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The science of gender incongruence, also known as transness, is an important subject matter that is in need of scientific rigor. We need this imminently. Too many uniformed, unscientific, and fear-based concepts on this matter are ruling the public discourse. Regardless of the scientific reasoning behind trans people’s existence, ignorance surrounding the matter needs to end.
This research project includes preprints for each article. You can find these scientific presentations as PDFs linked to the content. The articles clearly explain everything for those who aren't scientifically inclined.
Daphne
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Science does not yet have a simple answer—and that may be because there isn't one.
This seven-part research series examines what genetics, hormones, epigenetics, neuroscience, body perception, developmental biology, and autism research can actually tell us about gender incongruence. Rather than searching for a single “transgender gene,” hormone, brain region, or developmental event, the series asks a harder question: How might many layers of human development interact to produce the gendered self?
The evidence points toward biology, development, experience, and the brain—but repeatedly resists simple cause-and-effect explanations.
That uncertainty is not a failure of science. It is where the science becomes interesting.
These articles translate the research into ordinary language: what scientists have discovered, what they have not, why the distinction matters, and what experiments could finally move the field closer to an answer.
The Science of Gender Incongruence
Genetic Contributions to Gender Diversity
Prenatal Endocrine Organization and Gender Development
Epigenetics, Prenatal Environment, and Gender Incongruence
The Neurobiology of Gender Incongruence
Body-Self Modeling, Interoception, and Gender Incongruence
Autism and Gender Diversity: Association, Shared Development, or Ascertainment?
Artificial-intelligence systems, including ChatGPT and Grok (xAI), were used as research-assistance tools during development of this manuscript for literature discovery, source comparison, conceptual organization, mathematical formalization, methodological criticism, quantitative approximation, and drafting assistance. AI-generated propositions were not treated as empirical evidence. Claims forming the evidentiary basis of the manuscript were checked against scholarly sources where available. Responsibility for the final arguments, interpretations, and any remaining errors rests with the author.