New Opportunities for Transgender Children

Transgender children now have new opportunities to express their biological gender predisposition. Both social transition and puberty delay are now recognized as appropriate options for some transgender children. This represents a change in the guidelines set by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), which sets standards for medical and mental health treatment of transgender people. For most of us, these policy changes come too late.

Social transition involves allowing transgender children to present in their preferred or congruent gender behavior categories. After mental health screening, male children are allowed to live full time in the feminine category (as girls) and female children in the masculine category (as boys). Of course, the decision to pursue social transition is made in conjunction with parents. Social transition is supervised by mental health professionals who help the child and the family when they encounter problems. Undoubtedly, you have seen examples of social transition on television. It seems to be a favorite of the documentary shows, particularly if there is some controversy about the child. Parents of children in social transition have had to sue to go to school and to use the right bathroom, even in states where there are protections for transgender people, indicating cultural prejudice against transgenderism. To fight back, some parents have allowed their transgender children to be photographed or appear on the media in conjunction with their lawsuits.

In addition to social transition, transgender children can now block puberty so that they can decide what gender behavior category to pursue in later life. As with childhood social transition, this decision is made with the concurrence of the parents. Blocking is accomplished by taking hormones that block release of the sex hormones involved in puberty. The actually drug mechanism is that it stimulates a feedback mechanism for sex hormones until the mechanism becomes insensitive.

Blocking should begin before the early signs of puberty which is at a surprising early age, normally 8-9 years old. Blocking for female children can begin as soon when early signs of breast development appear. Most people do not realize that puberty is occurring earlier and earlier in life, presumably due to better nutrition. It is now common for females to start breast development at age 8 and menstruation at age 9. It is also common for males to start puberty at age 8.

Puberty blocking allows transgender to delay the physical ravages of puberty which interfere with later adaptation to their preferred behavior category. MTF can delay the lowering of the voice, development of body hair and growth of genitalia. This reduces the need for adult voice lessons that give an MTF a feminine voice. FTM can delay breast development which makes adult top-surgery unnecessary. The effects of blocking hormones are reversible except that children born male will not reach their normal height. Many MTF transgender people would probably like to be a few inches shorter to pass easier anyway.

Childhood social transition and puberty blocking can be pursued at the same time. In the United States and other countries, both can be pursued at the same time. However, government mental health professionals in the Netherlands prefer puberty blocking without social transition.

At age 16 the transgender children undergoing puberty blocking are considered mature enough to decide on their adult gender behavior category to be and whether to start transsexual transition. Transsexual transition involves cessation of blocking hormones and the start of sex hormone therapy.

Commentators who are prejudiced against transgender people have criticized both social transition and puberty blocking. Their usual criticism is that a child is not old enough to make such decisions, even with help with their family. Such commentators are would like to think that children are ignorant about sex and gender but it is the commentators who are ignorant of child development. Readers of this blog know that most all children (transgender or not) have mastered the fundamentals of gender by age 2 and children start to realize that they are transgender starting at age 4. Studies show that transgender children are well prepared to make such a decision by age 7.

I wish that social transition and puberty blocking were around when I was a child. At age 6, I went directly into the closet with my transgender behavior. It would have been so much better if I had been accepted as a girl. I was devastated by the physical changes in puberty. I was a “boy soprano” with a fairly good voice and in demand for solo work in church and school chorus. I was the boy who sings “Oh, holy night” at Christmas cantatas. I was vaguely aware that my voice would change but I was unsure when this would happen. In eighth grade, I was selected as the featured soloist for the graduation ceremony. My music teacher actually hired a coach to improve my enunciation. But about 3 weeks before graduation, I started to get sore throats. My mother was afraid that I was coming down with a cold which would ruin my solo shot. She took me to the doctor who painted my throat with silver nitrate and gave me an antibiotic. On graduation, I managed to hit all the high notes but just barely. The next week, I was a baritone and a month later a bass.

Puberty had hit me. That summer, the depression from being transgender was particular intense.

I never sang in public again.

Tags: featured, Identity, puberty blocking, tg children, Transgender, Transsexual, transsexualism

Category: Transgender Body & Soul