As a child I was coddled by my grandmother. She seemed to be the only one that understood me after mother left.
I learned to sew, cook, knit, and talk about girly things. I had hair down too my waist and about 12ish grew curves to match.
Grandma understood I was 'born different', and was raising me the way I seemed to fit best.
All that abruptly ended when my father stepped in and decided to change things. Ballet went away as did piano lessons. Sports became my new world (I sucked at them). My curves were fought off with a visit to a sports doctor and testosterone treatments that lasted two years (curves still grew anyways).
I was taught that what I had was an embarrassment and needed to be hidden at all costs. I was born 'deformed' according to my father, and I would just have to find a way of hiding.
That new life prepared by father became my norm and what I lived under up until a few years ago.
Acceptance meant realising that I am still that long haired curvy little girl grandma was raising, and what my father prescribed was living a lie.
"While it is true that genetic and biological factors can play a role in shaping behavior, the environment also has a significant impact."
In my case being born without the normal male appendage was a significant aspect, the curves just compounded the 'biological factors'. The 'environment' around me as prescribed by my father only gave me a sense to 'lie to myself and those near to me'. Quite counter productive aspect of my upbringing.
I could have been like most children born with my condition and surgically 'fixed'. Raised a girl, and I might have never known. But my parents decided to leave things alone and try to mold destiny themselves.