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Unisex
10-18-2011, 04:35 PM
link to article (http://www.fox8live.com/mostpopular/story/Controversial-therapy-for-pre-teen-transgender/m7us6cqCr0apBFDvU1H7ig.cspx)


According to Foxnews.com, a lesbian couple in California who say their 11-year-old son Tommy may actually be a girl named Tammy are giving their child hormone blockers that delay the onset of puberty -- so that he can have more time to decide exactly who he, or she, is.

The couple’s supporters say the Hormone Blocking Therapy has only minor side effects and is appropriate for a child who is unsure of his gender. "This is definitely a changing landscape for transgender youth," said Joel Baum, director of education and training for Gender Spectrum, a California-based non-profit group. "This is about giving kids and their families the opportunity to make the right decision."

But critics of the treatment say 11-year-olds are not old enough to make life-altering decisions about changing their gender, and parents should not be encouraging them. They say it’s too soon to tell what the side effects of the treatments may be, and they say Tommy’s parents, Pauline Moreno and Debra Lobel, are irresponsible for seeking them and allowing them to be administered.

"This is child abuse. It's like performing liposuction on an anorexic child," said Dr. Paul McHugh, professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University.

"It is a disorder of the mind. Not a disorder of the body. Dealing with it in this way is not dealing with the problem that truly exists.

“We shouldn't be mucking around with nature. We can’t assume what the outcome will be," McHugh said.

Dr. Manny Alvarez, senior managing health editor of FoxNews.com, said the hormone blockers also may pose a medical risk. "I think that it’s highly inappropriate to be interfering with natural hormonal growth patterns,” Alvarez said. “There are significant potential problems necessary for growth and development.

"Potential long-term effects can include other abnormalities of hormones, vascular complications and even potential cancer. I think that if this child – as he finishes his puberty and teenage years – decides to undergo a transgender procedure – then there are proper channels to do so.

“But to do it at the age of 11 -- to me -- could be potentially dangerous to the health of this child," he said.

Tommy's parents, Moreno and Lobel, say they support their child and feel this is the best way for him to find an answer to a question he’s been asking all his life. They say Tommy – whom they now call Tammy – began taking GnRH inhibitors over the summer so that he will remain a prepubescent boy until he turns 14 or 15. They say they want to give him more time to explore the female gender identity that he associates with.

Thomas began saying he was a girl when he was 3 years old, his parents said in an interview with the Daily Mail. He was learning sign language due to a speech impediment, and one of the first things he told his mothers was, “I am a girl.” They say they thought he was confused or mistaken, and signed back, 'No. No. Thomas is a boy."

But Thomas insisted, they said. He shook his head “no” and repeated what he had signed.
They said Thomas threatened to mutilate his genitals when he was 7, and psychiatrists diagnosed a gender identity disorder.

One year later, he began transitioning to Tammy.

After much deliberation with family and therapists, the child began taking hormone blockers a few months ago. The medication, which must be changed once a year, was implanted in the boy’s upper left arm.

Tommy will continue this treatment until he turns 14 or 15, at which point he will be taken off the blockers and pursue the gender he feels is the right one. He will then either start his puberty cycle as a boy – or begin making the full transition to a girl.

"There's an increase of children who are telling their parents that they are a different gender. We're trying to understand why there's an increase," said Diane Ehrensaft, a developmental and clinical psychologist and author of the book, "Gender-Born. Gender-Made," who says the trend may be due to a more open society.

But while chemicals are giving children like Tommy more time to decide which side of the fence they belong on, some critics say that some children who question their identity at a very young age might change their mind when they start adolescence.

"Most transgender patients will say that they knew at 6 years old. But what we don't know is how many others had those thoughts and feelings that went away once they hit puberty," said Dr. Jeffrey Spiegel, a professor at Boston University and a plastic surgeon who specializes in facial feminization operations for transgender men.

"While it may be a good therapy for those who've committed to transgender, it may not be good for those who might have changed their mind once they hit puberty and beyond."

Walt Heyer, whose book "Paper Genders" details his own experience transitioning from a man to a woman and back again, agreed. "The blockers should NOT be introduced to a child," Heyer said. "If they are going to make a transition, they should wait to do so when they reach 18 to 20 years old. When you start the therapy at that age you are not dealing with the fact that the mind is not fully developed."

Heyer also cited a Dutch study that said 61 percent of individuals who desire a gender change are found to have secondary psychiatric disorders, such as depression or dissociative disorder, which he suffered from.

Other critics asked whether Tommy’s same-sex parents may be unknowingly influencing his questions about his gender.

“Undue influence on the child simply has to be ruled out,” said psychiatrist Keith Ablow, a Fox News contributor. “It's the psychologically correct thing to do, the ethical thing to do and the moral thing to do."
"Obviously, when two females adopt a male child, then assert that the child is not actually male, but is, instead, actually a female -- like both of them. Everyone in the family should be psychologically evaluated in a comprehensive way before a step like gender reassignment is considered,” said Ablow.

Ms Remy M
10-18-2011, 05:48 PM
On the surface, I do agree with child transitioning with proper therapy before and along the way.

I also agree that a child has a young mind that could reasonable change from wanting to be a girl to wanting to be a boy again. However; many times, it is societal pressures that encourage a child to suppress their feelings and go back to trying to live as their assigned gender.


“We shouldn't be mucking around with nature. We can’t assume what the outcome will be," McHugh said.

Hypocrite! Amazing how they have no problem fixing someones heart or other medical procedures that 'muck around with nature' but turn their noses up to transitioning.


Walt Heyer, whose book "Paper Genders" details his own experience transitioning from a man to a woman and back again, agreed. "The blockers should NOT be introduced to a child," Heyer said. "If they are going to make a transition, they should wait to do so when they reach 18 to 20 years old. When you start the therapy at that age you are not dealing with the fact that the mind is not fully developed."

Hater! Sad and mad person who couldn't reap the full benefits of transitioning before puberty where the best effects of estrogen occur. He probably realized how unpassable he was and decided to just go back to being a guy.

For those wanting to transition from MtF, the best effects of estrogen has to happen before puberty, as estrogen is not strong enough after puberty to change the male dominate bone structure, and physically, will only effect the soft tissue.


Other critics asked whether Tommy’s same-sex parents may be unknowingly influencing his questions about his gender.

“Undue influence on the child simply has to be ruled out,” said psychiatrist Keith Ablow, a Fox News contributor. “It's the psychologically correct thing to do, the ethical thing to do and the moral thing to do."
"Obviously, when two females adopt a male child, then assert that the child is not actually male, but is, instead, actually a female -- like both of them. Everyone in the family should be psychologically evaluated in a comprehensive way before a step like gender reassignment is considered,” said Ablow.

This I actually do agree with as therapy is needed to rule out influences, and again this points to the fact that societal pressures may be influencing a person to want to transition or not. However; the article state the child is having therapy so the green light should be given. This is not the first family to deal with a prepubescent child transitioning and it does seem that this family is being singled out, perhaps even because they are lesbians. I also wouldn't rule out these professionals seeing an opportunity to get their name in a paper and jumped on it.


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Indy24
10-18-2011, 11:50 PM
I gave pause as soon as I saw "Fox News" aka anti-logic central! Propaganda and hyperbole posing as real journalism to scare the shit out of middle America...

If you're even the mildest liberal stand clear of anything they post for it'll only piss you off.

anonymoussonny
10-23-2011, 05:13 AM
Hi Remy...(long time no speak, lol)

I found this article really challenging to come to terms with. Additionally, I found your anger regarding the situation alarming and thought perhaps you were a little too close to be totally objective. Your anger may be justified though as I don't know your experience and respect your opinion nonetheless... I just found it odd out of someone so normally level headed. I think the first point you disagreed with was actually correct. I don't think pre-teen children should be receiving physically-altering drugs unless its a life threatening situation. In my experience, the level of exposure to sexual diversity is so much greater in society today that children contemplate their gender personas much more earlier & not necessarily deeper. Thusly they make decisions about their sexuality that are not always lasting but actually may be situational based on their environment/experiences. Its obvious there are some issues therapy must address in their home but to call the writing authority hypocrites is a little strong...IMHO. Thanks for letting me share:cool:

Ms Remy M
10-23-2011, 05:31 AM
Hi Remy...(long time no speak, lol)

I found this article really challenging to come to terms with. Additionally, I found your anger regarding the situation alarming and thought perhaps you were a little too close to be totally objective. Your anger may be justified though as I don't know your experience and respect your opinion nonetheless... I just found it odd out of someone so normally level headed. I think the first point you disagreed with was actually correct. I don't think pre-teen children should be receiving physically-altering drugs unless its a life threatening situation. In my experience, the level of exposure to sexual diversity is so much greater in society today that children contemplate their gender personas much more earlier & not necessarily deeper. Thusly they make decisions about their sexuality that are not always lasting but actually may be situational based on their environment/experiences. Its obvious there are some issues therapy must address in their home but to call the writing authority hypocrites is a little strong...IMHO. Thanks for letting me share:cool:

Children already are given physically altering drugs that are not life threatening from acne treatments to growth serums for children with dwarfism so that they can grow to a more "normal" height. The only difference is the perceived taboo associated with transsexuals and the ignorance that exist. Hell, parents can even alter genes for different eye colors for their children now totally without their children having a say so. As I said, I agree with pre-teen HRT so long as proper therapy as been attained.

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