Transsexuality

The Transsexuality is the feeling of belonging to a gender other than biological. Those affected perceive the innate biological gender as wrong.

What is transsexuality?

In the case of transsexuality, there is the biological and the social gender. The biological sex is usually either male or female, hermaphrodites are rarer - these are rare in humans. The trans man is biologically female, but feels like a man. He dresses and styles himself masculine and lives like a man. The trans woman, on the other hand, was born a man, but feels feminine and lives accordingly.

In the meantime, transsexuality is not only viewed in relation to masculinity or femininity, but is also accepted as the sexual identity of people who do not want to be clearly assigned to one or the other gender.

The social phenomena of transsexuality include, for example, crossdressing, in which the biological sex dresses in exactly the opposite way, i.e. a man styles himself to a woman. However, this does not necessarily have to be due to transsexuality, it can also just be the art form of travesty.

Regardless of the degree of transsexuality, the sexual orientation develops, which can be different for every transsexual.

Function & task

Similar to homosexuality, transsexuality is a deviation from the sexual norm, which today is considered to be largely socially accepted. It is medically considered a gender identity disorder, the causes of which are not yet fully understood. The term “gender identity disorder”, however, has existed for a time when heteronormativity was regarded as the unquestionably correct and only healthy sexual orientation. Biological, medical and social this is perceived differently in more recent research.

The occurrence of deviant sexual perceptions is known in humans as well as in mammalian species. In the latter case, however, homosexuality is more frequently observed as the most common deviation, although it should be borne in mind that humans are the only animals that can reinforce gender identity, for example through targeted clothing.

It is assumed that transsexuality can have physical and emotional triggers, genetic factors are also suspected. However, none of these theories has yet been specifically confirmed.

Whether deviations in sexual identity have a social or individual benefit for humans or society has not yet been adequately researched. Since transsexuality makes procreation more difficult, if not impossible, a benefit of transsexuality for society is at least not based on procreation.

In other cultures, gender is not perceived according to the rigid two categories of man and woman. For example, it is known from some Indian tribes that they know up to five genders and, depending on life events, can switch from one to the other. This means that they perform different tasks within their community. A similarly socially determined gender change is also known from Albania, when elected women take on the roles and tasks of men and live as such from that moment on.

Transsexuality is a minority phenomenon, but it is a phenomenon that is gaining more and more attention and, as a result, more social acceptance. As a result, it is fortunately possible for transsexuals today to live out their transsexuality openly and at their own discretion in a society that is becoming more tolerant and to use the support of modern medicine to adjust their biological gender to the perceived gender (perceived gender). As a result, the stress of feeling stuck in the wrong body can be reduced today.

Illnesses & ailments

One of the biggest problems with transsexuality is social recognition. Some people already feel that their biological gender is wrong in childhood and depend on how their parents react to this message. If you get support, you can be helped to adapt your life to transsexuality.

In past centuries, however, transsexuality was rather rigorously suppressed in western cultures, which can lead to serious psychological consequences. This can include strong grief, depression and inferiority complexes.

Even today it is by no means a matter of course that a transsexual will be treated with understanding. Just like homosexuality, transsexuality requires a coming-out that can break social ties if the environment is intolerant.

It is basically possible to reverse the biological sex surgically and with medication over a period of years. Over time, a trans man could become a biological man who can then have sexual intercourse like a man. The other way around, from man to woman, is also possible.

Furthermore, transsexuals who wish to undergo a sex change have to take long-term sex hormones of the biological sex to which they want to adapt physically.