Transgender Kids: #SaveJames

We discuss the rising trend of transgender kids. Is it wise to consider gender reassignment surgery for children? Should they wait until they’re adults to make such a life changing decision?

7 year old Transgender case

A recent case involved parents of a 7 year old boy. The father claimed that his son prefers to be a boy. He claims that the mother chose to dress him as a girl and called him by the name “Luna”.

The mother enrolled the boy in his school as a girl. The teachers and administrators knew he was a boy but his fellow pupils did not know he was undergoing “social transitioning” in preparation for chemical castration at the age of 8.

The father tried to prevent all this from happening but it eventually went to court which garnered a lot of attention.

He lost the case and was ordered to pay for transgender therapy for his son. He has been accused of abusing his son by calling him a boy and is now prevented from teaching his son that he is a boy.

Transgender Kids

Transgender kids is a fairly new phenomenon. the topic showed a mark increase in interest after the Louis Theroux documentary in 2015.

This has spurred this topic into the public consciousness. With some completely against the idea and others thinking it is wonderful. trends.embed.renderExploreWidget("TIMESERIES", {"comparisonItem":[{"keyword":"transgender kids","geo":"","time":"2004-01-01 2019-10-28"}],"category":0,"property":""}, {"exploreQuery":"q=transgender%20kids&date=all","guestPath":"https://trends.google.com:443/trends/embed/"});

Transgender in Ireland

Dr Lydia Foy challenged Irish law in 2015

Until 2015, it wasn’t possible to alter your birth certificate in Ireland. Lydia Foy, an Irish trans woman, challenged Irish law to recognise the change in her birth cert.

On July 15, 2015 Ireland passed the Gender Recognition Act of 2015, The act allows legal gender changes without the requirement of medical intervention or assessment by the state. Ireland is one of four countries in Europe where a person can change their legal gender without undergoing medial or state intervention.

Those aged between 16 and 18 must secure a court order to exempt them from the normal requirement to be at least 18 years old. Hundreds of Irish people have changed their gender since 2015.

Transgender Kids in Ireland

In Ireland, it is not possible to have your gender legally changed if you’re under the age of 16. In 2018, minister for social protection Regina Doherty proposed a system of gender recognition changes to be made. She suggested that gender recognition be introduced for children if their parents consent was acquired, third-party support for the child and family, and a straightforward revocation process. She also suggested a system for those who identify as non-binary.

Finally

As we discussed in this episode, we think that those who are not yet adults should not take such drastic decision at such a young age. In regards to gender reassignment surgery, it should not even be considered at this age. The child has not fully developed and this irreversible surgery can have a negative effect when they grow up.

What do you think? Let use know in the comments or get in touch with us, we’d love to hear your perspective on this,

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