An eight-year-old who is biologically male but who has
always identified as female has decided to begin living openly as a girl, even though
this will mean leaving her beloved elementary school.
The second grader’s parents consulted with therapists and
transgender specialists for many years before deciding to allow their son to
live as a girl. It’s the same story shared by all parents of transgender
children: from the time she could talk, the child (who will remain anonymous to
protect her identity) told her parents that she was really a girl; she asked constantly to be able to wear dresses and drew pictures of
herself in girl’s shoes and swimsuits.
“I know 8½ sounds pretty young, but when we’ve been dealing
with it for six of those 8½ years, that’s a pretty long time,” the girl’s
mother said. The Nebraska therapist whom the parents consulted warned them that
attempting to deny transgender feelings can lead to drug and alcohol abuse,
depression, and suicide.
Unfortunately, the child’s Catholic school does not see it
that way. Although the eight-year-old wanted to continue third grade with her
classmates, the church told her family that she would have to find a new school
if she wanted to live as a girl.
So this fall, the eight-year-old will enter public school.
Her parents say it’s a “delicate balance between helping people understand and
protecting a child who’s different.” While they have chosen to speak to the
media about the inborn nature of being transgendered, they do not necessarily want their daughter to be identified as transgender by her peers. They have enrolled her as a girl in her new school, and hope she will be unquestioningly accepted as
such.
Photo: KETV
