Posted on 02/17/2008 8:40:46 AM PST by Salman
Here's an example of how schools should be treating diversity in their schools. Perhaps this kind of example can help prevent incidents like the murder that happened in Oxnard, California.
CNN interviews Kim Pearson of Trans Youth Family Advocates about an eight-year-old transgender-identified child who is returning to a school in Douglas County, Colorado that has adjusted its facilities and teaching environment to accommodate her.
According to CNN, two unisex bathrooms have been provided for the student, teachers will call the student by her name, parents and teachers will get info on transgender people, and officials will be made available for questions.
The school released this statement: "We continue to be focused on providing a positive learning environment for this student and all students in the class and school that is free from harassment. As with many other students, this particular student brings a diverse set of circumstances to the school setting."
(Excerpt) Read more at towleroad.com ...
That is really creepy and indicates that this child's problems stemmed from the father. Lord knows what went on at that home, such that the little boy needed to "cease" being a male.
The Lord must be tarrying because he hasn't produced enough millstones yet.
And...
Dyslexic Tomboys of the World, Untie!
But you’re right. I was (and am) a total Tomboy. Never occurred to me that I wasn’t a GIRL, though.
I feel for this f-ed up kid. Why aren’t Social Services called in on cases like this? What happened to an eight year old that makes s/he want to “disappear” into the other sex? Sexual abuse by a parent or other TRUSTED adult?
Ya think?!?!
I smell a big fat rat...
February 2nd, 2008
TransYouth Family Advocates, Inc. is on the road
TYFA Executive Director, Kim Pearson
Successful Partnering With Schools K-12
Does your childs school accept and affirm their gender identity and expression as you do? Do they have the education and tools they need to provide the optimal learning environment for your gender variant child? TYFA can help you learn effective communication techniques for educating your childs school on topics such as using proper names and pronouns, bathroom and physical education accommodations, and changing gender markers to reflect the childs true identity.
TYFA will present four dynamic family workshops on Saturday, February 23, 2008. The full day of workshops will be included in your registration fee of only $50.00 per adult and kids are free.
In years past Colorado Gold Rush has been an adult focused conference with family programming being introduced for the first time last year. Lets show them how many families of gender variant and transgender children there are out there! Come join us!
IMHO, the proper approach would be for legislation to state that a person may be regarded as a male if any of a variety of conditions apply, or as a female if any of a different variety of conditions apply. The conditions should be drawn such that for the vast majority of the public, there is no confusion, and should be based upon congenital state.
I see nothing wrong with allowing people who e.g. have an XY genotype but female anatomy to declare themselves as either male or female. Most such people are going to have a pretty good idea of who they are, and so allowing them to use their own judgment seems better than trying to concoct many different rules for all the variations.
To be sure, there could theoretically be some really bizarre situations like an XY anatomical female marrying an XX anatomical male (which one's the groom?) but I really doubt such things are going to happen enough to worry about.
As a little girl, I never felt an obsession to wear women's clothing. Outside of school, I wore jeans, sneakers, and t-shirts. Given the choice, we girls chose to dress essentially the same way the boys dressed because it was most comfortable. So, the fact that a little boy feels compelled to dress in women's clothing - when most little girls don't feel compelled to do so - indicates an emotional/mental reason, not a biological reason.
I believe these kids who are gender-confused have parents with very restrictive ideas about how males and females should behave. Maybe the father of that 5yo boy caught him doing something innocent when he was younger - like trying on mommy's shoes - and he overreacted. Now the kid feels compelled to do it when his father isn't around. Same with the parents who "accept" that their child is "transgendered" because "he said he wants to be a girl." They overreact, too. They bring him to doctors and therapists. They only reinforce the behavior by being hypersensitive to it - by believing their child has some sort of medical/gender condition.
Kids say and do all sorts of things. It's the responsibility of the adults to lead them in the right direction, to teach them about reality: Little boys grow up to be men, and little girls grow up to be women. That's reality.
It is possible to have some rather unusual conditions.
Biologists know the SRY region of the Y chromosome is necessary for the proto-gonads to become testes.
It is possible to have a Y chromosome that is missing the SRY region. In fact, it has happened. The end result is an XY female, with ovaries, a uterus, fallopian tubes, and a vagina.
It is also possible, because of a translocation, to have an X chromosome that also has a SRY region attached. This has also happened. The result is an XX male, with testes, prostate, and phallus.
There are also errors in the androgen receptor gene, which by the way is located on the X chromosome. If the error is suffiently severe, the individual is completely insensitive to androgens, since the androgens will not bind to the androgen receptor on the cell wall. Hence, they cannot be transported into the cell. The result is a girl with a typically female external phenotype, breast development, scanty pubic and axillary hair, high voice, female bone structure, but no uterus or fallopian tubes.
Sometimes, the androgen receptor is of limited effectiveness. This is the condition known as partial androgen insensitivity. The degree of feminization of the external genitals is variable. However, there is breast development and scanty body hair. The voice tends to remain high, contralto or higher.
There are also genetic defects possible in the 5-alpha reductase system. This has been observed in one location in the Caribbean. The condition is characterized by the inability to convert testosterone into dihydrotestosterone. What happens is: At birth, the infants have female external genitals, because dihydrotestosterone is needed to masculinize the external genitals. The children are raised as girls, but when puberty happens, the flood of testosterone will masculinize the external genitals, even with the lack of dihydrotestosterone.
There are also genetic defects in aromatase. When testosterone is transported into the brain cells, aromtase is need to convert the aromatase into estradiol. It is the estradiol, that actually masculinizes the brain cells. Since estradiol is a female hormone, then why does the mother’s circulating estrogens not affect the infant? The answer is alpha fetal proteins, which bind to the maternal estrogens, and prevent their transport across the cell membrane. At present, there is considerable speculation as to the effects of defective aromatase, which also include effects on bone growth.
It does seem that very delicate biochemical balances are critical during gestation. Imbalances lead to birth defects, including atypical brain development.
The law should be based on anatomy alone, and anyone who presents himself/herself as a different sex, say, in engagement and/or marriage should be charged with committing fraud.
The only exceptions made should be for the very few who are born with the anatomy of both sexes.
Here's an excerpt from one of the comments. They're onto the next phase of operation homosexual.
I hate the word tolerance. To tolerate someone means that you do not like them, but that you can handle their presence. I demand acceptance... anything less is an insult.
I would consider one's genetic code to be part of one's anatomy.
Montana is above us, but don’t feel bad, many Americans don’t own a map. :)
Determining the sex of a person (in a legal sense) based on his or her genetic code would open up a whole can of worms. If we take that road, it won't end because more and more discoveries about human biology and genetics will be made. There are genetic disorders, which hopefully can be addressed, but we shouldn't build the foundation of our society on them.
This is a subject I know little about...but, apparently not all little boys grow up to be men, nor do all little girls grow up to be women. THAT is reality!
Can you imagine anything worse than being so confused that you would be willing to go through the surgeries they go through?
Outside of school, I wore jeans, sneakers, and t-shirts. Given the choice, we girls chose to dress essentially the same way the boys dressed because it was most comfortable.
That's about as normal as it gets--and true of almost everybody I've ever known! lol
If someone is XY but anatomically female, and the person's perception of gender is male, I would consider the person male. If a person is XY but anatomically female, and the person's perception of gender is female, I would consider the person female.
There are several genetic factors that make one male or female. Generally they are tied together on the Y chromosome, but if a person with an XY genotype is anatomically female or a person with an XX genotype is anatomically male, it would be clear that, at least for that individual, the genetic factors did not all go together. I would thus consider it reasonable to believe that those factors relating to perceived gender could be either male or female.
Mebeso, but what’s my excuse???? Within easy reach are at least a dozen history and geography books... That loud “thud” you heard? Me slapping my forehead. AGAIN!
The parents ought to investigated for child abuse.
If you're referring to "gender reassignment" surgery, then little boys still grow up to be men, and little girls grow up to be women. The reality is their bodies have been mutilated by a surgeon.
There are people born with both male and female sex organs, but that is a rare abnormality.
The terms male and female describe reproductive organs. Yes, there are males and females with rare disorders. Some of those disorders can be handled with treatments now. No one is perfect, but we shouldn’t determine a person’s sex (in a legal sense) based on some abnormalities he or she may have.
If a man undergoes surgery to look like a woman, legal documents such as a driver’s license should still list his sex as male. If he wants to compete in sports, he should have to compete in men’s sports. If convicted of a crime, he should be put in the men’s prison. The law should deny marrying him to another man.
If we open our laws to allowing people to determine their sex according to how they feel, they could switch back and forth.
The only people whom I would suggest should be offered the 'choice' would be those people who possess some congenital physical characteristics that would with 99+% reliability identify them as males and other congenital characteristics which would with 99+% reliability identify them as females.
For example, I would suggest that anyone with an XY genotype who has not previously registered as a female should be allowed to register as a male; anyone born with a vagina who has not registered as a male should be allowed to register as a female. Someone who has an XY genotype and yet is born with a vagina should get a one-time chance to officially register as one or the other after turning 18.
I’m referring to those who have sex change surgeries.
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