January 22, 2025 - Science Matters - You Matter

I know the past couple days have been difficult for many of you, but please know, just because the person who currently holds the office of President "declares" something to be a certain way, it does not make it the truth. I am not a scientist, biologist, or doctor, but I am able to read and learn from people who are. I believe the truth and facts do matter and I will live accordingly.

Science allows us to look at our DNA under a microscope and we now know this shows us the following -

"Twenty-one variants in 19 genes have been found in estrogen signaling pathways of the brain critical to establishing whether the brain is masculine or feminine," says Dr. J. Graham Theisen, obstetrician/gynecologist and National Institutes of Health Women's Reproductive Health Research Scholar at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.

Basically -- and perhaps counterintuitively -- these genes are primarily involved in estrogen's critical sprinkling of the brain right before or after birth, which is essential to masculinization of the brain.

Variants investigators identified may mean that in natal males (people whose birth sex is male) this critical estrogen exposure doesn't happen or the pathway is altered so the brain does not get masculinized. In natal females, it may mean that estrogen exposure happens when it normally wouldn't, leading to masculinization.

Both could result in an incongruence between a person's internal gender and their external sex. The negative emotional experience associated with this incongruence is called gender dysphoria.

"They are experiencing dysphoria because the gender they feel on the inside does not match their external sex," Theisen says. "Once someone has a male or female brain, they have it and you are not going to change it. The goal of treatments like hormone therapy and surgery is to help their body more closely match where their brain already is."

"It doesn't matter which sex organs you have, it's whether estrogen, or androgen, which is converted to estrogen in the brain, masculinizes the brain during this critical period," says Dr. Lawrence C. Layman, chief of the MCG Section of Reproductive Endocrinology, Infertility and Genetics in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. "We have found variants in genes that are important in some of these different areas of the brain."

Facts and the truth matter, whether there are people who bother to learn about them, or not. You will find more information about this at the following link. 

I understand this may not help when you are being bullied, or marginalized, or others try to "make you go away". but please know there are those of us who do learn the facts and the truth and who will love and accept you as you are for the amazing people you are. Please know, while there may be times when it feels like you are alone, you are not. There are people like me who will stand with and for you.

So, once again I want to send you my virtual "hug" for today - You matter. You deserve to be loved and are loved - I love you! You make our world a better place - we need you in this world. I hope you have people around you who tell you these things, but if not, please let me be someone who does. Yes, I said this yesterday, but these words are true and will always be so. You will find the video for this post at this link.