MovieChat Forums > The Danish Girl (2016) Discussion > Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner's sexuality...

Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner's sexuality...

posted 9 years ago by SWLinPHX-2
8 replies | jump to latest

...this is slightly off topic, but I know of very few transgender men who became women but were still and only attracted to women. How common is that, can any trans people tell me? Does anyone think he is being a little disingenuous when he says he has no attraction to men? He refused to say he has not had sexual relations with men, so I'm sure he has (but then so have a lot of straight men). It's almost as if that is more embarrassing to him.

Since transgenders have a brain that developed mostly or entirely that of the opposite sex of the body of the fetus in utero, then the sexual orientation pretty much goes along with it, does it not?

Now I do know that gay people's brains can develop just part of the hypothalamus that controls sexual desire and orientation as the opposite sex but still retain many or most of the qualities of the sex of their body (how much determining their overall masculinity/femininity).

[–] melinda2001 9 years ago

In general, sexual identity is not connected to sexual orientation though I think the majority of transwomen are initially attracted to women and retain that attraction after transition when they also develop feelings for men. That's a gross generalization but the closest to a pattern that I've observed.

I don't think that much is known about the developmental reasons for transsexuality or homosexuality for that matter. I'm also curious about that but it won't matter too much when we figure it out because these are much bigger social issues than medical ones.

[–] SWLinPHX-2 9 years ago

Well people understanding that it is not a choice does indeed affect the social issue aspect as well.

It is pretty much known that since the brain of the fetus is sexed after the body, sometimes they hypothalamus of the brain can form partly (homosexual) or even totally (transgender) like that of the opposite sex of the body. This is due to hormonal conditions within the mother. It is not "hereditary" or genetic.

[–] melinda2001 9 years ago

This is the current hypotheses but nothing is yet proven. There are probably genetic and epigenetic factors involved, and then there is the complex signaling that goes on during fetal development that can unfold in different ways and at different times. Then there's the effects of medications, pollutants, and other environmental factors that probably play a part. The chemicals used to make the baby bottle nipples soft are now thought to mimic estrogens. Then there's the mother's diet and the effects of nurture which are probably the least important of all the factors. It's going to take a long time to tease out all the factors that contribute to these things just like we're trying to do for asthma, allergies, autism, etc., etc.

[–] SWLinPHX-2 9 years ago

The most important thing people should know, and what all intelligent scientists and doctors agree on, is that it is not a choice anymore than which gender straight people are attracted to. And even if they all didn't, it's so obvious. But yet, bigots like to say it is so they can be excused for being... well, bigots.

[–] melinda2001 9 years ago

And now we have this situation in which they don't even notice the irony: http://www.thegailygrind.com/2016/08/17/flood-destroys-home-of-hate-group-leader-who-claims-god-sends-natural-disasters-to-punish-gays/

[–] SWLinPHX-2 9 years ago

Oh there will always be idiots and rubes who are brainwashed from religious upbringing. But I am always more offended at someone denying facts than I am at their expressing hate, because even if it costs them friends they have the right to their own opinion but not to their own facts. They don't have the courage to defend their bigotry without claiming lies to try to disguise it.

[–] melinda2001 9 years ago

They shouldn't be talking about it at all. There's nothing wrong with having prejudices, but the fact that they feel it's now fine to speak them and feel good about it is the real problem. We need to make them feel embarrassed to speak their prejudices.

[–] rich-106 8 years ago

There are published scientific studies that assessed sexual orientation after man- to-woman transgender surgery (partial or total). As best as I can recall, the results were that something like 40% reportedly preferred women afterwards. I'd have to look up again to get figure more precise. I have no idea which sex Catilyn prefers but she has a long history of being with women only before surgery and she doesnt seem to want to have a vagina at this point. Still she may not know herself what she wants at this point.

As I understand from history reported on the web, Lili Elbe preferred men after surgery. In real life Gerda reportedly was lesbian but married a Italian man after leaving Lili. People can be complicated for sure.