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March 02, 2005

The Logical Conclusion.

So.

If you're going to accept that gender dysphoria... that is, that thing that makes people uncomfortable with their chromosomal gender, and gets treated with gender reassignment... is a congenital condition, that has to necessarily mean that there are gender dysphoric children. Cuz, y'know, there would have to be.

Interesting. Something you don't usually think about.

I was considering this today because I have a friend who works with children. He's a grade school teacher, and the other day, he was telling me about a little boy in his class.

The little boy likes to pirouette like a ballerina, and he calls himself Princess Butterfly and Mr. Mermaid. Regularly.

Golly.

With all that in mind, I goofed off a little with Google and I found this, which is something that's just perfectly logical if you think about it, but somehow never even occurred to me as a possibility.

In a nutshell, gender dysphoric kids transitioning from one gender to the other while still in childhood, with the support of their parents and doctors.

I get the sense from the various articles that they're still not allowed genital surgery until they're much older, but they take hormones, dress as their preferred gender, and get their new names early on, which is fascinating. The guy-turned-girl at the top of the page is 26, which seems a little typical as transsexualism goes, but you can scroll down for nine and ten-year olds.

I guess those parents who say "I always knew he was different" weren't kidding.

You usually hear about transsexuals getting kicked out of their houses at 15 by hysterically weeping parents, not being driven to their pediatrician appointments by mom for a refill of Premarin. But I guess everything really does have its own bell curve.

Posted by Spike at March 2, 2005 01:45 PM

Comments

Actually, it's pretty common for transgendered people to realize their "condition" during childhood, but usually their parents will vigorously discourage them from acting out their desire to be the opposite sex. It's like homosexuality; it's not that most gay people hit college and suddenly prefer their own gender, but they most likely repressed those feelings as children because it was unacceptable to their family.

I've been meaning to post here for a while now. I guess the next step is registering for your forum. Why let spookable have all the fun?

Posted by spookable's other half at March 2, 2005 02:43 PM
68.210.250.187

Dammit, Spike! Stop posting such interesting links when I'm supposed to be working! ^_^
Now I've gotta double-time on these articles... BTW why no new L&O? And I think you should have a "Sassy Cavy" t-shirt made. I would so buy one.

Posted by scratch chickie at March 2, 2005 03:19 PM
4.10.169.16

YES! Sassy Cavy shirts for everyone!

Posted by L Jonte at March 2, 2005 04:20 PM
69.107.52.8

Sassy Cavy!

Posted by spookable at March 2, 2005 09:05 PM
68.210.251.85

It's not just denial, because people don't want it to be true. It's also that until recently children and parents just never thought of the fact that it was a possibility. So even very open and liberal people, given the opportunity, just wouldn't questilon the gender or sexual preference of their child. And the child wouldn't question his/her gender or sexual preference either.

Posted by Amy at March 2, 2005 09:48 PM
154.20.181.160

Do you read Dykes to Watch Out For? They're actually dealing with a transgendered preteen in there (Jonah/Janis).

Posted by Nick Fagerlund at March 3, 2005 11:59 AM
24.118.58.243

WOW. o_O After looking at those pictures, I am now 100% convinced that letting kids decide their true gender early early early is ethically solid. I don't think I've ever seen so many near-perfect transitions together in one place. What a fucking relief that has to be.

I guess hitting it before puberty is over makes all the difference.

Posted by Nick Fagerlund at March 3, 2005 12:15 PM
24.118.58.243

Yeah, and it's totally reversible until the Surgery so why not let them try it? Is my opinion, anyway.

Posted by scratch chickie at March 3, 2005 12:31 PM
4.10.169.16

Of potential tangential interest: http://www.livejournal.com/users/wookiepocket/ (you might have to scroll a bit). She's a femme-identified female who came across a wayward dose of T and decided "eh, what the hell," and then posted about it in her livejournal.

Posted by Nick Fagerlund at March 3, 2005 07:13 PM
24.118.58.243

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