For the sake of this post, though, I'm going to assume that TGs are not mentally ill or making up gender identity disorder. As with gays and lesbians, it seems quite unlikely that so many people would "choose" to "fabricate" feeling so strongly that they are living in the wrong gender that they would be willing to undergo surgery, hormone therapy, not to mention scorn, discrimination and a host of other goodies from many people in society who are afraid and confused by them.
So, with this as the starting point, I give you some dude's misinformed rant.
There's a family in South Florida who has given their son permission to become a girl because "they are convinced that's the only way she'll be happy."
When he was two years Nicholas/Nicole Anderson (not his real name) allegedly told his mother Lauren "I want the fairy princess to come and make my penis into a vagina," he said.
Yeah. That sounds just like something a two year old would say. "Mom, I want a vagina!"
..."I would never want to force any person to be something they're not," says Tom Anderson, Nicole's father. "This is different from 'It's time to stop drinking chocolate milk from a baba' or taking away a blanket. This is the essence of the person."
A child learns what to be, what to say, how to act. If a little boy is allowed from an early age to wear heels and makeup and dresses is it really that much of a surprise that he/she might be conflicted about their identity? Obviously, these parents while going through the 'phases' described above, failed to properly explain the differences between boys and girls. Mrs. Anderson believes 'there's no reason to say no to a phase.' I disagree. This is child abuse.
Sounds to me like the Andersons simply wanted another daughter.
..."Told of the Andersons and their plans to enroll Nicole in school as a girl, Zucker says he's concerned that the Andersons have been swayed by an activist transsexual agenda and are ignoring the possibility that Nicole might simply be a troubled child.
Yeah, it's a possibility, but it's also a possibility that the kid is transgendered, knows it, and trusts his/her parents enough to tell them about it. If one accepts the claim that transgendered people exists, it seems perfectly reasonable that some children might know that they're TG at an early age. Plenty of gays and lesbians have mentioned over the years that they "always" knew they were different. Presumably being born into the wrong gender is something you'd notice early on, no?
And I also like how this lame-o concludes that the parents trying to listen (and yes, possibly indulge) their kid means that they must have screwed up when explaining "girls and boys are different". Please, teach me your telepathy secrets, master.
Now, is it a good idea to let your kid do whatever they want? No. But it's important to listen to your kids, too. It's possible the kid is indeed sick, but also possible that he/she is actually transgendered. Child abuse is beating your kid with a chain. Child abuse is breast-feeding them through third grade. Letting them dress themselves might be a lot of things, but even on its worst day, it's not child abuse. I believe Gender Identity Disorder exists, and from my POV, these parents aren't abusing their kid; they're doing the equivalent of paying attention to your child when they tell you that running hurts their lungs, or that eating grandma's food gives them hives. Man, if only I had been as lucky as this Kent guy's ideal parents- I wouldn't have glasses, would be gorging myself on chocolate milk and ice cream (paying for it with severe cramps and diarrhea, but whatever), and wouldn't know I had half a dozen undiagnosed learning disabilities.
Actually listening to your kids? God forbid.
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