[Foreverewalkalone]

Originally Posted by PlinyTheYounger ↗

And what happens when the kid grows up and wants to be the original sex that they were and then commits suicide? Wait it out until teenage years, then decide.

I have to agree with Pliny. Kids have no ability to cognitively reason until they are at least 12 years old of age, and to leave something that huge for a five year old that doesn't understand gender identity is kind of moronic. I have nothing against transgendered people I have two friends that are transgendered women and I love them to death, but there is no way you can leave a five year old kid to make up a decision like that because there are boys who play with dolls and are still content growing into men. When I was a kid, I did boy stuff. I would fight and get crazy and rough, I would play in the mud, and I would pick up snakes and bugs and nasty shit end terrorize the girly girls. But I was still happy and content growing into a woman. I'm not a typical prissy woman at that, but I do enjoy my gender. And Pliny is right! What if she grows up and she likes being a woman and she gets interested in make up and beauty things? How are they going to feel then?

[DiamondSmiles]

I can give you instances of two adult women who were, "supposedly," gay.

Anne Heche, whom I am sure most of you have heard of.

The other, a woman who went to school with one of my brothers. She was in a relationship and living with a women when I met her to buy tickets.

She hugged me, instead of shaking my hand for a business transaction. Not a big deal to me.

She supposedly switched to women because her first sexual experience with a man hurt physically. It happens.

The last I heard, she married a man. She also has one of those names that could be male or female.

I thought she was a male from her comments about Janet Jackson and taking a friend's son to a concert or something.

When she called me at work, she totally caught me offguard.

When she starting mentioning she knew my brother was gay, I thought it was an odd place to go, but, so be it. She went there and he remembered her.

[DiamondSmiles]

Originally Posted by Foreverewalkalone ↗

I have to agree with Pliny. Kids have no ability to cognitively reason until they are at least 12 years old of age, and to leave something that huge for a five year old that doesn't understand gender identity is kind of moronic. I have nothing against transgendered people I have two friends that are transgendered women and I love them to death, but there is no way you can leave a five year old kid to make up a decision like that because there are boys who play with dolls and are still content growing into men. When I was a kid, I did boy stuff. I would fight and get crazy and rough, I would play in the mud, and I would pick up snakes and bugs and nasty shit end terrorize the girly girls. But I was still happy and content growing into a woman. I'm not a typical prissy woman at that, but I do enjoy my gender. And Pliny is right! What if she grows up and she likes being a woman and she gets interested in make up and beauty things? How are they going to feel then?

I don't see it as a big deal for the parents.

They buy her female clothing and continue supporting and loving her.

It should not matter to any real friends either way.

[OhJstFkOffAlrdy]

Originally Posted by Foreverewalkalone ↗

I have to agree with Pliny. Kids have no ability to cognitively reason until they are at least 12 years old of age, and to leave something that huge for a five year old that doesn't understand gender identity is kind of moronic. I have nothing against transgendered people I have two friends that are transgendered women and I love them to death, but there is no way you can leave a five year old kid to make up a decision like that because there are boys who play with dolls and are still content growing into men. When I was a kid, I did boy stuff. I would fight and get crazy and rough, I would play in the mud, and I would pick up snakes and bugs and nasty shit end terrorize the girly girls. But I was still happy and content growing into a woman. I'm not a typical prissy woman at that, but I do enjoy my gender. And Pliny is right! What if she grows up and she likes being a woman and she gets interested in make up and beauty things? How are they going to feel then?

Part of me is convinced that things like this are in part influenced by this apparent race to the politically correct finish line. Everyone is in such a hurry to prove how progressive and open-minded they are, either because 1.) it's trendy and "urbane;" or 2.) people are afraid of being called closed-minded or bigoted should they show any degree of skepticism towards something like a "transgender" 5-year-old. Maybe it's just the cynic in me, but something about these people publicly flaunting this particular one of their family dynamics smacks of the same type of ego that spurs people to put stick family stickers on the rear windows of their SUVs and minivans.

This story also sort of reminds me of all those people who say they're gonna be "awesome" parents because they plan on being their child's friend instead of just their parent. To me, that's fucking retarded. Most kids will make plenty of friends throughout their childhoods, but they only get one set of biological parents; and while they can always adjust their own notions of friendship and personal relationships as they navigate life, certain life lessons which can only be acquired from one's parents are much harder to change once childhood has drawn to a close.