# Transgender Child - Your Thoughts?



## SeaBreeze (Feb 28, 2013)

This is the story of a 6 year old child who was born as a male, but had strong feelings of being a girl.  The parents have supported her wishes, and have been dressing her as a girl, etc.  I think it's good for the parents to do this, because forcing the child to dress as, and act as a boy, can do more harm than good.  

Everything was fine, until the school decided not to allow the child to use the girl's restroom, since the child had male genitals.  They offered that the child could use the nurse's station restroom, or other non-gender specific restrooms.  The parents have filed discrimination charges against the school, and I think they pulled the child from school and are now home-schooling

Lots of talk on radio shows about what's fair and what isn't for this child...and pro and con opinions about the parent's charges filed.  I've heard that there is a lot of concern from parents with female children in the school, they don't want their kids using the same facilities as, what they still perceive to be boy.  This would also become a bigger concern, when the child started reaching puberty and maturing physically.

I'm not sure, but I'm thinking that if I was the mother, I would accept that the situation is unique in the school, and just let my child use the restrooms that not for girls only.  What do you think? http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/27/us/colorado-transgender-girl-school/index.html


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## TWHRider (Feb 28, 2013)

That is such a sensitive subject, involving a very young child, that I have no thoughts.

It is one of those issues that I would have to be "walking a mile in the mother's shoes" to have a thought.

One can only hope the child doesn't suffer life-long trauma from the stigma that goes along with this subject.

I often wonder just how well Chastity Bono, now Chaz Bono, really is dealing with his transgender situation, now that his gender surgery is a few years down the road.


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## SifuPhil (Feb 28, 2013)

To my (possibly out-dated and surely non-PC) way of thinking "transgendered" means the preference for _identifying_ as a certain gender, regardless of anatomical features.

To use a school restroom, one should be required to have the necessary and traditional parts. Therefore, Coy should be using the *boy's* room.

Look at it this way - what percentage of the total population is transgender? According to a study from last year, it's 0.3%. Does this mean that we have to make everyone ELSE uncomfortable to accommodate this 0.3%, simply because it's the currently "in" thing to do? How far do we have to go to please these minorities?

We have the following breakdown of the U.S. population, from the same study:

- 1.1% Lesbian (female)
- 2.2% Bisexual (female)
- 1.4% Bisexual (male)
- 2.2% Gay (male)

That's a total of 7% of the population that identifies as lesbian, gay or bisexual. Add in the 0.3% transgendered, and even in THAT small population they're statistically insignificant.

Frankly, I'm tired of all the hubbub over LGBT "rights". It's been shoved in my face (metaphorically speaking) since high school, and although I agree with EQUAL rights I don't believe in giving SPECIAL consideration - over and above equality - for one's own mental and/or biological preferences and/or imperatives.


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## SeaBreeze (Feb 28, 2013)

TWHRider, I think that filing a charge by the parents, is putting the child in the spotlight, and will likely be the cause of more trauma or bullying.  To just have said, okay...using the boys room is out dressed like a girl, because the boys may beat her up.  Using the girl's room with boy genitals, is causing too much discomfort for the girls and their parents.  Great if everyone always stays in locked, closed stalls, but you can't be guaranteed of that.  So...easiest thing for the time being, without causing too much fuss for the child, is to just use the nurse's toilet, or other accepted ones.

I saw Chas Bono the time he was on dancing with the stars, he looked sad to me, but that's hard to judge.  As a young Chastity, she also looked sad, rarely smiled.  It must be a tough life to be confused like that, and not accepted by many people, and definitely bullied by some.  Chas did seem to have a nice woman with him, that I think lived with him and they were going to get married, so that's nice.

SifuPhil, she can't use the boys room, without being taunted and beat up, you know how boys can be...especially when a couple of bad apples get them all going.  I agree that major changes should not be made to accomodate these minorities, that's why if I was the mother, I think I would just accept that they wanted to work with her, and not demand anything, and file charges.  I know, way back when, if my mother knew that there was a boy being allowed to use the girl's restroom in my school, she would've went beserk.


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## SifuPhil (Mar 1, 2013)

SeaBreeze said:


> SifuPhil, she can't use the boys room, without being taunted and beat up, you know how boys can be...especially when a couple of bad apples get them all going.  I agree that major changes should not be made to accomodate these minorities, that's why if I was the mother, I think I would just accept that they wanted to work with her, and not demand anything, and file charges.  I know, way back when, if my mother knew that there was a boy being allowed to use the girl's restroom in my school, she would've went beserk.



I agree that "boys will be boys" (actually this thread puts the lie to THAT piece of wisdom!) and that using the nurse's facilities would probably be best - FOR NOW. I'm just wondering what will happen when the transgender population starts to explode.

I also agree that the mother is wrong in pressing charges - I get the sneaking suspicion that she's just looking for a payday, and I don't mean a bunch of nuts covered in chocolate ... 

Hey, if I could go back in time I'd bring a lawsuit against the female doctor I had as a kid - I was traumatized for life by having a strange female examine my naked body. To this day, whenever I see a woman dressed in white I have the strong urge to drop my pants and say "AHH" ...


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## pchinvegas (Mar 1, 2013)

This is a hard one to call. As far as the restrooms, girls restrooms have stalls and privacy so using the Girls Restroom is not a problem for me.
I have to wonder, how does the school know the gender of this child's genitalia, guess the parents decided to share that. Like they decided to put this 6 year old in the spotlight, maybe for profit, maybe for fame or notoriety. Either way, the child will pay the price with ridicule and misunderstanding. Good going parents.
We have a child in our neighborhood kinda in the same spot, but no media awareness. She is 12, dresses like a boy, she even sounds like a boy and is built like a boy.  She is being raised by her grandparents and they seem fine with letting her go the way she feels. My granddaughter of the same age says "She's a girl but she's a boy " .  
How would I deal with this ? I do not know. I guess you just gotta love them, listen and support.
I don't feel like the rights of people who are different are being forced on me. I am a very to each his own type of gal and I respect the right of every adult to do as they please as long as it's with another adult. I think we are in an era of awareness where bi, gay and transgendered are concerned. People are more open to be who they are, certainly here in Vegas, they are and I'm okay with that.
I think if I were this child's parents, I would do all I could while she is young to change her gender permanently so she could live her life in the right body. Maybe that's why they decided to go public, I hope so.


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## Ozarkgal (Mar 1, 2013)

SifuPhil said:


> We have the following breakdown of the U.S. population, from the same study:
> 
> - 1.1% Lesbian (female)
> - 2.2% Bisexual (female)
> ...


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## SeaBreeze (Jun 24, 2013)

Update:  The Civil Rights Division has ruled in her favor, she can now attend the school as a girl without any discrimination...http://www.denverpost.com/breakingn...amily-celebrates-civil-rights-win-transgender


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## FishWisher (Jun 24, 2013)

Political correctness run amok - which will be the tag line for this period in history. They'll be laughing at us in the not so distant future. I'm laughing even now! Pathetic.


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## Anne (Jun 24, 2013)

My first thought is, *six years old*...Really???   Can a 6 year old make a final decision on what gender he or she wants to be for the rest of their lives????  Should the parents be going along with this to that extent??  I don't see anything wrong with letting boys play with dolls, etc. if they want to, but can't see going along with accepting that they are, or should be the opposite sex because they say so - at that young age.

How many of us were 'tomboys' and sometimes wished we were boys because they could do stuff we weren't supposed to...heck, they just plain had more fun!!  I do think, sadly, that the parents are exploiting this, and possibly hoping for some $$ or whatever, at the expense of the child, even though they might not realize what harm they could do.

These kids are going to grow up expecting special treatment whatever their lot in life, and parents like these are partly to blame....the rest is on society for going along with this craziness.  Where on earth is this stuff going to end???


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## SifuPhil (Jun 25, 2013)

/\/\/\  This. 

Perhaps the vital clue to this is in the first paragraph of Sea's original post - 

"The parents have supported her wishes ..."

Yeah, well, I wanted a _chainsaw_ when I was 6 and my parents *NEVER* got one for me! 

Parents are supposed to decide what is good for their young children, because those children don't have the faculties to decide such things on their own. If these parents truly feel that their 6-year-old is mature enough to know what they want for the rest of their life then more power to them, but I suspect they're just taking the expedient (read: lazy) way out.


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## That Guy (Jun 25, 2013)




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## SifuPhil (Jun 25, 2013)

Sorry, Guy - couldn't resist ...


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## FishWisher (Jun 25, 2013)

SifuPhil said:


> ...Yeah, well, I wanted a _chainsaw_ when I was 6 and my parents *NEVER* got one for me!




This sad memory explains so very, very much!   :eek-new:


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## SifuPhil (Jun 25, 2013)

FishWisher said:


> This sad memory explains so very, very much!   :eek-new:



I've managed to compensate a wee bit ...


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