How Young is too Young?

[geminigirl]

From The Village Voice, an article about how one family deals with their five year old child, and gender identity.

Comments

[kellfire.livejournal.com]

My cousin's daughter, has insisted she was a boy from the time she could talk. She's has walked, talked, dressed and played like one almost all her life. I beleive she's 12 now and her identity hasn't changed in regards to gender.

My cousin, while still trying to get her to wear a dress occassionally, is for the most part supportive of however her daughter wants to eb.

Interesting stuff.

[wait.livejournal.com]

Wow. That's a tough one.

While I'm sure a child that young could certainly have feelings of not being the right gender, is it a good parent who pushes them to accept their bodies as they were born, or a good parent who allows them to live as they'd like, free of gender contructs?

And can a child that young be aware enough of the consequences of the decision to live as the opposite gender? Its got to be much easier at 6 years old than 13 years old or 25 years old.

[yix.livejournal.com]

Interesting article. Of course, it leaves me wondering a lot of things. I hope things go well (or at least okay) for the kid...

[vvalkyri.livejournal.com]

Only a couple days ago I read a shorter article about a 2nd gradre in Japan

[beaq.livejournal.com]

I'm always fascinated at how much faith people put in culturally defined "boy things" and "girl things" to delineate the difference between sexes.