1. Transgender Children and Youth: By Isaac Hannagan

2. What is Transgender? While definitions tend to vary; Transgender can be thought of as a set of characteristics applied to behaviors and individuals that don’t unambiguously identify to conventional gender roles, according to one’s biological sex. Also known as Gender Variant, Gender Dysphoric or Gender Nonconforming.

3. Transgender and Homosexualare NOT the same A common misconception is that transgender individuals are homosexuals when in-fact the two have nothing to do with one another. Transgender refers to how a person identifies themself as something other than what biology suggests. Homosexuality refers to a person’s sexual orientation, being attracted to the same biological gender.

4. Children can’t be transgender… can they? Developmentally; children start to experience gender identity around age 3, most as either boys or girls. American society regards a “natural” relationship between sex and gender, and those children who don’t identify with their birth gender are quickly pushed back into the socially prescribed gender role.

5. According to the guidelines set by the DSM-III these children could have GID

6. Transgender as a Pathology Transgender was termed ‘Gender Identity Disorder (GID) in 1980 with the 3rd edition of the Psychological Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Medical Manual of Mental Disorders. (Also know as the DSM III) GID was defined as: “An Incongruence between assigned sex and gender identity.”

9. Is there something wrongwith gender variant children?

10. Can GID be treated? Unfortunately, children can be treated for GID. Since children have no legal standing, they don’t have the means to refuse the brutal aversion therapies designed at breaking the ‘disorder’. As result, these children usually become socially isolated, and depressed not because of who they are, but because of the social misunderstandings.

11. Common disorders found in Transgender Children As result of social misunderstandings, many youth develop sever depression, drug and alcohol abuse, as well as suicide and attempted suicide. In fact, Clinicians have found that those found to have “helped” or “corrected” transgender children have done more harm than good.

12. Is transgender really a disorder? In 1994 the 4th edition of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders was released and changed the qualification for whether an individual has GID. To qualify for the disorder, one needs to be distressed by the condition. This lends the question of whether being gender variant itself causes distress or are there other motivators?

13. Sources of Distress

14. Causes of Distress There are many different causes of distress in gender variant children; most notably social and familial misunderstandings about what they’re going through. Shame of not conforming to prescribed social gender roles. Negative reactions from parents Harassment from peers Hostile social environments

15. Nurturing a gender variant child Since “corrective treatments” cause more harm than good, try to nurture a gender variant child. “Blaming the child for their failure to adapt to traditional gender norms is easy.” Unfortunately the child responds as such a poor fit leading to at-risk behaviors like: self-mutilation and suicidal ideation.

16. Parents Start the Nurturing Process In many cases parents need proper education about gender variant children. Knowing “gender identity” vs. “sexual identity” There’s nothing wrong with a transgender child, other than their birth gender. Assist with strategies in dealing with social stigmatization Develop mutually acceptable compromises for childhood. Keep open communication. Every child needs their family’s love