Today I read about a 12-year-old boy who wanted to be a girl. He/she convinced doctors and psychiatrists that he was a girl trapped in a boy’s body. This is creating an uproar amongst the ultra-conservative and religious right as they claim that this is a result of “homosexual agendas” and taking advantage of a confused individual to promote homosexuality. This leaves me with a head scratch. If he turns into a she, is she really gay if she decides to have relationships with men? I think not. I also don’t think this has anything to do with promoting a “homosexual agenda”. People are born with anomalies, abnormalities, disabilities and genetic malfunctions everyday, why would a criss-cross of x and y chromosomes be any different? Would you say to someone born with a heart defect that they couldn’t have corrective surgery because they would be promoting a cardiovascular agenda?

However, the real issue in my mind is whether or not a 12- or 14-year-old boy truly understands the severity and finality of the situation and the operation, and if they are mature enough to cope and reconcile with a host of very real and potentially difficult emotions.

I won’t even comment on how the taxpayers in Germany are footing the bill, because that’s their problem.

From The Daily Mail:

Even at the age of two, Tim insisted he was a girl trapped in a boy’s body.

And when puberty began to approach at the age of 12, he convinced his parents that something had to be done.

With their agreement, he became the youngest sex-change patient in the world, receiving hormone injections which arrested his male development

Now, at 14, Tim has become Kim – a blue-eyed blonde with a growing bust line who is allowed to wear make-up at weekends.

She has no boyfriends at present but her parents say she is interested in what, now, is the opposite sex.

Her treatment, which has cost £18,000 so far, is being funded by the German taxpayer.

Tim turned “Kim”, age 14

Photo from The Daily Mail

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For the past several days and nights, Graham has been pointing to a picture in an etoys catalog, begging for this:

B-E-G-G-I-N-G.

At least begging for Graham, which is a softly spoken want with a whisper of, “I want this. I want this. I want to dress up like a Princess.”

Oh, dear Lord.

Although my liberal friends, bless their bleeding hearts, might argue and plead for me to indulge his desire, citing the unfair societal restrictions and expectations on my gender focus. They might claim it’s good for him. Put him in touch with this feminine side, and be a better person for it. They might encourage me to break down those old fashion gender roles and celebrate his inner princess.

There’s only one problem with that. Given that he has self-awareness issues which stem back to his 2 month premature birth, many years of Early Intervention would tell me otherwise. It has taken longer than normal to try to help him differentiate between boys and girls and I promise you, he has no political agenda.

Even this morning he walked into my husband and my room and announced in a soft, shy and insecure tone, “I want to be a Princess.”

“Well, you can’t,” I replied.

“Why?” he asked,head tilted.

“Because that is for girls and..you. Are. A. Boy.”

(I can hear the gasps through the computer screen.)

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