Lately, the medical and psychological side of gender is being questioned, especially with the controversy surrounding the rights of transgender people. Obviously this is not a conscious choice as gender identity usually develops in early childhood and does not really change. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Interestingly, gender is actually socially constructed, at least to some extent: Boys and girls, from birth, are dressed differently, treated differently, and have different interests. Television, friends and books can consolidate or sometimes upset a child's gender identity: playing with gender identity is completely normal during childhood and actually serves to develop a gender identity during adolescence. However, there are biological differences between the sexes that play a significant role in the development of a gender identity, including verbal abilities, spatial reasoning, vulnerability to illness and injury, and emotional problems. The exact effect of these innate characteristics can be very difficult to quantify, but the biological gender differences are undeniable. This is not to say that any gender identity other than one's biological sex is invalid – to the contrary, there are people who are statistical outliers (hermaphrodites, androgynous) who often have difficulty developing a “normal” gender identity. These individuals as children tend to exhibit behaviors and interests that are not in alignment with their predominant gender and, likely, as a result, tend to have much higher rates of adverse psychological problems later in life. These same issues plague the transgender community, which has been severely disenfranchised by the psychiatric diagnosis of gender dysphoria, originally in the DSM-III. This has been both good and bad for sufferers, as it provides them with a legal basis for discrimination or hate crime lawsuits, but conversely, having a diagnosed mental illness can be harmful in legal circumstances. Given the strong genetic component of gender identity – which is linked to but not exclusively determined by biological sex – transgenderism and gender non-conformity are certainly not mental illnesses, but like homosexuality they are almost entirely genetic and should be widely accepted consequence. Unfortunately, people who have persistent gender identity issues tend to be at greater risk for mental illness, sexual deviance, and crime. It follows logically that, due to the ostracism, abuse, and invalidation they face from colleagues, doctors, and parents, these challenges are likely not the result of causing a non-biological gender identity, but are instead the result of the continuous struggle they face. This is a very difficult topic even for a sympathetic professional: is it okay to give hormones to children simply because they don't "feel" like their assigned gender? Should minors be allowed to undergo sex reassignment surgery? Should adults be allowed to do this, especially considering that biologically the male brain doesn't finish developing until nearly 30? While medical professionals validate the first condition, they do not offer a clear solution for society, nor do transgender people themselves: the only consensus is that we desperately need improvements. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers..