Transgendered 7 year old?

Question

If you haven't seen, on cnn there is a news story on a transgendered 7 year old. After a while, I'm wondering.....you know there are Tom Boys, girls who till puberty or even shortly after dress like boys, act like boys, do boys stuff. I never heard of a boy into girls stuff, but I wonder if this could be that type of case. Once he's old enough or starts having feelings, if its go girls or guys will know the answer. Even Tom Boys become attracted to boys then they start acting like girls.

Answer 1

Hello Jason,
IF she has been diagnosed as a gender dysphonic by her psychiatrist, who are you or I to dispute that?
How well do you KNOW her?
What are your credentials to dispute that diagnoses?
ALL of the last ten years of research seem to indicate that Gender dysphonics really are what they have been claming to be for thousands of years now: trapped in the wrong body.
NOW that we have all the tools to do a proper postmortem and to Catscan a brain we now KNOW there is an anatomical difference between a male and a female brain… You can hand a med student a human brain and ask them whether it is from a man or a woman and by examining cretin structures the student can tell if it’s a male or female brain… BUT not always if it came from a man or a woman… Gender dysphonics really are a FEmale brain in a male body.
IF this child is in fact a gender dysphonic Should she be forced to live as something she has no idea how to be?
IF your child were to be born with a bad hart valve would you require he play football? Or have a surgeon in his chest to fix the problem?
Just something to think about
Hugs,
PennyAnn
Oh and BTW Gender dysphasia and sexual preference are two separate eschews. Who you are and who turns you on have little to do with each other.

Answer 2

Hm. Where to start?
Firstly, I hope the parents and family members are understanding and supportive. May they also get the help and support they need. They will need all the information out there to help the child out.
Secondly, the child should not be considering any form of transitioning till puberty hits, and that is when they will know for sure whether or not the child is transgendered and not because of some wishful thinking. In my own opinion, the earlier one deals with the transitioning, at the onset of puberty, the better the mental adjustment and the better the results from hormone therapy.
Thirdly, whom one is attracted to is NOT related to one's self identity.
Fourthly, the 'story' of two twin boys is true. Do a web seach using "John/Joan", and or "Dr Money/Dr Diamond". This factual story shows how one man's arrogance can destroy so many lives. We, as a educated as we can be, and are, cannot be complacent to think we know everything.
Lastly, I hope in this child's lifetime, there will be more understanding people, supporters, love and joy in being a human being, regardless of which path is chosen as long as it is not self destructive.

Answer 3

There was a question about this earlier today. I'll answer that the same way I did then:

I'm glad that the parents were actually accepting of their child's personal identification. However I think it may have been a rash decision for them to get a full transition at such a young age. There have been cases of people simply being "unsure" about how they identify themselves, and if this was the case.. Then there could be problems with the child later in life.

I don't know if the specific child in question was MtF or FtM, but it does get more difficult (either way) the older you get to have an "easy" physical transition to the opposite gender. I think this just proves that things like transsexualism or being transgender are not fake, nor are they mental disorders. People identify as their true gender at young ages very often.

Answer 4

I hope you will disregard the last answer. The story Tanja told is a true story, not a show from Law and Order. I read the WHOLE story about 20 years ago in a book from the medical section at my local library. I do know that the boy who was mutilated (almost entire p enis was cut off during circumcision) and had a sex change operation without his knowledge, did commit suicide. I never heard that his brother did, though.
And relax, everybody. This kid will not get hormones at the age of seven. At approx 12-13 years of age, this child will start taking medication to offset puberty. At about 16 years of age, she will start taking female hormones. I don't think you can find a doctor who will do the surgery before she turns 18. So there is plenty of time for her to be sure.

Answer 5

I don't know if this is the same kid that was in the recent Newsweek story, but it could have been. And there were others in the same situation, all pre-puberty.

I'm gay (with NO leanings to cross-dressing, let alone changing gender), and I, too, was shaken by some parents' willingness to "give in" to such very young kids ... but the kids were REALLY insistent!

As for your final sentence: No, when and IF Tom Boys become attracted to boys, they MAY start acting more "like girls." But not every (str8) man is attracted to the hyperfeminine type, you know!

Answer 6

Who told you that Tom Boys become attracted to boys later?

Besides simple because someone might appear gay, it does not mean with 100% certainty that they are.

Today's research shows that it is extremely likely, not definately.

From the people that i know, i have to agree with the facts that CNN showed. People are simple born gay, we might not know exactly how, but then again, we dont know exactly how some people are born left handed.

Edit: I disagree with the pervious post, that parents should supress and make the child feel shame about its sexual identity.

Parents should only do that if they want their child to start hating himself/herself, and i hope no parent wants that.

Edit 2: I also disagree with the post which follows mine:
The following statement is from the APA itself:

http://www.apa.org/topics/orientation.html

Is Sexual Orientation a Choice?

No, human beings can not choose to be either gay or straight. Sexual orientation emerges for most people in early adolescence without any prior sexual experience. Although we can choose whether to act on our feelings, psychologists do not consider sexual orientation to be a conscious choice that can be voluntarily changed.

Is Homosexuality a Mental Illness or Emotional Problem?

No. Psychologists, psychiatrists and other mental health professionals agree that homosexuality is not an illness, mental disorder or an emotional problem. Over 35 years of objective, well-designed scientific research has shown that homosexuality, in and itself,is not associated with mental disorders or emotional or social problems. Homosexuality was once thought to be a mental illness because mental health professionals and society had biased information. In the past the studies of gay, lesbian and bisexual people involved only those in therapy, thus biasing the resulting conclusions. When researchers examined data about these people who were not in therapy, the idea that homosexuality was a mental illness was quickly found to be untrue.

In 1973 the American Psychiatric Association confirmed the importance of the new, better designed research and removed homosexuality from the official manual that lists mental and emotional disorders. Two years later, the American Psychological Association passed a resolution supporting the removal. For more than 25 years, both associations have urged all mental health professionals to help dispel the stigma of mental illness that some people still associate with homosexual orientation.

Answer 7

I feel the same way previous posters do, it is great to have understanding and accepting parents but I don't feel that it is in good form to label a child so young. Everyone in my family feels that my son is a bit...effeminate. He enjoys sneaking into my makeup and nail polish, heels, shopping, and instead of pretending to play sports he enjoys pretending to be a hair stylist. He's also made comments about other boys being "cute". I don't think he means this sexually, I just think he hears us calling babies cute and doesn't quite understand but he has never said it about a female. Anyway, my point is I would never go as far to say that he is transgendered or gay. That is something he will have to figure out for himself, for all I know he is just trying to emulate me and once he gets older he will grow out of it. If not, I am very much okay with that but I would never label him or think that he is something unless he was old enough to tell me himself.

Edit: I agree with Lycrates 100%. A child should never be made to feel ashamed for the things he/she likes or dislikes or because someone feels they know what sexual orientation they should be. Being gay is not a choice but just like with anything else, children are impressionable and should be allowed to make their own choices. In other words, their parents should not tell him that he is transgendered because he likes to dress or act like a female. It may hinder his development in the long run, in my opinion. To me a seven year old should not even be worrying or knowing about stuff like this.

Answer 8

It can absolutely go both ways. "Tom boys" and "Mary girls"! However, it tends to be less obvious, as socially, a boy wearing a dress or the like tends to be tortured and ridiculed. So they express it more subtly.

Answer 9

Anything is possible....

Just like I was born straight...gay people are born gay.... and those that have gender issues are born with gender issues... time unfolds the truth of where life will take them.

Society has made being different unacceptable...so no wonder why people go into denial for years sometimes. I say...let them live as they were born to.

Answer 10

just got to say there is a big difference between transgender and tom boys