To think that the majority of trans people are neurodivergent

[SlipperSliders]

...and I sort of think it's a form of neurodivergence in itself.

By the way I'm trans affirmative.

I don't think I've met a trans person who I thought was neurotypical.

It’s a form of it yes. But it is diagnosed as either. Each have different symptoms and characteristics

Aspergers isn't diagnosed, it's not been a diagnosis for well over a decade. The diagnosis is ASD, whether high functioning or accompanied with learning difficulties or somewhere in the middle it's still just autism.

So you're bisexual, attracted to some people of either sex (or possibly you are straight, you aren't telling us), you do you, go ahead and call it pansexual or some other random term but just like you can't say "I'm a P word" because you have some vague connection to the Indian subcontinent, don't go around using the Q word because you have no idea how it was used.

Saying you are non binary is not something we really care about because it means nothing other than "I have a personality". As long as you don't tell girls they will be happier if they cut their breasts off or will commit suicide if nobody calls them "Fae".
But don't use the Q word.

Deep down at my core there is a part of me that identifies as a Jedi. Sometimes when I'm sitting on the couch and my phone is on the other side of the room I'm instinctually sure that if I reached my hand out and really focussed I could make the force float my phone over to me. Sometimes when I encounter scary men, or read about them in the news, I think I should be able to force blast them. The utter strength of my feelings shouldn't be confined to the limits of my body. It feels absurd when my will is strong that it can't just happen because I think it.

But reality is reality. No matter what I think or feel, I still have to live within reality. My strength of will can never exceed reality. The same is true of our sex, no matter how we feel, we live within reality. People are male or female, it's encoded in every cell of our bodies. We can never change that, we can never be the opposite or something in between and we need to accept that. There is a reason why I never actually extend my hand and try to force float my phone to me, no matter how much I feel it should happen. And it's because I'm a grown ass adult and it would be frankly pathetic if I didn't accept that I do not have the power to move objects with my mind. Thinking and feeling yourself as some sort of other or non gender is absolutely no different from thinking and feeling yourself to be a Jedi. It's not rooted in any sort of reality and expecting anyone else to play along with your strong imagination is narcissism at best blind delusion at worst.

Reclaiming a term of abuse can only be done by the group that suffered the abuse and is then a way of taking back control from their abusers.

Another group who didn't have that experience cannot decide to redefine that term of abuse for their own ends and try to force the abused group to ignore their feelings and accept it. That's just bullying.

What @WifeOfTiresias said.

There is no Asperger’s

yes such a good point. you hear of Thai lady-boys but not...man-girls??? (see doesnt exist, just made it up!)

I find this thread really interesting. I haven't seen any stats around ND and trans but would be interested to know if it's more prevalent in girls?

I'm currently going through the diagnosis process and I'm sure I am autistic. When I was reaching puberty in the 90's I very firmly wanted to be a boy and looking back I think the reason is that socially speaking being autistic is hard, especially if you are female. I saw living as a female so much harder than living as a boy. Socialising as a girl was difficult as girls can be very manipulative, bitchy and changeable, it's a minefield. I would much rather kick a ball around a field with some boys and talk about the latest game or tv show. Girls fashion, hair and makeup also much more complicated than for boys. Even as an adult, when I get invited to a wedding or night out I get a sense of dread and it's usually related to finding an outfit and jeans and tshirt not being acceptable (entirely a social construct). So much easier just to grab a suit and tie. It's why the likes of steve jobs, Elon musk and Zuckerberg (pretty sure all known to be autistic) always wear the same clothes.

Puberty was something else and in my late 30's I can't wait for the menopause so the whole thing can be over.

I'm so thankful trans wasn't a thing in the 90's. I'm 100% sure I would have been trans and probably would have wanted puberty blockers but knowing how strongly I wanted a child when I was older that would have been a huge mistake!

IMO the majority of trans people aren’t really trans

There is no Asperger’s

My diagnosis specifically mentions it. And it is how I think of myself. My condition bares no resemblance to someone with severe autism.

I feel that gender is not only a social construct but a neuro typical construct. People who are ND, in my experience, often find the concept of gender and gender roles utterly bizarre. Which it is (but then I’m on the waiting list for an ADHD assessment myself).

To me this would suggest more ND people would not identify with their born “gender”. But I’m not expert.

By today’s standards I can imagine I would be questioning my gender if I were a child now.

Yes, I know 3 trans people and they are all autistic. I never saw the correlation before!

When you are born you are either male or female. This is your gender, your sexuality is what you choose to do with it. Most people are attracted to people of the opposite gender. Obviously some people are not, but this isn't something you choose. Sexual attraction is not a quantifiable thing and someone who is raved about by some are found deeply unattractive by others. Similarly your sexuality isn't something you choose, it is an inherent part of who you are. Unfortunately the current craze of young people who are making life altering decisions about their bodies are being unduly influenced by so-called celebrities and crack-pot postings on the internet. They are not making informed decisions based on facts and their own situations. The very fact that some people who have transitioned are transitioning back to their original state of being is proof of this.

When it comes to all the labels that are put on people or they put on themselves it is no wonder they are confused, with all the acronyms you have nearly got the full alphabet. It is natural to be curious about yourself and others when you are going through puberty but by going on the internet and being told things like if you like pink and dolls and ballet you a girl and if you don't you're not and vice versa for boys if not helpful.

By its very definition everyone is neurodiverse to a greater or lesser degree. It is not a medically diagnosed condition but an umbrella term to describe differences
in mental function, but difference from what. Who decides what is "normal". Personally I wear men's jeans because they are a better fit than women's and have deeper pockets because I don't like handbags, I don't like pink, I watch cricket, rugby and football but I am very definitely a heterosexual female, but if I was growing up now as opposed to the 70s the internet would be telling me that I was bi or trans or whatever. Fortunately we didn't have that sort of malign influence and so could make up our own minds.

The internet is great for a lot of things but social media has a lot to answer for including adversely influencing young minds. A lot of people of all ages believe everything they read and when that is telling them to behave a certain way or do certain things it can literally be destructive.

Let people live their lives the way they were meant to and not be coerced into actions which can ruin them forever.

I think its more that it has been "reclaimed" by younger people, who never had it used on them as a slur, but is still considered a slur by gay people aged over about 40. So generational more than anything.

When I was 16-17, I thought I was trans. I ended up blubbering about it to my Sociology tutor at college. Although we'd not looked at feminism in class at that point yet, he gave me a couple of books to read. It was as plain as day that what I was actually doing was rejecting the societal view of women. What a revelation! Now I strongly believe that gender dysphoria is real and distressing for some but does anyone actually sit down with teens and talk to them about society's expectations for men and women/boys and girls?

Your first paragraph, the appropriate word to use is sex, not gender. The two are not interchangeable. Sorry to be pedantic, but it's best to avoid misunderstandings.

I think it was the late 60s when people started using the word gender on forms because kids would look up the word sex in the dictionary and start giggling or write yes please. It was a coy way of writing the word sex. Somehow it’s all been twisted.

That's fine, I don't mind a bit of pedantry and as you say better to be correct about things.

Are the majority of trans identified youth ND and/or victims of trauma abuse. The poor data we have seems to confirm this.

The 40 year old blokes in dresses who 'just want to pee' not so much.

Not all trans people are nd nor are all nd people trans. It does tend to be quite common among young nd people for various reasons though particularly young women

I think most people who identify as Trans have serious mental health issues which are not being professionally addressed.

They may also be ND but that's a separate issue.

@WifeOfTiresias

By its very definition everyone is neurodiverse to a greater or lesser degree. It is not a medically diagnosed condition but an umbrella term to describe differences
in mental function, but difference from what. Who decides what is "normal".

What are you talking about?? The majority of people are definitely not ND to any extent. ND people are most definitely in the minority.

Neurodiversity is a medically recognised and diagnosed condition. My son's consultant is an eminent Paediatrician who specialises in this area of medicine.

Everyone can have an opinion on the matter but at least allow scientific facts to help form that opinion!

@WappityWabbit no idea why you tagged me in your last post, I didn't post any of the things you quoted.

Apologies to @WifeOfTiresias I attributed the quote you by accident. 😊

I was meant to quote @VeryHappyBunny but I’m on my phone and got it wrong. 😳🤦🏻‍♀️