Transgender Children Under Ten Years Old?

[dave50]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-32037397

How can they possibly know for certain at their age? They are nowhere near puberty yet. The whole thing is ridiculous.

[ToraToraTora]

I just don't believe that happens at that age JTH, this is all about attention seeking parents.

[jim360]

Believe that if you will, TTT -- it's complete nonsense, but we'll gloss over that.

[Mamyalynne]

Lots of things would have happened in the past, the children would have been told not to be silly , or may have been thrashed and some even classed as mentally unsound and institutionalised.

To think that anything connected with the human mind/body is new is just not the case.

[jackthehat]

You'd rather damn a child than concede that these might be loving parents doing their best under difficult circumstances?

[Peter Pedant]

I dont know what the answer is either

the difficulty is that I am not sure if the 'so called' experts do.
They got it badly wrong fifty y ago
( for intersex children - chop everything off and raise as a girl ... )

[tonyav]

Apparently bathrooms have become a battleground for transgender kids.
http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/us/bathrooms-have-become-a-battleground-for-transgender-kids/ar-AAasjps

[Hypognosis]

Incidentally, I happen to think that gender roles are still assymetric. To whit:-

i) A woman becomes accomplished at a sterotypically 'male' role: is roundly praised by one and all; gets unlimited support from the sisterhood

ii) A male displays the slightest sign of 'sensitivity' and their mates rip the micturations out of them for ever afterwards.

Basically men have not the slightest desire to 'break into' a multiplicity of female roles and they'd be treated as a joke by their peers if they ever did. I hesitate to say certain job titles are "women only" but, for the sake of argument, pretend such places exist.

[Peter Pedant]

I just don't believe that happens at that age JTH, this is all about attention seeking parents.

if you meet a few - then it is obvious early on it is NOT about attention seeking parents...

[ToraToraTora]

I'm not damming them, thier parents are damming their own children to a life of misery and bullying by these silly attention seeking charades.

[gness]

No....you didn't answer, TTT......you gave an incorrect opinion....but you didn't give the answer to what has changed.

You could do with meeting a parent to see just how attention seeking they are on this.

[ToraToraTora]

"you gave an incorrect opinion" - there is no such thing.

[gness]

You have an opinion......that's what you think has happened....you told us.......you are wrong.

[ToraToraTora]

an opinion is just that, right or wrong doesn't come into it. My opinion is what I stated earlier, your opinion, that my opinion is wrong, is wrong, in my opinion.

[ToraToraTora]

are all opinions wrong unless they are from the list of the liberal elite standard issued opinions?

[Retrochic]

I'm sure there are children who believe very early on they should be a boy -this is transgender, NOT transsexual behaviour. However, many 'naughty ' kids who have inadequate discipline in their lives all of a sudden become ' ADHD' because the parents can't cope with a 'naughty' child but can cope with a child with 'problems'. I'm sure this will become the same thing and parents will pander to their child's whims, instead of ignoring the behaviour. yes -ignore -don't chastise,don't dwell, don't take to a 'transgender' clinic, just say 'thats nice dear we'll see how you feel when you are a bit older.' When I was 10 I wanted to be a boy because they had nicer toys and were allowed to do things I wasn't - heaven help us if I was a kid now saying those things, I'd be carted away for chemical gender transformation and given counselling -when all I really wanted was a mini moterbike and a few action men.

[gness]

I think you have now seen the error of your ways, TTT......and picking me up to get away from the subject.....☺....that's fine.....but there is no shame if you want to say....sorry....I got it wrong.....Gx

[Hypognosis]

I didn't see the Theroux programme, so I am curious about a few points

i) Are these kids being "homeschooled"?
(by which I mean "is their life experience limited to the 'bubble' of just the home and close family/do they mix with other kids (m/f))

ii) Are they growing up in an environment lacking a father or alternative male role models?

Sorry if this appears sexist but they are yes/no situations which I'd like the facts on - to eliminate possibilities, if nothing else.

Have any of you seen (the movie) Zelig?

[jim360]

If your opinion is that these particular parents are attention-seeking whatevers then it certainly is wrong, TTT. It's been established by, e.g. the efforts to protect anonymity. No attention-seeking there.

My recommendation is that rather than stand to one side and pre-judge you either a) make an effort, or at least take an opportunity if it presents itself, to really get to know such parents/ children/ families, and perhaps personal experience will help alter your perception, or b) just accept that you haven't the first clue what you're talking about.

[Old_Geezer]

They may feel they would prefer to be the other gender but I question as to whether allowing a reassignment is wise at that early age. I'd have thought after puberty and preferably after reaching adulthood was a better decision time. By allowing it early the individual is going to be more desirable of making a change that they may not opt for if they accept their actual gender and make a go of it.

[Mamyalynne]

In the programme this week , most of the youngsters were from two parent families and most went to mainstream school too.


I saw that each case was very different indeed and in one case the child was happy to be either boy or girl to please Dad or School etc - it didn't seem to bother them.