(Portland, Oregon, May 28, 2010) - The current issue of the Oregon Department of Human Services Teen Pregnancy Task Force newsletter, “The Rational Enquirer” features an article by TransActive Executive Director, Jenn Burleton. In the article Ms. Burleton discusses the development of gender non-conforming identity in very young children and youth and offers suggestions and guidelines to those who parent, care for or offer services to transgender children and their families.
If you are the parent of, or know a transgender or gender nonconforming child or youth, it’s possible you may be thinking about the very concept of gender identity in a completely new light. Perhaps you are examining the way in which you developed a sense of yourself as a man, woman, boy, girl or someone who doesn’t fit “neatly” into a gender category.
Among the things shared in the article about childhood transgender identity are these facts:
- It is not the same as wanted to be a fireman or a princess or a Mutant Ninja Turtle
- It is not negotiable
- It is not a choice
- It is not caused by outside influences, single parenting or lack of religious faith
- It is not a mistake or any less authentic that gender conforming identity or expression
- It is not a mental illness or indicative of a “confused” child
To read the entire article, click on this link or paste it into your browser: http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/ah/re/2010.pdf
For much more information on TransActive Education and Advocacy and the work they do with transgender and gender non-conforming children, youth and families, visit their website.
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TransActive Education & Advocacy, a non-profit organization, provides the necessary support to improve the quality of life of transgender and gender non-conforming children, youth and their families through education, services, advocacy and research.
Thanks. It’s pretty cool. I do, however, have some arguments with it. I really dislike the male “or” female idea, when in fact we’re all male “and” female, in our bodies and our mind, and with behavior, expressions, thinking, feeling, etc. We need both physically and mentally to exist as human beings. The only difference is that the proportions are different for gender identity people, gender being more, from slight to extreme, the other sex than their birth sex.
As psychologists and sociologists have asked, “Name one expression or behavior that is inclusive of all of one sex and exclusive of all of the other sex?” And the answer is none. This is what they argue with the writers who keep pushing the men and women dichotomy and differences as if we’re separate species with nothing in common. We’re not, and there are many people living in the space in between and overlapping the genders of many different sexual and gender identities.
This is especially true physically as we all have male and female hormones. Argue that with the anti-trans kids and adults, explaining any blood test will show the reality. The research I’ve found determined there are no men without “female” hormones, and only a very low percentage of women without any “male” hormones (like 1 in 100,000+). Besides the professionals will argue hormones are also flexible between male and female with some overlap.
The section in the handout focused on transgender children provides a good explanation of gender-different children, only some of whom are transgender. I’m not sure it provides the clarity to distinguish how to treat transgender because of their difference among gender different children, and I think could be interpretated by parents as all fit into the trans indentity, which is what the reparative therapists argue they can cure, except they only cure those who aren’t transgender.
It’s a false success, and might reassure parent, “Whew, my child may be gay or gender different, but he/she isn’t transgender.” Separating transgender children is the double-edge sword. You need to do that to properly treat all gender different children and especially transgender children, but that also can isolate them from others as “normal” children, being uniquely different.
As we know children are lumpers, putting others in boxes of identities with little regard for nuiances and individual differences. It’s part of their development, they lack the ability to distinguish many of the differences, but it’s also reinforced by parents who teach the distinctions as absolute. Like I need to tell you this, as you already know and have experienced.
I only wish this handout would help adults where we read the stories about their anger, and even hatred, for sex and gender different people, especially children, and their outrage for providing the proper education and information in school to help their children understand and accept others as they are. But then you know that too.
In the end, it’s a tough subject to explain, but still this one is really good. Thanks for letting me ramble on, and on. Ok, I’ll pull a Snagglepuss, and “Exit stage left.”
Scott- I see what you mean and I agree. I wish we thought in terms of just plain old humanity. Not just this or that. I completely agree. My Best- Jen
Thank you for posting the information.