Gransnet forums

Chat

Are gay/transgender people being ‘made’?

(5 Posts)
Artdecogran Wed 19-Feb-20 17:25:37

This is not intended to be a sexist, homophobic or negative post at all. I have been wondering about the seemingly sudden increase in people wanting to change their sexual orientation and the apparent increase in people ‘ turning’ gay in their later years.
Years ago there were reports in the press about female hormones being found in the drinking water supply courtesy of the pill. I also seem to remember that plastic drinking bottles were capable of changing hormones as well. As virtually all foods, ready meals and drinks are now in contact with plastic are we all being affected? Surely this contact with chemicals must be affecting us in some way not yet acknowledged? Love to hear your views. Again I repeat this is not a nasty post against anybody.

Ilovecheese Wed 19-Feb-20 17:42:11

I think it is more to do with what is socially acceptable. In Roman and Greek ancient civilisations it was very common for men to enjoy sex with other men and boys, and was perfectly accepted at the time. That can't have been as a result of female hormones in the water. Since those times it became less acceptable or even criminal to admit to same sex relationships, this has only changed fairly recently in historical terms.

Wanting to change sex is a different matter, and I don't have a theory for that one.

M0nica Wed 19-Feb-20 17:49:19

The pressure of social conformity, meaning that for men homosexuality was criminal, transgender people having no vocabulary for themselves, plus the deep fear of social exclusion, meant that most people who were not heterosexual hid it away.

For women it was easier, two female friends living together, was quite common and no one read anything to it.

I remember, as a child, a single professional men, living locally and well liked went to some German spa resort every summer for his holiday. Always alone. Now I look back on it and wonder whether he was gay and this month was his chance to be accepted as homosexual and live a congenial gay life.

Chestnut Wed 19-Feb-20 17:53:28

I have heard about the female hormones Artdecogran and it seems unclear about whether they can cause problems. All those contraception pills are going into the water so could they be affecting people? There is no agreement on whether this could harm humans but the effect on fish is alarming.
From the Scientific American:
'One of the common culprits is oestrogen, much of which is inadvertently released into sewers through the urine of women taking birth control. Studies have shown that oestrogen can wreak reproductive havoc on some fish, which spawn infertile offspring sporting a mixture of male and female parts.'

Chestnut Wed 19-Feb-20 18:00:07

Here's an interesting article re hormones:
Environmental Health Perspectives
'The authors concluded that their findings provided strong evidence that the feminisation of fish in UK rivers is related to both anti-androgens and oestrogens. They say that the identity of these anti-androgens is not yet known.
The authors also conclude that this evidence may add support to the theory that hormone disruption in humans and fish can be caused by similar chemicals.'