In the aftermath of media hype about pregnant transgender
man Thomas Beattie—much of which threatened to return the “freak” label to the
trans community—NPR has run a fascinating story that explains gender identity disorder
from the viewpoint of a family living through it.
According to Danielle and Robert (last names were omitted), from
the time their son was two-years-old, he insisted on dressing like a girl. From
the time he was old enough to talk, he told his parents, “I’m a girl.” Throughout
elementary school, he frequently had temper outbursts so severe that his
parents sought psychiatric help. Finally, at age 10, he was diagnosed with
gender identity disorder, a label that came as a relief to his parents, who
could finally stop asking themselves, “What have we done to make this child so
unhappy?” And, sure enough, as soon as Danielle and Robert allowed their son to
live as a girl, the fights and the tantrums stopped.
The gender identity disorder diagnosis also allowed Danielle
and Robert to consider options that were not available only four years ago. By
taking monthly injections of medication that stops the body from releasing sex
hormones, transgender children are able to postpone puberty, while continuing
to grow taller. Then, at around age 16, they may decide to transition to the
opposite gender by taking either estrogen or testosterone. By the time they are
fully developed adults, they are physically almost indistinguishable from the
gender with which they identify.
It probably won’t come as a shock that this is a very
controversial program. Not only does taking estrogen or testosterone before
puberty cause infertility, but some specialists believe that children cannot
know with certainty whether or not they want to live as the opposite sex.
But Danielle and Robert do not see this as a choice for
their child, now called Violet. In response to people who say Violet is too
young to know that he wants to be a girl, Robert says, “Well, when did you know you
were a girl? When did I know I was a boy? I knew my whole life, I can’t tell
you exactly when, but it wasn’t like I was 10 and realized, ‘Oh gee, I must be
a boy!’”
I know many liberal-minded people who do not “believe in” being
transgender—that is, they do not believe there is a biological basis for the
desire to live as the opposite sex. What do you folks think of Danielle and
Robert’s story?
Image: prunellavulgaris.wordpress.com
