This is me trying to puzzle out the various constituents, as a relatively naive new-comer - and aware that no one has all the answers, but that together we may have a good number. And one thing that constantly strikes me is that they do not feel like a community, given the rights of different groups within the transgender umbrella can be in conflict. And equally that there is comparatively little research, with some research being shut down (James Caspian in Bath, etc)
My understanding is that:
- there are a very small number of classically "gender dysphoric"... those who are clear from birth - a figure I read was 1 in 1600 for males, 1 in 2700 for females or thereabouts. These include the transsexuals many of us have known for years. Most are just getting on with their lives, a few like Miranda Yardley are outspoken. These are the ones with a diagnoseable "mental health" issue, who the NHS is there to treat (with counselling and surgery, where appropriate) - and the ones most likely to lose out if NHS funding becomes under threat with the recategorisation. Some see themselves as retaining their natal sex, others see themselves as changing sex.
- Adolescent and young adult females: the fastest growing group of transpeople, which has not been adequately explained, beyond the recognition that, like many teenage health phenomena, social contagion is likely to play a part. Having 8 teenage girls declare themselves trans on one year group, as has happened in schools, is statistically improbable - some indeed may be trans, but it is likely not to be the explanation for all.
Concerns are being raised by people working with this group that almost all fall into one of these categories: childhood abuse (leading to hatred of one's vulnerable body), autism (seen as having a male brain) and a reluctance to be seen as gay, especially if butch (the lowest in the "traditional social hierarchy", with hetero men at the top, women, gay men, more feminine lesbians all "above" them)
- Older men transitioning who have often had a history of cross-dressing, alongside a classically hetero lifestyle (wife, kids) - and possibly a disproportionate number in very "male roles": anecdotally there has been a lot of comment about military and IT, but I don't think there have been any studies? Many of these seem to meet the criteria for autogynephilia. And there seems to be the range of transition from occasional cross-dressing, while continuing to live "as a man" for the majority of the time to fulltime transition, including full surgery, although the majority who have surgery retain male genitalia (I've seen figures from 70-95%).
- Younger men .... my understanding is that some do of course have gender dysphoria, that others are auto-gynphiliac or have had abusive childhoods. It seems to be a more disparate group than younger women.
That there is currently a huge increase in the numbers declaring themselves transgender, for many reasons
- social media enabling like-minded people to meet and give each other courage,
- the cultural changes which mean being trans is more acceptable than before
- and with teenagers, numbers are likely to be inflated by the recognition that for a group where a large number are gender-querying as part of their natural growing into adulthood, being "trans" is seen as very desirable with special treatment and celebrations amongst classmates
Please be tolerant with me - I have tried to use the appropriate language and am keen not to offend anyone, I'm aware my brain can be a little slow and am keen to try and understand more of this incredibly important current phenomenon.