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
Nick
I just don’t get these “studies” and their percentiles. It’s as if .01% more or less equivocates a reasoning to threat another as ‘less than’ in society and a cause celeb to not grant them equal protections under the law. Does it really matter if 10% or 2% identify?
Oops, may typos there… sorry
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Annie,
The GOP platform sits against LGBT Rights.
Individual Republicans may befine with voting ogr a gay candidate, however of those same Republicans, how many would vote to allow that candidate to get married?
Pretty soon people will be spreading the 10% lie about transgender. We were told for decades, as if it were actually true, that 10% of the population were homosexual. That lie became part of conventional wisdom, which wise people know is not wisdom @ all! Then came an exhaustive NHIS study. It found 96.6% people straight, 1.6% gay, .7% bisexual, and 1.1% “something else.” Of course, the gay community screamed, but they tend to do that a lot.
Based on that study, it would be safe to assume that 1.1% “something else” would include transgender and asexual people. Think about it, you probably know some asexual people. Judge Souter seemed to be one. I know something about this study. A woman who worked for me for years as a PI did interviews for this sensitive study. She also did interviews for a Fed study on alcohol/drug abuse. The govt. actually was diligent in hiring people w/ superb interview skills to get people to open up about these sensitive issues. They hired a real ace w/ the woman I know. She was a SUPERB PI who got info out of people that you would never expect them to give up.
http://www.salon.com/2014/08/20/the_conservative_parent_trap_why_i_love_seeing_republicans_have_gay_kids/
“A majority of Republicans say they’d be just fine voting for a gay or lesbian candidate, according to a new poll from McClatchy and Marist College. They’re less comfortable, however, when the issue strikes closer to home: Six in 10 Republicans say they’d be upset if their son or daughter were gay. Just over 20 percent say they’d be “very upset.
Ironically — or fittingly enough — having a gay kid is the best medicine for conservative parents scared of raising a sissy or a tomboy. The strongest predictor of attitudes about homosexuality is knowing someone who is gay or lesbian. Whether it’s fair or not, gay kids born into conservative families end up having to reeducate their parents.
In 1999, only 39 percent of Americans said they had a friend, family member or colleague who was gay. Today, that number has jumped to over 70 percent. Once you know a gay person, support for gay rights becomes a foregone conclusion: 12 percent of the McClatchy/Marist poll’s respondents also say they’ve switched from opposing gay marriage to supporting it.
Conservatives, and conservative parents, might be slower on the uptake, but as gays and lesbians become more visible — as friends, colleagues, sons and daughters come out — they will be forced to come to terms with gays in the same way the rest of Americans already have. They might not do so happily, but unless they want to get left behind, they’ll come around.”
Nick Spinelli
He had more balls, as it were, coming out as a Republican in Hollywood.
= = =
Wait till Bruce has fully transitioned. Then when we see him confront GOP leaders on the GOP’s platform against LGBT Rights, then you’ll see those balls.
I’m just sitting thinking of all the Republican heads that short circuited the other night. “Wa, da, faaa? A trans is Republican? Bruce?”
Juris
Max, I am guessing you meant “like men”
= = =
Meaning, I knew that I liked the male species and found the male species attractive… as a young boy in the late 60’s, what was I to do?
@Karen S
Some people say the brains of trannies are the same as non-trannies, and some say they are different. Sooo, who knows??? But I think about that the same way as I do about schizophrenics, where there appears to be discernible brain differences. For the rare true transsexual, what difference does it make if there is??? Medical science is not yet able to swap bodies for you. All that can be done is to alter the appearance of the body, but all the innate physical sexual workings down at the molecular level are still there. The hormones they have to take just suppress those natural workings, but they come with their own bad side effects. Sooo, for the time being the best answer looks like, “just learn to live with it.” Medical science just can’t fix everything that goes wrong with people.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
I think we are beginning to see that transgendered people are not all that rare. I’ve heard some people claim that because LGBT percentages are low in the general population, that somehow it’s not imperative they have equal rights on par with the rest of society. No matter how small the minority, civil rights can’t be diminished, based on the number of people in the minority.
Laverne Cox: Bruce Jenner a ‘profoundly nuanced, complicated, beautiful human being’
While an interesting conversation, how is it remotely on topic?
@Bob Stone
I expected no less from the Pansies For Plato crowd. They were, and continue to be, rabid, frothing-at-the-mouth partisans, who are either (1) severely brain-damaged from the constant denial, or (2) just out-and-out manipulative liars. I think like with false memories, if you hold onto a bad opinion long enough, it plants itself in your brain, and you can’t see anything else. Which would mitigate in favor of choice (1). Or, in favor of (2), they know they are wrong and just don’t give a damn, because they only care about winning. Like Harry Reid.
@Olly
Yes, pandering is an attribute of both parties. Which is why I look at the roots of each party. Liberals want more government control of every aspect of life, and conservatives usually want less. Which makes conservatives less destructive.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Karen,
I had heard about that story after following the Pelletier’s nightmare and it is so outrageous that this is not page 1 material. If the American people cannot come to consensus on the most basic natural right’s of the mother and father then we are without hope.
Maybe there is more to this story that we aren’t being told, but we must ALWAYS begin from the right’s of the parents (People) and not the State. Otherwise, we have alienated ourselves from the natural rights that define us free human beings. We have turned a nation from one with a vision to secure life, liberty and property to one completely dependent on the State to determine what lives matter, who is granted liberty and who is allowed to have property.
The Constitution was designed to support the vision of the Declaration of Independence. It should come as no surprise that constitutional government is a thing of the past; we’ve grown this administrative state precisely because they do not accept the original vision. How many in this blog actually believe in inalienable rights?
rcocean, No, at Luigi’s in San Diego, it is not considered a topping. However, growing up in very Italian Ct. in the 50’s/60’s, mozzarella was considered a topping. And here’s the thing, my old man loved just a plain pizza, no mozzarella, sausage and then he would put GOOD parmesan on it. I liked that pie. But, the rest of the family wanted mozzarella. So, my old man relented and got 2 different pies. And, it was called Apizza, not Pizza in Ct. We ran into 2 young kids last night, in this very basic pizza joint, having their prom meal. It was so cool. I would have bought them a beer if they were older. Luigi came to the US @ age 23. He had good biz, but then Guy Fieri had him on his show. Now, Luigi has 2 places. But he REFUSES to Americanize. And, even young people can tell good pizza when they taste it. Americans can be taught, they are educable.
“There are a limited selection of toppings, and you cannot have more than 4 toppings on a pizza.”
That’s what Americans do. We Americanize things by making them bigger, more complex, and more expensive. But sometimes bigger isn’t better. BTW, is “cheese” considered a topping?
“Thanks for adding the video’s above. It is important that people understand that children are people, too.”
Beginning at what age? I ask only because we have a percentage of the population that believes children “up to 4 or 5-years-old can also be killed, because they are not yet “self aware.””
http://www.lifenews.com/2014/10/29/after-birth-abortions-college-students-increasingly-support-infanticide/
Oh, what could possibly go wrong when we remove moral absolutes from civil society?
Olly:
“If you want to change to a proven medical treatment for your child in MA. and CPS says no, well too bad, they will suspend your parental rights.”
Everyone should read this story, as well as that of the Pelletier’s. It is a slippery slope when we give government parental authority over our children.
http://healthimpactnews.com/2015/another-medical-kidnapping-at-boston-childrens-hospital-baby-seized-over-formula-disagreement/
Pogo:
“So, in GID (ender identity disorder) are there:
Genetically based systemic prenatal sex hormone differences that do not affect reproductive anatomy but alter neuroanatomy or connections? Where?
Sex hormone differences in the developing brain or respective CNS-limited hormone receptor defects? Which?
Abnormalities in the genes that interact with sex hormones to bring about sexual differentiation in the brain? Identify them.
Abnormalities of the neuroanatomic structures that underlie normative sex differences in gendered behavior?”
I’ve been interested about that, too. Because many years ago I recall reading a study regarding physical differences in the brains of gay and straight men. It was the hypothalamus, I think. The range of structural differences correlated with sexuality from straight, bi, to gay. I thought that was very interesting, and wondered if if was caused by genetics, exposure to xenestrogen at a certain developmental age, or some other spontaneous cause.
I would be curious to know if the same physical differences were present in a transgender brain, and what the similarities would be to body dysmorphia. Perhaps “transgender” encompasses many different causes, from psychological to physical, so identifying the cause would be crucial to deciding next steps.
I have seen some lovely transgender women who easily pass, but many others who have more trouble. And now I have The Crying Game stuck in my head.
Squeeky,
By the word “tyranny” I’m referring to:
“As usurpation is the exercise of power, which another hath a right to; so tyranny is the exercise of power beyond right, which no body can have a right to. And this is making use of the power any one has in his hands, not for the good of those who are under it, but for his own private separate advantage. When the governor, however intitled, makes not the law, but his will, the rule; and his commands and actions are not directed to the preservation of the properties of his people, but the satisfaction of his own ambition, revenge, covetousness, or any other irregular passion.” — John Locke
To wit:
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/417155/wisconsins-shame-i-thought-it-was-home-invasion-david-french
A great discussion between Bob Stone and Squeeky. Kudos to both. And, a return of the valuable commenter, Olly. A great thing to wake up to this morning. It’s all about the temperament and integrity of commenters. I have to ignore the inflammatory comment @ 10:12 to continue my nice groove. Seems trollish and unworthy of a comment from anyone. Ignoring trolls and people who have no respect for this blog or other commenters is the only way to go. If you feed them w/ attention, they grow fatter.