Transgender child to enter Florida school

[IrisHope]

Transgender child to enter Florida school Hassan Mirza, Gay.com UK
Wed Jul 12, 3:03 AM ET


SUMMARY: A transgender child in Broward County, Fla., whose parents say she hates having a penis will start kindergarten this fall as a girl.

A transgender child in Florida, genetically a boy, will be admitted to kindergarten this fall as a girl, the Miami Herald reported.


She's believed to be the youngest trans child admitted into south Florida schools, which have been praised for their accommodations toward transgender students.

more...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/po/20060712/co_po/transgenderchildtoenterfloridaschool

[jimmysgirl424]

Oh boy. Things could get really ugly for this kid when and if his/her classmates ever find out. Kids can be so cruel for pretty much no reason at all; I hate to imagine them having a reason like this. :(

[IrisHope]

It breaks my heart.

[IrisHope]

bump in the new forum

[maplekitty]

so...will they tell the other kids that she's transgender? or just go along with her being a girl and hope that none of the other kids catch on?

Jr. High and High School is one thing, but kindergarten is such a young age to try an explain this to kids and especially if they dont come from families that previously talk about this sort of thing.

[ejs]

Why is this even a news story? That child deserves some privacy.

[bluberry]

I can't believe that anyone believes the child. He's FIVE years old tops, how can they take him seriously? Plus, IMHO, "I hate my penis" is not a reason to change genders.

[IrisHope]

bluberry, I'm sure it's much more obvious/serious for them to take these steps.

[ignutzz]

I can't believe that anyone believes the child. He's FIVE years old tops, how can they take him seriously? Plus, IMHO, "I hate my penis" is not a reason to change genders.


From what I've gleaned over the years, most transgendered people knew from a VERY early age that they were "in the wrong body." Why should the child's feelings be invalid simply because of his age??

[maplekitty]

from the article:
Mental health professionals have diagnosed the child with gender dysphoria,

So obviously this is more than just the parents saying "okay, you hate your penis, now you're a girl". Seems they have taken her to be evaluated and talked with professionals about this.

[lawyerlee]

I can't believe that anyone believes the child. He's FIVE years old tops, how can they take him seriously? Plus, IMHO, "I hate my penis" is not a reason to change genders.
Is there some long history of children making up stories about gender disorders and getting professionals to diagnose them with gender dysphoria that I'm unaware of? And how is his age relevant to his diagnosis? I hope he'll be better off than lots of kids in the long run because they were able to determine what was going on with him rather than just blowing him off when something didn't seem quite right.

[ejs]

I know a little girl about this age who desperately wants to be a boy. For as long as she has been able to really communicate, she's expressed her desire to be a boy. She is one of triplets; she has a brother and sister.

She will only wear pants; she wants her hair cut short like her brother; she prefers stereotypical boy toys; she really wants a penis.

At present, her parents let her wear what she wants, cut her hair how she wants it, let her play with whatever she wants.

Who knows what they will do in the future.

If anyone thinks that kids make this up, they should spend some time with this girl so they can see how desperately she wants to be a boy.

[southerner]

ignutzz, You are correct. Features of gender identity disorders are recognized in children as young as 2 years old.

[suzubeane]

We are very close to a 10 year old who has what might be described as "gender confusion." We've known this kid since age 2; it's real.

[villanelle75]

How do schools handle issues like using the restroom? I guess Whit a person with a penis who wants to live as a girl, it isn't that much of an issue since any business is done in a stall, but with a girl wanting to live as a boy I would think this could be a huge concern. When they are older, how are things like gym locker rooms handled? I can't imagine there wouldn't be a huge uproar from some parents about their kids sharing a restroom or locker room with a person who genetically is a different gender.

BTW, I'm not asking these questions because I against allowing this or anything. I'm just curious about how some of the collateral issues that are created by the situation are handled.

[jnettie]

Maybe if the diagnosis is done at a young age, hormonal treatments or gender reassignment can be done early, before hormones take hold. A girl who wants to be a boy is still going to grow breasts, even if she doesn't want them.

[lml41981]

What a lucky child to have such a network of support. I knew a guy in college with gender dysphoria. His parents were wholly unsupportive. He joined a fraternity and had a long-term girlfriend hoping that it would make him feel more like a man. He ended up being kicked out of the fraternity when he told them about the gender dysphoria and he ended up cheating on his girlfriend with a man.

The only time I ever saw him happy was the time I caught him trying on my bras and skirts.

[Scooter]

Oh boy. Things could get really ugly for this kid when and if his/her classmates ever find out. Kids can be so cruel for pretty much no reason at all; I hate to imagine them having a reason like this. :(
I guess I see it differently. This is a biological condition. I really don't like the term gender identity "disorder" and I have a feeling that in the future the name & diagnosis will be changed as more research comes out.

As a biological condition, isn't it better to educate other children & their families? Isn't better to let them know that some children are born different than others, and we must learn to accept & appreciate our differences? I see it as an opportunity for learning, not as a shameful secret.