When I read the article the first thought that came to mind was: WTF? Here's a snippet:
CHICAGO (AP) - A small but growing number of teens and even younger children who think they were born the wrong sex are getting support from parents and from doctors who give them sex-changing treatments, according to reports in the medical journal Pediatrics.
It's an issue that raises ethical questions, and some experts urge caution in treating children with puberty-blocking drugs and hormones.
An 8-year-old second-grader in Los Angeles is a typical patient. Born a girl, the child announced at 18 months, "I a boy" and has stuck with that belief. The family was shocked but now refers to the child as a boy and is watching for the first signs of puberty to begin treatment, his mother told The Associated Press.
WTF is wrong with us? Are we all collectively taking a ride to hell in a hand basket? An 8 year old second grader wants to become a boy? Didn't we used to call that a tom-boy and the girl dealt with it? What the hell is going on? Or, maybe, is it....
You know what, f**k it. If I had a 5 year old who wanted to be the opposite gender to that which they were born, I'd deal with it the ol' fashioned way: a slap upside the head and told to deal with it and get on with it. Sheesh. Enough already.
WTF is wrong with us? Are we all collectively taking a ride to hell in a hand basket? An 8 year old second grader wants to become a boy? Didn't we used to call that a tom-boy and the girl dealt with it? What the hell is going on? Or, maybe, is it....
There is nothing wrong with us and there are many examples in history. Thank goodness this stuff is in the open and we are getting to grips with it. Read the story of Chely Wright who had a miserable childhood and adolecence until she realised that she was gay. When she finally plucked up the courage to tell her father he said 'You're my child and I still love you'. That takes courage from both sides. Chely was ostracised by the US Country scene (she's a country singer-songwriter) and as a result has set up a gay and lesbian organisation for people just like herself.
I repeat - there is nothing wrong with us but unfortunately this stuff is often blown out of all proportion by people who should know better. Let's just let everyone get on with their lives the best way they can and give them love and support when they need it and privacy when they want it.
Oh stop it. Stop it now. I'm not talking about homosexuality and "coming out of the closet" and being open about it.
I'm talking about teens, and pre-teens, deciding that they really don't want to be the gender they are and change it to the other. This has nothing to do with being gay and all to do with madness. You're going to tell me that an 8 year old knows enough, is mature enough, to make a decision on gender change? If so, then I say give the 8 year old the legal right to drink and, while we're at it, give the 8 year old a rifle and get his arse over to Afghanistan.
You know what, f**k it. If I had a 5 year old who wanted to be the opposite gender to that which they were born, I'd deal with it the ol' fashioned way: a slap upside the head and told to deal with it and get on with it. Sheesh. Enough already.
I'm with RGB on this one--a couple of good smacks and a reminder that, at 8, the child doesn't get to decide. This thread, like the continuing saga of DSK on the nearby thread, are examples of The Continuing Pussification of The Western World or, more accurately, the lack of any moral or ethical compass and a supine desire "not to judge", just when judging is called for.
One wonders how these children came to these conclusions.
Probably wanting to copy their peers.
Reminds me of a furious mother of an eight year old when inhalers were the 'in thing'. Her daughter had gone to a party and the host had told the mother that they all spent a lot of the time looking for the 'puffer' that her daughter had lost.
The anger was down to the fact that the girl didn't have one to lose in the first place, but wanted to be part of the scene.
I suspect I may be one of the few regular contributors to this forum who has someone in their (extended) family who has changed gender, so I have first-hand experience of this matter.
First of all I totally agree that the idea of children being allowed to make this sort of decision is highly dangerous. At that age they are incapable of understanding their own bodies and sexuality to the extent that they could make a life altering decision like this.
In my relative's case, he grew up as a fairly normal boy, but as he reached puberty began to realise there was something wrong. For some years he lived as a gay man, but knew that wasn't the answer, and finally in his late 20s entered on the long road to sex-change, which took over two years to complete. For the last ten years she has been living as a woman, which she is, other than the inability to bear children. She was fortunate in that as a man she was a slightly-built 5'5" with size 5 feet (UK size) so she doesnt look like a man in a dress. The only odd thing about her is she is a very good driver and a competent motor mechanic
Gender reassignment isn't a joke or a fashion statement, it can quite literally be a life-saver for those very few people who find themselves trapped in a body of the wrong sex.
I, and I strongly suspect, RGBrock1 were brought under parents who made abundantly obvious that following our parents' dictates was not optional and failing to do so would be painful. We are both self-sustaining, responsible adults, former serving members of our armed forces and (mostly) happily married. I don't think our opinions are that far out.
Get real you lot. Since when has Nature been perfect. There is ample medical research to suggest that many are born with indeterminate sex, a mix of both genders or the brain of one and the body of the other. It happens.
I believe I was born intersexed. A paedriatric surgeon, in an interview about how they choose what sex a child should be, commented that sometimes external environmental aspects played a part. He said that towards the end of WWII and afterwards as the country was going to be short of men all intersex children were surgically altered to make them boys.
By the age of fifteen my parents had initiated moves to get me into the military, stating that "This would make a man out of me", obviously needing such. It took me half a century to get over that cure, with numerous attempts at taking my own life. The surgeon who carried out my gender realignment surgery said there was evidence of atrophied female organs inside. So make of that what you will.
I wouldn't even attempt to make any judgement on others so disposed especially the young. There is nothing new about it. Just watched a DVD of Spitfire Women, the story of the Air Transport Auxiliary in WWII, where one of the pilots is recounted as stating that she believed herself to be man in a woman's body.
Well, but as often - there are true problems and 'copycat' ones, like with everything that is hard to determine 100% (unlike a missing leg that's really obvious). And people who would do anything for their 15 seconds of fame. For these RGB's cure could work well.
Location: A civilised little County..with a bit of eccentricity to boot
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TTN 's post is both informative and forthright concerning a topic most of us, as he says, know little about.....
The ability of child to articulate their emotions with regard to latent sexuality is clearly limited, however, the views expressed on the NHS site below are interesting in that (a) they become aware at an early age and (b) public awareness is now increasing.....thanks in part I suppose to education and the internet....
Thus the "if you don't understand it, hit it" parenting.. philosophy advocated by the cousins ( on a par with the lap top clip....I am surprised they didn't suggest shooting the children as well ) is disturbing in many respects.
Genetics are , quite frankly, beyond our control as humans in the conception stage and, whilst most of us are fortunate to have no problems as such, there are those, through no fault of their own ( this is the bit that may confuse the closed minds brigade ) who do have gender related problems which can, and should be addressed to enable them to live a full life.
I seem to recal their was an idealogy which also felt that genetics had a certain relevance to conformity....the prime criteria in this case being blonde hair....
Anything I've ever read or heard on the subject seems to indicate that the person concerned recognises it in themselves at a very early age and it never goes away. Given the nature of society and families this was usually suppressed until later, sometimes completely.
So obviously times have changed. Children are saying it and their parents are listening. To be honest it's not something to be wished upon anyone. So it's got to be tough for all concerned.
I have two boys, fortunately neither demonstrate an inch of gender confusion, except that the youngest has a slight predilection for pink. Both are mightily offended if you call them girly though. The five year old is also proof positive that sexist pigs are born not made considering some of the statements he's made already! I think he's reincarnation of some unreconstructed old git from the fifties!
i take RGB's point. at about 8 my nephew decided he was allergic to nuts, which of course he wasn't nor ever had been. No you're bloody not just eat it, was part of the remedy to this 'affliction'.
As TTN and alisoncc point out, gender identity problems that require corrective surgery or not are problematic for the person and is also a separate issue from homosexuality. it does need help, counselling and treatment which is a long road, but the situation of banding everyone into a box with an affliction from gender identity to ADD, ADHD is frankly counter productive. such an issue as gender identity needs to be dealt with on a personal level with the individual concerned rather than treat them as a conveyor belt 'problem' with a nip here and tuck there, bob's your auntie, next please ! attitude.
philosophy advocated by the cousins ( on a par with the lap top clip....I am surprised they didn't suggest shooting the children as well ) is disturbing in many respects. 
