Does the True-self exist, are we born with it or is it formed as we grow?

[Jo_Culprit]

Hi all,

I've been reading a lot of research, personal opinions and conjecture about the nature of being transgender recently. I'm trying to get a better grasp of what a average transgender person feels about their gender, this is interesting to me because in my life at least sometimes I find if difficult to comprehend caring about my gender because it doesn't feel tied to my identity.
There's been a persistent phrase that I find pops up a lot when people describe being transgender, this is people talking about the identity of their core-self or true self. After reading a lot it actually sounds like people referring to souls. If anyone knows a study done of transgender people, surveying what they feel is the origin of their gender please send me a link.

With regards to someones true-self, core-self (or soul I guess) do you think this exists from birth or it's something we grow into? I'm finding a lot of criticism in the scientific literature about a having a truly accurate subjective interpretation of the self that can be demarcated from the interference of environmental suggestion :/

Are there transgender people that staunchly don't believe in souls but believe in just a biological distinction between the gene expression/structure of the brain and the rest of the body?

Also, what do you guys think of the theory I've seen occasionally that being transgender is a part human group/social evolution. Where it would develope more prominently with populated urban areas where immediate survival needs are taken care of and thus group cohesive needs are expressed with our genes by gender becoming less binary?