National Geographic’ just made history with its new cover--9 year Old Transgender Activist

--continued from above--

Everyone has a sense of being a boy/girl, man or woman (genders) that comes from above the shoulders, the soul and the spirit and not from between the legs. Being male or female (sexes) does come from "down there". For 99.4% percent of you, there is no difference between gender and sex so this is very difficult to picture, imagine or process but for those with gender dysphoria, these things do not align and as most of our thoughts, feelings and emotions do come from between the ears, having a body or external persona that doesn't match is quite a problem which is a gross understatement.. You don't have to be an adult to recognize this. I knew something was "wrong" in my earliest memories of self-awareness and I was driven to express it and change it or die trying. Being a girl socially and outwardly female physically was fundamental to my existence. Had it been possible, transitioning as a young child would have saved me incalculable pain, trauma and expense because that's how things ended up anyway.

For a bit of factual information about the treatment of gender dysphoria in young children, know this. Other than evaluation and counseling for a child and their parents by an inter-disciplinary team of professionals, at the earliest, no medical intervention takes place until the initial stages of puberty known as Tanner Stage 2 have been reached. At that time, GnRH analogues, commonly known as puberty blockers can be administered to do just that - delay puberty.

All these drugs do is delay the development of secondary sex characteristics. Imagine the horror of your young teenage daughter having a deep voice, angular muscles and facial hair or of your son developing breasts and curvy hips. Puberty blockers are usually given until a child is 15 or 16 before any irreversible hormone treatments are begun although rarely some do start HRT earlier. Decades of treating natal children with precocious puberty have proven these drugs are safe and effective and not shown to cause sterility. They have been used for transgender children for 20 years and in my study, no problems have been shown. Discontinuance of these medications allows the body to progress with normal natal puberty but that rarely if ever happens.

I've heard people say stupid things like "just wait until that boy that thinks he is a girl hits puberty - that'll fix him" but the sad fact is that this is practically unheard of in medical literature. If a child has been expressing cross gender identification consistently and persistently over time, puberty is only going to increase their distress. It sure as hell did mine even though I was a "late bloomer" and didn't suffer too many effects. (I've never shaved my face, for example)

Puberty blockers also allow more time, several years for a child to mature emotionally, additional time for evaluation and counseling and in most cases, allows parents a bit of breathing room to get a handle on the whole thing before any irreversible changes take place. The notion or belief that most transgender children change their mind or desist is a myth based on faulty research that included children that were gender non-conforming or atypical but not actually gender dysphoric. Other long term studies are currently underway but one renowned professional, Dr. Johanna Olson, of The Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, one of the largest gender clinics in the country, says she's never seen a properly diagnosed transgender child "change their mind".

It is easy to sit back and criticize parents for making their kids this way or for taking advantage of their condition but just as it would be very difficult to change your child's gender against their wishes, it is literally impossible to make someone transgender if they are not. Using generous numbers, of the maybe 50 to 100 transgender children in the public eye, there are thousands living quietly and privately just getting on with life. As far as those we do hear about or the stories shared by parents about their children, I can understand and empathize. When a person or family that is affected by something so statistically rare, there is a need to educate and advocate. For example, look how much more we know now about things like autism and pediatric brain tumors for example. It is by people standing up and sharing their stories, spreading knowledge and information to bring a greater understanding of these conditions. I myself feel a need to help educate and inform and why I have openly shared my own history with the good people of ATS that at one point in the past, were open minded and willing to learn new things.

So, some of the comments in this thread alone and others I've read and participated in my 9+ years of membership here indicate there's a long way to go before people stop thinking of transgender children as abominations and their parents as child abusers. I'm glad my mother is not still around to read some of this crap.

Not to put anybody down or throw them under the bus but please don't confuse transgender children, which is a diagnosable medical condition, with other kids we see today - the 57 Facebook genders, non-binary/genderqueer "transtrenders" and the whole gender neutral pronoun nonsense. They have a social problem and are the ones making all the noise causing all the problems. All this probably makes me crazier than you all? Transgender kids just want to be boys or girls, he/him, she/her and quietly and discretely pee in the bathroom that matches who they are as people. The ones that do speak up are just trying to make things easier for others.

In closing, I ask you all to have a little compassion for a very difficult condition and for the things these children and their families go through. As a parent, ask yourself how you would respond if you had a truly transgender child? Would you put aside your own feelings and beliefs, educate yourselves and love and support them and get the professional help they need or would you call them names, reject them and drive them to suicide? 67% of trans children in unsupportive homes seriously contemplate suicide. 54% will attempt suicide before the age of 20. In supportive families, those percentages go down to only slightly higher than normal - being trans is a hard thing no matter how you look at it. Please be kind.

ETA after reading all the posts I missed...

Blaire White? Seriously? She has said she doesn't even have gender dysphoria and seems to have no problem reminding everyone she has a penis. She is also full of crap about transgender children most of which will grow up to be transsexual and move on with life as normal men and women. Here's some good Blaire White fact checking:

originally posted by: burgerbuddy

originally posted by: Annee

originally posted by: seasonal

She is being used by adults to forward a cause that the adults perceive there is Trans-hate around every corner, when there isn't.

You do understand this is a disorder you are born with.

Gender identity starts about age 3.

9 is pre-puberty and hormone blocker time.

This has nothing to do with adults.

This IS intentionally awareness for GID children.

Right,

and the climate science is settled, too.

Your ignorance can be lumped in with the rest of them.

originally posted by: kaylaluv

originally posted by: soundguy
a reply to: seasonal I am about as liberal they come, but this is retarded. No one truly knows their sexual identity until they reach puberty. Parents who emasculate their male children should be in prison.

Sexual identity and gender identity is not the same thing. Sexual identity has to do with the physical body. Gender identity is in the mind. Most times they match. Occasionally they don't.

And we call those kids 'confused'

Parents who let their children with gender dysphoria dress according to their identified gender are usually doing that under the recommendation of healthcare professionals. You can accuse all the health care professionals who have studied this for years and years of being retarded if you want to, but.....

Yeah, I do.

a reply to: Teikiatsu

Another one for the bucket.

I don't believe Cancer is real, therefore it isn't.

originally posted by: research100
a reply to: cavtrooper7

you wanted TO BE a soldier...you didn't think you WERE a soldier...the hard wiring in your brain didn't didn't constantly make you feel that you WERE a soldier....BIG difference....

If that had been his case he would have been in therapy receiving pills to fight schizophrenia.

a reply to: Teikiatsu

So you're just against personal liberties then.

Do you think it would be harder to talk a child off hormones when they're older, or talk an older transgender out of taking hormones?

Because if they take it when they're older, it's more dangerous. If they swap early, it's nearly completely reversible.

The truth is, if you care about their health 'either way' you would put them on the blockers and wait if they adamantly suggest this is how they feel.

HTR is an important part of trans health because obviously developing the wrong hormones would need to be adjusted for anyone, trans or not. Your interpretation of proper hormones being a direct association of genitals is your own poorly formed opinion.


The reality is having too many hormones is dangerous.
(Incoming bad example)
Imagine you have 1,000 hormones, 900T/100E, and this is what makes you 'manly'
If the goal is to make the person female from this point, they don't just replace the 900T with E. They increase E to 9,000 so that you now have a female ratio. From this point, you could increase T to 100,000 and have a male ratio. This wouldn't be wise to your heart increasing these hormones like this over and over.

If a person of Youth claims they are trans, forcing them to wait only build up the opposite hormone they're desiring to live with will take much more recourse to correct, and become much more dangerous to attempt.

On the flip side, if you do it early before any of either specific hormone builds up, maintaining a new smaller ratio is possible and much easier to swap later in life if needed.

Starting to think this whole "freedom of speech" thing needs to be rethought. Such ignorance, and blatant dismissal of evidence by people who can't even grasp,the difference between (biological) sex, and gender. There is a difference.

As much as I hate to admit it, (because Annee is my eternal adversary- joking, btw) people like Annee, and Kayla are correct; regardless of if you others wish to acknowledge it, or not.

Freija that was a truly touching story, and I loved reading it. Would you mind if I copied it? I'd love to show it to a few people. Especially my oldest boy. He has a couple trans friends, and is always asking about them.

originally posted by: Annee

originally posted by: burgerbuddy

originally posted by: Annee

originally posted by: seasonal

She is being used by adults to forward a cause that the adults perceive there is Trans-hate around every corner, when there isn't.

You do understand this is a disorder you are born with.

Gender identity starts about age 3.

9 is pre-puberty and hormone blocker time.

This has nothing to do with adults.

This IS intentionally awareness for GID children.

Right,

and the climate science is settled, too.

Your ignorance can be lumped in with the rest of them.

You can't beat me, you know.

When it comes to being straight in an alt world, unless you are a trans yourself, I win.

The kid is 9. Maybe in 10 yrs he willl do ok for him/her self. Don't know.

This is not about politics.

I've seen success and failure.

I wish the best.

I remember years ago watching a program on TV about adults with "learning difficulties".

In one episode they went to the zoo, and the woman saw a polar bear and decided she was also a polar bear and started growling and acting like one, right there in the middle of a zoo ful of people.

If that had happened today what would her carers have done?

Agreed with her that if she identified as a polar bear then she was indeed a bear trapped in a human body, not what she had been biologically determined to be?

If people can't see how dumb this whole "born in the wrong body" nonsense is then it's a reflection of how dumb they are too.

Some people seem so obsessed with "observing peoples rights" to "be what they choose to be" that they are in fact I think suffering from the same mental disorder as the person who is "confused", and they are NOT helping them, they are feeding their psychosis.

I think what it all comes down to for both the person "trapped in the wrong body" and the people who advocate for them, is a lack of self esteem and self value, and the belief that if they can transform into something else then everything will be just fine and dandy.

That's why a lot of men who have a change in gender don't call themselves "susan" or "Ellie" they opt for sme made up exotic name like "Mjca" (meekah) - which is a real example.

a reply to: Power_Semi

Are polar bears humans?

originally posted by: Deaf Alien
a reply to: Power_Semi

Are polar bears humans?

That's not the question is it?

If someone identifies with being a polar bear, does that make them a polar bear?

Because that is who / what they believe they are, do we have to agree with them?

If the answer is no, then why do we have to agree with a boy that he is in fact a girl, or vice versa.

Because clearly both are not true, and therefore both are suffering from a delusion.

It's like people with anorexia identify with being fat - do we then agree with them and restrict their food?

There seems to be this idea that we HAVE to agree with people and what they WISH to be true or they BELIEVE to be true - but we don't, what they need is a big kick up the pants and some medication.

a reply to: Power_Semi

Because you cant compare these two. The human brain is either male or female. With transgenderism there is a genetic basis to it, in other words human. They know and have human experience. How would that girl in question know what it is like to be a polar bear? She has no experinece being it. No genetic basis.

a reply to: Power_Semi

No it's not the question, the real question is when will these old dehumanizing examples be put to rest?

I agree it's exactly like anorexia, when they receive treatment the condition improves, and when it's ignored it becomes bad.

The most 'successful' transitions are early ones. This speaks volumes to the fact it's society rejecting individuals, not individuals having proper ability to transition.

originally posted by: Deaf Alien
a reply to: Power_Semi

Because you cant compare these two. The human brain is either male or female. With transgenderism there is a genetic basis to it, in other words human. They know and have human experience. How would that girl in question know what it is like to be a polar bear? She has no expernece being it. No genetic basis.

Yes you can, both are a sign of confusion. How does a boy know he feels like a girl if he has never been a girl?

originally posted by: imjack

The reality is having too many hormones is dangerous.
(Incoming bad example)
Imagine you have 1,000 hormones, 900T/100E, and this is what makes you 'manly'
If the goal is to make the person female from this point, they don't just replace the 900T with E. They increase E to 9,000 so that you now have a female ratio. From this point, you could increase T to 100,000 and have a male ratio. This wouldn't be wise to your heart increasing these hormones like this over and over.

I'm sorry, imjack, but you don't know what you're talking about with hormones and it would be better to spread no information rather than misinformation. Not only was your example bad, that's not how it works. Just sayin'.

First of all, it is not HTR, it is HRT, the acronym for Hormone Replacement Therapy. Secondly, in this day and age in the medical treatment for MtF transgender people that are naturally producing testosterone i.e. those that have not had a bilateral orchiectomy (testicle removal) or sex reassignment surgery does not include the administration of estrogens alone. Steroidal antiandrogens, commonly Spironolactone or less frequently Androcur are also prescribed that halt the production of testosterone or take it down to very low levels.

Estrogens are then administered to bring levels in the blood somewhere toward the high end of the normal female range. 200 to maybe 400 pg/ml for someone in transition and then maybe 80 to 150 pg/ml as a maintenance level post surgery. Some endocrinologists also prescribe progesterone which aids in roundness of the breast and nipple development and for some acts as a mood stabilizer. For me, adding progesterone helps with libido and helps me feel a little less emotional as estrogen levels rise and fall during the month.

When administered and monitored by someone that knows what they're doing, HRT has proven to be safe, even long term. A transperson that has had surgery will be on HRT for life though to prevent loss of bone density and osteoporosis. I've stopped for several years at a time without noticeable affects other that feeling a little flat emotionally. Spironolactone is actually more dangerous and carries higher risks than estrogen. People on HRT should not smoke cigarettes. Hormones taken orally are processed into the bloodstream through the liver putting heavy drinkers at increased risk of liver damage. Women over 50 should not take hormones orally due to an increased risk of DVT. Transdermal patches or intramuscular injections would be preferable in this case. (I inject into my thigh every three weeks)

Yes, there are some slightly increased risks in a few areas but if properly managed they aren't as bad as you've made it seem. If they were, I'd be dead by now since I've been on HRT since 1972.


Note: estrogen and testosterone are measured on different scales.

I know this has been off topic but more information can't hurt, right? It is just something people like me have to deal with and if you told me at 9 years old that I would have to take drugs the rest of my life, it wouldn't have made any more difference than it did when I started taking them at 17.

a reply to: liammc

As you can see I said human brains. Also some intersex people DO know what it's like because they have partial or complete organs. Anyway it's WORLDS apart between knowing what's it's like to be an animal and being a human. The comparison epically breaks down at that point. No use for that analogy.

originally posted by: jjsr420

Freija that was a truly touching story, and I loved reading it. Would you mind if I copied it? I'd love to show it to a few people. Especially my oldest boy. He has a couple trans friends, and is always asking about them.

Thank you and yes, you may share. If you have additional questions, feel free to U2U me.

originally posted by: Power_Semi



There seems to be this idea that we HAVE to agree with people and what they WISH to be true or they BELIEVE to be true - but we don't, what they need is a big kick up the pants and some medication.

Oh really? That's all people with gender dysphoria need? Pray tell, what medication are you referring to? You must be a healthcare professional who specializes in gender dysphoria, so you should be able to describe your treatment that has cured it. You really need to get together with the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association and the similar healthcare professional associations in all the other first world countries - and share your breakthrough treatment with them.

Watch this video. It's a transsexual discussing this boy's change.
His parents are doing this completely and have warped this poor kids brain.

m.youtube.com...

a reply to: inferno787

LOL this woman thinks she knows more the the whole community of psychologists and psychiatrists.
*SMH*