# Transexual Children **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 13, 2018, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035 "2018-12-13T03:44:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2018, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035/1 "2018-12-13T03:44:32Z")
Not positive I am using the right term. Children who identify as the opposite sex. I realize many children are just born this way but I wonder if a significant percentage of these children are influenced by other biological factors. I know with animals it is very important for them to play animals games children do the same thing when given the opportunity. Has modern society changed the way humans stimulate hormones in our childhood? ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2018, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035/2 "2018-12-13T05:29:00Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > Not positive I am using the right term. Children who identify as the opposite sex. > > I realize many children are just born this way but I wonder if a significant percentage of these children are influenced by other biological factors. I know with animals it is very important for them to play animals games children do the same thing when given the opportunity. Has modern society changed the way humans stimulate hormones in our childhood? I think transgender is probably the more accurate term? I would not discount changes in hormone stimulation changing the expression of transgender identity, given what we are now learning about the myriad ways modern chemicals affect us and the expression of our genes. However, I think this tendency has always existed, and it’s possible that it is just more accepted now; there are examples littered throughout history, such as one colonial governor of New York (though of course it’s controversial): > **[Edward Hyde, 3rd Earl of Clarendon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Hyde,_3rd_Earl_of_Clarendon#Cross-dressing)** > > Edward Hyde, 3rd Earl of Clarendon (28 November 1661 – 31 March 1723), styled Viscount Cornbury between 1674 and 1709, was an English aristocrat and politician. Better known by his noble title Lord Cornbury, he was propelled into the forefront of English politics when he and part of his army defected from the Catholic King James II to support the newly arrived Protestant contender, William III of Orange. These actions were part of the beginning of the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Cornbury's choic... If you want a couple anecdotal examples, my daughter attends a Catholic girls’ school. This year has seen the transition of a high school freshman and a sixth grader. Despite now identifying as male, they will be allowed to continue attending. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2018, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035/3 "2018-12-13T12:55:16Z")
> [@](#): > > I know with animals it is very important for them to play animals games children do the same thing when given the opportunity. This is about clear as mud, can you explain more? Are you attempting to imply that girls playing football and boys playing with dolls is causing more trans children? That’s what it sounds like. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2018, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035/4 "2018-12-13T13:29:43Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > This is about clear as mud, can you explain more? > > Are you attempting to imply that girls playing football and boys playing with dolls is causing more trans children? That’s what it sounds like. I don’t really know exactly what I am implying beyond the idea that children’s play and interaction patterns have changed significantly. Another issue is passive bullying, in other words a child might feel defeated before he ever has a chance to really start interacting. These is pretty solid evidence that hormones are affected by our position in a group or society. I really don’t know what is having the most dramatic effect but I do have a feeling that something has changed that is affecting children’s hormonal balance. ``` I realize a lot more children and parents have opened up to the idea of transgender but it also seems to be a lot more common today than it was decades earlier. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2018, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035/5 "2018-12-13T13:41:37Z")
Puberty is very much a time of hormonal change, to say the least. > [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > I realize a lot more children and parents have opened up to the idea of transgender but it also seems to be a lot more common today than it was decades earlier. The idea of fluid or changeable gender is certainly more common than it used to be. Whether or not it is actually changing the number of transgender people is not clear. > [@](#): > > The phenomenon of transgender children “growing out of” their transgender identity by the time they are adolescents or adults is called “desistance” by gender researchers. For decades, follow-up studies of transgender kids have shown that a substantial majority – anywhere from 65 to 94 percent – eventually ceased to identify as transgender. (Brooks, 5/23) [Cite](https://khn.org/morning-breakout/research-on-children-growing-out-of-gender-dysphoria-adds-layer-of-complexity-to-transgender-care/). So they might be more open to the idea, but not necessarily transgender. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2018, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035/6 "2018-12-13T14:08:51Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Puberty is very much a time of hormonal change, to say the least. The idea of fluid or changeable gender is certainly more common than it used to be. Whether or not it is actually changing the number of transgender people is not clear. > [Cite](https://khn.org/morning-breakout/research-on-children-growing-out-of-gender-dysphoria-adds-layer-of-complexity-to-transgender-care/). So they might be more open to the idea, but not necessarily transgender. > > Regards, > Shodan Thanks for posting that, it confirms my suspicions. My biggest concern has been are some parents jumping on this bandwagon too early to get some kind of special identity for themselves as a parent of a transgender, it sure appears this way. ---
**Author:** ![JakeRS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ab097/32.png) [@JakeRS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JakeRS)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2018, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035/7 "2018-12-13T14:24:00Z")
Why do people have to be so obsessed with genders, orientations, racism and things like that? Are there really no better topics we could talk about? ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2018, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035/8 "2018-12-13T14:43:56Z")
> [@JakeRS](#): > > Why do people have to be so obsessed with genders, orientations, racism and things like that? Are there really no better topics we could talk about? Like what? The resurgence of feminism? Right now at this moment in history these things are in the forefront of cultural change. The reason is emphatically NOT that cisgender white males are suddenly interested in changing their views, or indeed in thinking about any of these at all. It’s for another reason, and I am going to allow you to think about what that reason is. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2018, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035/9 "2018-12-13T15:10:59Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > Thanks for posting that, it confirms my suspicions. My biggest concern has been are some parents jumping on this bandwagon too early to get some kind of special identity for themselves as a parent of a transgender, it sure appears this way. Why is it a _concern_ that people are more open to the idea? The major negative impact from being transgender seems to be people’s reactions to it. A reduction in negative reactions is surely a positive. Yes, some kids may explore the idea before changing their minds, who would not have done so when even considering the possibility was more stigmatised, but why is that a concern? Where is the actual harm? Do you have any evidence that parents are pushing their kids into a trans identity, or is this actually parents listening to their kids more and kids thereby feeling safer exploring their own identity? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2018, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035/10 "2018-12-13T15:24:05Z")
> [@JakeRS](#): > > Why do people have to be so obsessed with genders, orientations, racism and things like that? Are there really no better topics we could talk about? Something in those topics make you uncomfortable? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2018, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035/11 "2018-12-13T15:29:04Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > Why is it a _concern_ that people are more open to the idea? The major negative impact from being transgender seems to be people’s reactions to it. A reduction in negative reactions is surely a positive. > > Yes, some kids may explore the idea before changing their minds, who would not have done so when even considering the possibility was more stigmatised, but why is that a concern? Where is the actual harm? Do you have any evidence that parents are pushing their kids into a trans identity, or is this actually parents listening to their kids more and kids thereby feeling safer exploring their own identity? I think the concern is that parents may either push, or allow, children who decide they are transgender to take steps with long-term consequences, like puberty blockers or whatever. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2018, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035/12 "2018-12-13T15:48:44Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > I think the concern is that parents may either push, or allow, children who decide they are transgender to take steps with long-term consequences, like puberty blockers or whatever. Do any of these concerns come from those who aren’t already opposed to the idea of transgendered children? ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2018, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035/13 "2018-12-13T16:24:28Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > My biggest concern has been are some parents jumping on this bandwagon too early to get some kind of special identity for themselves as a parent of a transgender, it sure appears this way. Can you explain why this is a concern to you? (Do you really think “parent of a transgender child” is a goal for parents?) > [@Shodan](#): > > I think the concern is that parents may either push, or allow, children who decide they are transgender to take steps with long-term consequences, like puberty blockers or whatever. This shows a lack of understanding of what happens when a child expresses gender dysphoria. There is a long process of therapy and medical evaluation before any steps are taken. Medical professionals and parents fully realize that kids and teens can make spontaneous, poorly thought out decisions, and there are a _lot_ of safeguards to manage this. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2018, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035/14 "2018-12-13T16:55:03Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Do any of these concerns come from those who aren’t already opposed to the idea of transgendered children? I doubt that a parent who would allow their child to take puberty blockers, or a clinician who would even consider them, is opposed to the idea of transgendered children, although I have no hard figures. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2018, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035/15 "2018-12-13T17:04:37Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > I doubt that a parent who would allow their child to take puberty blockers, or a clinician who would even consider them, is opposed to the idea of transgendered children, although I have no hard figures. > > Regards, > Shodan Way to not answer a question. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2018, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035/16 "2018-12-13T17:04:42Z")
What long-term consequences are caused by puberty blockers? How do they compare to the long-term consequences of not taking them and going through puberty as a sex that does not correlate to the person’s gender? The whole purpose of taking puberty blockers is to _reduce_ long-term consequences like reassignment surgeries, and to allow kids more time to make a real choice. Removing that option is forcing them to go through something that is not fully reversible. And no-one is forcing their kids to take them. C’mon. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2018, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035/17 "2018-12-13T17:12:03Z")
The Atlantic recently published an interesting article about transgender children. > **[When Children Say They’re Trans](https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/07/when-a-child-says-shes-trans/561749/)** > > Hormones? Surgery? The choices are fraught—and there are no easy answers. It draws no conclusions but it does discuss the fluidity of gender identity in young people, some of the nuances and pros/cons of the affirming care approach, and some of the controversy around desistance. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2018, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035/18 "2018-12-13T18:36:10Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Way to not answer a question. You asked for who might be concerned who wasn’t already opposed to the idea of transgender children, and I gave you some examples. _:shrugs:_ > [@Filbert](#): > > What long-term consequences are caused by puberty blockers? How do they compare to the long-term consequences of not taking them and going through puberty as a sex that does not correlate to the person’s gender? Puberty blockers haven’t been used for long enough to know the long-term effects. Using them to treat transgender children is considered an off-label use, and not approved as such by the FDA. To be fair, we also don’t know the long-term effects if they are used on the large majority of children who change their mind about being transgender. So it is hard to know which approach would be erring on the side of caution. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2018, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035/19 "2018-12-13T18:49:19Z")
[Writer, researcher, and trans activist Julia Serrano](https://medium.com/@juliaserano/detransition-desistance-and-disinformation-a-guide-for-understanding-transgender-children-993b7342946e) on the concept of detransitioning, medical treatment for children with non-standard gender identities, and some of the problems with “what if the kid isn’t really trans?” think pieces like the Atlantic article **Motorgirl** linked to. Speaking of, [here’s her blog post](https://juliaserano.blogspot.com/2017/12/my-jesse-singal-story_11.html?fbclid=IwAR2NI0OQUHfrT_yd0xXRM-Y_FYLoablFKxni1x88Ba3Q-w5Qn9l9CM81v9I) on her interactions with the author of that Atlantic piece, Jesse Singal. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2018, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035/20 "2018-12-13T18:50:27Z")
**Moderator Note** > [@JakeRS](#): > > Why do people have to be so obsessed with genders, orientations, racism and things like that? Are there really no better topics we could talk about? You aren’t being forced to participate. You are, however, required to not derail the discussion. You are instructed not to return to this thread. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035.md?page=2)