Trans people are just confused/brainwashed by the 'trans agenda'”

The underlying rationale behind these claims typically relies on:

• Oversimplifying biological sex as an immutable binary determined solely by chromosomes or genitals
• Conflating gender identity with biological sex
• Dismissing the growing body of scientific evidence supporting the biological basis of gender identity
• Cherry-picking detransition stories while ignoring the vast majority of positive outcomes
• Pointing to the supposed “newness” of transgender identities while ignoring their long historical presence

TERFs often frame their denial of transgender existence as “protecting” women or children, or as defending “biological reality.” But let's examine what the actual scientific evidence tells us.

Being transgender is absolutely real and valid, with substantial scientific evidence supporting this reality.

Transgender identity has a strong biological basis supported by multiple lines of scientific evidence. Research consistently shows that gender identity has neurobiological underpinnings and is not simply a choice, trend, or delusion. ¹

Studies examining brain structure and function have identified numerous sex-differentiated areas where transgender individuals' brains more closely resemble those of their identified gender rather than their assigned sex at birth.²³ For example, transgender women (assigned male at birth) often show brain structures more similar to cisgender women in regions like the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and other sexually dimorphic areas.⁴

Moreover, the effectiveness of gender-affirming care provides powerful evidence for the reality of transgender identity. Multiple long-term studies demonstrate that proper treatment – including social transition, hormone therapy, and sometimes surgeries – significantly improves mental health outcomes and quality of life for transgender individuals.⁵⁶⁷ If being transgender weren't real, such interventions wouldn't consistently produce positive results across decades of research.

Furthermore, transgender identities have existed throughout human history and across diverse cultures worldwide.⁸ From Two-Spirit people in Indigenous North American cultures to the Hijra in South Asia and various gender-diverse roles in Polynesian, African, and ancient civilizations, the existence of gender identities beyond the binary is well-documented. And while these examples may not always associate themselves as trans as a matter of course, many do. The point stands - the idea that being transgender is a “new trend” is simply historically inaccurate.

When we dive deeper into the scientific evidence, it becomes even clearer that transgender identities have biological underpinnings. Multiple studies have identified genetic components associated with gender identity, suggesting that being transgender has heritable aspects similar to many other human traits.⁹¹⁰

Dr. Milton Diamond's extensive research demonstrated that gender identity has biological roots that develop prenatally through the interaction of genes, hormones, and brain development. ¹¹ Their groundbreaking work with individuals born with certain intersex conditions showed that gender identity typically cannot be altered through rearing – it emerges from intrinsic biological factors rather than external influences.¹²

The “born in the wrong body” metaphor, while oversimplified, captures something fundamental: transgender people have an internal sense of gender that is at odds with their physical characteristics. This isn't a delusion or confusion – it's a mismatch between one's innate gender identity and the sex assigned at birth based on external anatomy.¹³¹⁴

Medical professionals worldwide recognize this reality. Major medical organizations including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychological Association, and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health all affirm the validity of transgender identities and support gender-affirming care as the appropriate treatment for gender dysphoria.¹⁵¹⁶

It's worth noting that gender identity exists on a spectrum, just as many human traits do. While some transgender people experience binary identities (male or female), others have non-binary identities that don't fit neatly into either category. This diversity reflects the complex nature of human gender and doesn't invalidate the reality of transgender experiences.¹⁷¹⁸

The “social contagion” myth has been thoroughly debunked by research. While visibility of transgender people has increased, studies show this hasn't created transgender identities – it has simply made it safer for people to come out.¹⁹²⁰ The alleged “rapid onset gender dysphoria” hypothesis has been widely criticized for methodological flaws and sampling bias.²¹

The denial of transgender existence typically relies on several logical fallacies:

Appeal to Nature Fallacy: Claiming that because certain biological aspects of sex cannot be changed, transgender identities aren't “natural” or real. This ignores that many natural human variations exist, and that nature itself shows tremendous diversity in sex expression across species.²²

Black and White Fallacy: Insisting that biological sex is a simple binary when biologists recognize it's a complex trait with multiple components (chromosomes, hormones, gonads, genitalia, etc.) that don't always align in a binary way.²³²⁴

Cherry Picking: Selectively citing rare cases of detransition while ignoring the overwhelming majority of positive outcomes from transition.²⁵²⁶²⁷

Appeal to Tradition: Arguing that because traditional societies recognized only two genders (itself historically inaccurate), transgender identities must be invalid or new.²⁸

Hasty Generalization: Taking isolated examples of people who detransitioned and applying those experiences to all transgender people.²⁹³⁰

Genetic Fallacy: Dismissing transgender identities because some aspects of gender theory developed relatively recently, ignoring that scientific understanding evolves over time as we gather more evidence. ³¹³²

The claim that being transgender isn't real flies in the face of substantial scientific evidence, historical documentation, and the lived experiences of millions of people worldwide. Transgender identity has clear biological underpinnings ^{33 34 35 36}, is consistent across cultures and throughout history ³⁷, and is recognized as valid by major medical and psychiatric organizations globally.³⁸³⁹

When TERFs and anti-trans activists deny the reality of transgender existence, they're not defending science or protecting anyone – they're ignoring evidence that contradicts their ideology and causing real harm to an already marginalized population. The consistent effectiveness of gender-affirming care in improving mental health outcomes provides powerful real-world validation that transgender identities are genuine and deserving of respect.^{40 41 42}

The inconvenient truth for transmisic individuals is that science is not on their side. Being transgender is as real as being left-handed or having blue eyes – a natural human variation that has always existed and always will. The only “choice” involved is whether society will recognize this reality and treat transgender people with the dignity and respect every human being deserves.

[(NB1> Hare, L., Bernard, P., Sánchez, F. J., Baird, P. N., Vilain, E., Kennedy, T., & Harley, V. R. (2009). Androgen receptor repeat length polymorphism associated with male-to-female transsexualism. Biological Psychiatry, 65(1), 93-96. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.0805542105

[(NB2> Khorashad, B. S., Manzouri, A., Feusner, J. D., Munoz-Negron, A., Savic, I., & Guillamon, A. (2021). We need valid and consistent terminology for sex and gender. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 15, 675680. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34030966/

[(NB3> Guillamon, A., Junque, C., & Gómez-Gil, E. (2016). A review of the status of brain structure research in transsexualism. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 45(7), 1615-1648. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26766406/

[(NB4> Diamond, M. (2013). Transsexuality among twins: Identity concordance, transition, rearing, and orientation. International Journal of Transgenderism, 14(1), 24-38. https://www.hawaii.edu/PCSS/biblio/articles/2010to2014/2013-transsexuality.html

[(NB5> Brandt, E., Peeters, A., Verbeke, E., van Assche, E., Cleymans, S., van Veldhoven, A., Brugmann, E., Van de Velde, S., Geeraert, F., Poels, K., Vrielynck, C., Van Humbeeck, L., Dhondt, K., & T'Sjoen, G. (2022). Retrospective study of the effect of comprehensive gender-specific care for transgender adolescents and young adults. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 5551. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35329908/

[(NB6> Dhejne, C., Lichtenstein, P., Boman, M., Johansson, A. L., Långström, N., & Landén, M. (2011). Long-term follow-up of transsexual persons undergoing sex reassignment surgery: cohort study in Sweden. PLoS ONE, 6(2), e16885. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21364939/

[(NB7> Roughgarden, J. (2013). Evolution's rainbow: Diversity, gender, and sexuality in nature and people. University of California Press.

[(NB8> Kreukels, B. P., & Guillamon, A. (2016). Neuroimaging studies in people with gender incongruence. International Review of Psychiatry, 28(1), 120-128. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26766406/

[(NB0> Diamond, M., & Sigmundson, H. K. (1997). Sex reassignment at birth: Long-term review and clinical implications. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 151(3), 298-304. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9080940/

[(NB10> Coleman, E., Bockting, W., Botzer, M., Cohen-Kettenis, P., DeCuypere, G., Feldman, J., ... & Zucker, K. (2012). Standards of care for the health of transsexual, transgender, and gender-nonconforming people, version 7. International Journal of Transgenderism, 13(4), 165-232. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1743609515306950

[(NB11>Ashley, F. (2020). Thinking an ethics of gender exploration: Against delaying transition for transgender and gender creative youth. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 25(2), 223-236. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30165284/