Boy, 9, Comes to School As A Girl!!!

When London's "Daily Mail" reported last week that a 9-year-old boy had returned to school this fall as a girl, controversy swirled. In what is likely Britain's youngest case of gender transition, the class parents weren't upset with the gender swap itself, but with the way the school handled the issue. Many parents felt they should have been informed in advance so they could better prepare their children. However, The Beaumont Society, a British transgender organization, felt it was inappropriate to advertise the gender change at all, feeling it would only lead to bullying and teasing of the 9-year-old in question.

Gender Identity Disorder is a poorly understood problem. Not to be confused with hermaphrodites or intersex, who exhibit characteristics of both sexes, individuals suffering from Gender Identity Disorder have all the physical characteristics of their sex yet identify psychologically more strongly with the other. Experts still aren't certain what causes the disorder, though it may be the result of a hormone imbalance that originates while the child is in the womb.

Walter Brockting, Ph.D., president of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and coordinator of the University of Minnesota Center for Sexual Health, says that parents who have a child suffering from Gender Identity Disorder need to consider the child's feelings carefully. While he doesn't necessarily advocate for allowing a gender switch, he says, "If the child very strongly identifies with another gender, that concern should not be taken lightly."

Don't Forget To Subscribe