I am very suspicious of a biological link here. For years, researchers have known that in mammals, about halfway through fetal gestation, male fetuses secrete a bit of testosterone which tells their brain that it is a male brain. If the brain does not receive that hormone, by default, it is a female brain.
Importantly, in human beings, this does *not* exclusively determine their sexuality, though in animals, it does.
However, it does help to establish personality masculinity and femininity, or in some cases, androgyny.
Researchers long ago decided to interfere with this process, to see what would happen. In *animals*, it dominated their gender behavior. The researchers both gave testosterone to female fetus brains, the resulting adult animal exhibiting male sexual behavior; and prevented it from reaching the brain of male fetuses, the resulting adult animal exhibiting female sexual behavior.
They even went so far as to permit testosterone to *half* the brain of animal fetuses, who then exhibited *both* male and female sexual behavior. Since it was an animal, it would try to mate with both females and males, thus it was bisexual.
So what is the bottom line? Again, unlike animals, this cannot make humans heterosexual or homosexual or bisexual, but it does, most definitely, influence their personality type and gender affiliation.
That is, interference with this process can result in more feminine males, who are still heterosexual; more masculine females, who are still heterosexual; or, based on other factors, may increase the likelihood of homosexual or bisexual behavior, at least as far as their feminine or masculine behavior as homosexuals. (”Pink” and “Blue” homosexuals.)
However, this matters to society, because there are agricultural and industrial chemicals that can have a blocking effect on fetal testosterone. For example, plant estrogens (plant hormone) are sprayed on plants to increase plant growth and to promote larger fruit. And plant estrogens are very chemically similar to mammal estrogens.
It has been known for a while that two foods that are naturally highest in plant estrogens are yams and tofu, and that females can increase their likelihood of pregnancy by consuming these two foods.
However, once pregnant, these two foods should not be consumed if the fetus is male, as that much estrogen could interfere with his masculine personality development, again, about halfway through the pregnancy. But other fruits and vegetables sold in stores also have higher than normal artificial plant estrogens, sprayed on by farmers to increase yield, and this adds to the total.
I use all of this as background to point out how factors like this might result in increasing numbers of cases like this elementary school student with confused gender identity.
Depending on the region and the artificial chemicals involved, and the diet of people in that area, it might be expected that there could even be clusters of students at a school, of feminine boys, masculine girls, or a general androgyny of both boys and girls.
This is not good. Though once again it is important to mention that, since human sexuality is far more complex than that of animals, it is unlikely that this will cause any increase in homosexuality or bisexuality, it will still result in much confusion and unhappiness.
Like an elementary student who wants gender reassignment surgery. That is just plain wrong.
This will be proven statistically, as in times past, there were very, very few people with gender reassignment issues; but today it is a much more common dysfunction. How common might be the product of additive chemicals in our diet.
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However, this matters to society, because there are agricultural and industrial chemicals that can have a blocking effect on fetal testosterone. For example, plant estrogens (plant hormone) are sprayed on plants to increase plant growth and to promote larger fruit. And plant estrogens are very chemically similar to mammal estrogens.
It has been known for a while that two foods that are naturally highest in plant estrogens are yams and tofu, and that females can increase their likelihood of pregnancy by consuming these two foods.
However, once pregnant, these two foods should not be consumed if the fetus is male, as that much estrogen could interfere with his masculine personality development, again, about halfway through the pregnancy. But other fruits and vegetables sold in stores also have higher than normal artificial plant estrogens, sprayed on by farmers to increase yield, and this adds to the total.
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Even more dangerous are the class of drugs called androgen blockers, which prevent androgen from attaching to androgen receptors on the cell surface. They prevent testosterone from entering the cell. Testosterone has to enter the brain cells to masculinize the brain.
Cyproterone acetate is an example of an androgen blocker that is a synthetic progesterone. Cyproterone was used in the animal experiments (rats, as example) to reverse the sexual behavior of male rats, to make them behave like female rats. Cyproterone is marketed in Europe, as Diana, which is used for treating female hirsutism (excess body hair).
Another progesterone of concern is Provera medroxyprogesterone, which is commonly used to induced menstruation or restore menstruation, when it has prematurely ceased. Provera is also used to stop abnormal bleeding from the uterus.
Other androgen blockers include finasteride, marketed as Propecia to treat female hirsutism. Another androgen blocker is spironolactone, marketed as Aldactone, used to treat high blood pressure.
Drugs, which are androgen blockers have black box warning about the danger of administration during pregnancy.
Non endogenous estrogens, as you have mentioned, are also of concern. DES, diethylstilbestrol has been linked to increases in lesbianism in the daughters of women, who were gived DES to prevent miscarriage. DES daughters also have an increase in the incidence of cervical clear cell carcinoma (fancy name for the type of cancer).
DES sons are not immune to problems. One of the observed effects is an increase in the incidence of transgenderism and transsexualism in these boys. There are also other problems in physical development.
An interesting element in the action of testosterone on the brain, is first it must be converted to estrogen, within the brain cells, for the brain to be masculinized. The conversion is done by aromatase, an enzyme in the cytochrome P-450 system.
The synthetic/nonendogenous estrogens do not bind to the alpha fetal proteins. Hence, they are free to enter the brain cells. They can cause a degree of masculinization of the brain in girls. However, they will probably interfere with the normal masculinization of the male brain.
The aromatase mechanism points to the dangers of another class of drugs, aromatase blockers. Conceivably, they can interfere with the masculinization of the male brain.
In all ways, the end result will be as you have said, a very unhappy and uncomfortable individual.
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This will be proven statistically, as in times past, there were very, very few people with gender reassignment issues; but today it is a much more common dysfunction. How common might be the product of additive chemicals in our diet.
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Granted there is more exposure to endocrine disruptors today, many of them are actually iatrogenic. However, one factor in an apparent incidence of transsexualism, is the fact medical treatment (including SRS) is now available. The individuals, who are afflicted with strong transgender feelings, now feel free to seek out physicians and surgeons for treatment.
I have read some old texts on human sexuality, and they mention some cases, which would, today, most certainly be considered transsexualism. One scenario, which happened frequently, was suicide by a male, who dressed in a wedding dress, before committing suicide.
The indication is those individuals were very unhappy, so discouraged, they committed suicide, to escape the pain.