We have previously discussed the issues surrounding decisions to raise children according to their non-biological sex at a young age. Now, a Massachusetts couple has decided that their five-year-old daughter must be a boy and has decided to raise the child a such. I will readily admit that I am not an expert in this field, but as a parent of four I find such a decision to be highly troubling and premature. A five-year-old child seems far far too early to make such an extreme change. Indeed, this determination was made a year earlier.
The child is now called Jack Lemay rather than Mia Lemay. The change occurred after, at age four, the parents took the child to a family therapy team which concluded that the four-year-old was transgender.
The mother, Mimi, insisted that what she saw as a “psychological burden that I don’t think anyone should have to deal with, especially not my child.” She said that the child began early on saying that she liked boy things and saying that she was a boy. The father, Joe, said that “he was showing real signs of a lot of shame and self-hatred.” Now, as Jacob, they say that the child is thriving.
They are indeed the parents and must act according to their best judgment for their child. However, as a friend, I would have strongly discouraged such a change at such an early age.
What do you think?
Source: CBS
davidm
You forget that I am a biologist. I go with the science.
= = =
Ok. Full stop in B.S. town. You make me lol way too much…
Paul C. Schulte
Airdog’s friend is 19. His need for granted permission has expired…
I think there probably are some people who sincerely believe that they are in the body of the wrong sex. The human mind is a very complex machine, and sometimes the wiring gets screwed up. See for example:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Mistook_His_Wife_for_a_Hat
or any description of various mental disorders. But in this country, over-diagnosis is common and is compounded by many other factors, including (but not limited to) these kind of parents, as stated by this blogger, who seems to come to these conclusions from a rather different slant. But, he phrased and framed this part of the problem pretty well, so what the heck! :
http://dirtywhiteboi67.blogspot.com/2014/05/transgender-kids-new-frontier-in-child.html
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
@Beldar
This is how I keep my calm:
<b<How Can I keep From Rhyming???
A Song by Squeeky Fromm
To The Sound of “How Can I Keep From Singing?”
With all the snark and insults foul, that haunteth all the comments!
The moderators interfere to lessen all the nonsense.
Through all the flame wars blazing here, the temperatures are climbing!
The steady beat of iambs throb, how can I keep from rhyming???
What though the trollers play their games, and tempt unwary posters,
It makes the course of discourse run, like broken roller coasters.
Yet through it all, there is a peace, not unperturbed by timing,
Keeps steady pace with rhythmic foot, how can I keep from rhyming???
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Here is Enya singing her version of the song:
It is tragic that so many transgender kids are committing suicide, but what was needed in many of their situations was acceptance and understanding. Alcorn apparently was despondent because his parents were not accepting of him. Bullying from other kids is listed as the main factor in Alesena’s case. Would Alcorn’s parents have been accepting of him if only he had been allowed to transition? It sounds as if they would not. Would the bullies suddenly started leaving Alesena alone if he had been allowed to tansition? Not likely — they might have even stepped up the bulling further.
Transition is not a magic bullet to happiness for those who are gender dysphoric. While data is somewhat scarce, some data suggests transgender people do well after transition, with suicide rates going down. On the other hand, there are also studies that suggest the transgender suicide rate post-transition is the same as pre-transition, and some studies show the suicide rate is higher post-transition.
These kids need understanding and acceptance from society, and unconditional love from their parents — and plenty of time and psychological therapy to help figure themselves out. They do not necessarily need to transition. They can make informed decisions whether or not to transition when they are adults — once they’ve seen what type of person they’ve grown up to be and are more equipped to make decisions and can understand the permanence and risks involved with synthetic hormone injections and body-altering surgeries. Until then, let these kids dress as they please and be involved in the activities they prefer — but don’t do anything permanent until they are at least out of their teens.
Such insanity promulgated by psychologists some of which are not to bright.
How much damage would be done to a child raised as the opposite gender.
This girl may never become the son the parents wanted.
This judgement should wait until puberty and see which sex the child acts like.
Maybe then it can truly be determined whether the child is male, female, gay or transgender, and not the parents possible mistake.
I personally know of a case where the parents insisted their 3 year old wanted his penis cut off because he wanted to be a girl. I raised a very large family, and at 3 years old a child is very unlikely to notice the physical difference.
From what I’ve read, sex reassignment surgery is NOT done done under the age of 16 at the youngest. Most places it’s 18.
“Further, most of the boys’ gender dysphoria desisted, and in adulthood, they identified as GAY rather than as transgender.”
Looks like childhood gender reassignment surgery is one way to get rid of the Gay community. Make them all binary at an early age. I keep hearing there are 50-70 different genders. So, why are we rigidly pushing children into only two of them?
*gender dysphoria*
Juris, as I said upstream and throughout the thread, I am conflicted on the young age of this child. I agree with those who have said to allow the child to dress and act as she wants, even if it means she won’t wear dresses or identify as a girl. I do however think that there are children who do have gender dysmorphia, it’s a real condition. I’ve read many publications now that say a child identifies his/ her own gender by the age of 3 to 5. I think the parents can stop short of changing this child’s gender identity so completely and just allow her to dress, act, play as she wants until or IF the time comes the child either does grow out of it, or continues to identify as a different sex, or shows signs of being gay, but happier with his/ her own gender.. Maybe another five years or so might be better.
Dont bully on the internet. Speak kindly of your friends and neighbors. Dont blow any dead rats on the way home.
Annie, just for the record, so you think the parents of this 5 year old are doing the right thing?
http://www.kusi.com/story/28767207/transgender-teens-commits-suicide-because-of-bullying
“SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – A disturbing trend in the North County. Over the last several weeks, two transgender teenagers have taken their own lives, pushed to the brink because of bullying.
The most recent suicide involved a teen found hanged to death.
Over 100 people showed up for a vigil at the North County LGBTQ Center for Taylor Alesena, the North County transgender teen who committed suicide last week.
Cause of death: hanging.
The teen was known for posting beauty secrets on the Internet.
Alesena’s friends said the teen was depressed over bullying attacks from students at the North County High School Alesena attended, something the teen discussed prior to committing suicide.
Several weeks ago, North County transgender teen Sage David also committed suicide.
In the days leading up to Alesena’s suicide, the following was posted on a social media website: ‘Everyone hates me … I hate myself.'”
http://myfox8.com/2015/03/26/nc-transgender-teen-who-was-named-high-school-homecoming-king-commits-suicide-at-18/
“CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A transgender teenager who was named homecoming king at a North Carolina high school died of an apparent suicide earlier this week, according to The Charlotte Observer.
The teenager was an advocate for the rights of sexual minorities, according to The Charlotte Observer. He often spoke of how difficult it was growing up transgender in Charlotte.”
Squeeky, Love the poem. I flipped between the Padres game and Stanley Cup Playoffs. I missed the Jenner money making interview. Do you think folks realize this is just about money? Smart ones do.
Nick – that family does not go to the bathroom unless they get paid.
Juris, Thanks also for putting in your personal experience. You have common sense, something some folks are sorely lacking.
Juris, I base my thoughts on facts. You see the personality disorders basing it on emotion. I base my thoughts on the personal experience of Camille Paglia and my experience coaching a girl who was an uber Tomboy ages 10/11 and is now a beautiful WOMAN. To ignore the age of this 5 YEAR OLD child shows people to be in the lower stanine on the bell curve, both intellectually and emotionally. There are some people who base their vapid comments and links on “how can I get the most attention.” These people care nothing of this blog or it’s owner. Narcissism gone wild.
http://nypost.com/2015/04/10/bullied-transgender-teen-commits-suicide/
“SAN DIEGO — A 16-year-old transgender girl who spoke on YouTube about being bullied at school in Southern California killed herself, a support group said, raising questions about what educators can and should do to support students who change gender identity.
“The fears that students have of transgender youth actually stem from adults,” said Dorothy Espelage, professor of educational psychology at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. “If you’re not going change the attitude of the adults, you’re not going to change the attitudes of the kids.””
http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/31/us/ohio-transgender-teen-suicide/
“(CNN)When Josh Alcorn voiced a desire to live as a girl, the Ohio teenager’s parents said they wouldn’t stand for that.
We don’t support that, religiously,” Alcorn’s mother told CNN on Wednesday, her voice breaking. “But we told him that we loved him unconditionally. We loved him no matter what. I loved my son. People need to know that I loved him. He was a good kid, a good boy.
“Please don’t be sad, it’s for the better. The life I would’ve lived isn’t worth living in … because I’m transgender,” the note said. “I could go into detail explaining why I feel that way, but this note is probably going to be lengthy enough as it is. To put it simply, I feel like a girl trapped in a boy’s body, and I’ve felt that way ever since I was 4. I never knew there was a word for that feeling, nor was it possible for a boy to become a girl, so I never told anyone and I just continued to do traditionally ‘boyish’ things to try to fit in.””
Well, speaking of Bruce Jenner, I can’t help but write an Irish Poem!
Hard Times Come Again No More???
An Irish Poem by Squeeky Fromm
There once was a fellow named “Jenner”
Who went to soprano from tenor!
‘Cause he had his eyes
On a new booby prize,
And he got it, but he ain’t no winner!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Note For ESLs: From wiki, “A booby prize is a joke prize usually given in recognition of a terrible performance or last-place finish. A person who finishes last, for example, may get a booby prize such as a worthless coin. Booby prizes are sometimes humorously and jokingly coveted as an object of pride.”
A booby is also a slang term for a woman’s breast.
Bonus: