# Transexual Children

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035>\
**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:** 4\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035/81 "2018-12-18T03:35:13Z")

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> [@TSBG](#):
>
> As a cis-male who was already trans-positive (and jargon positive…) your post was really inspiring and great.

Can you explain what you mean by “trans-positive”?

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**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 18, 2018, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035/82 "2018-12-18T15:51:01Z")

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> [@elfkin477](#):
>
> While the vast majority of parents would not want this for their child due to it making thhe child’s life harder, I think the people who are talking about their [theybies](https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/boy-or-girl-parents-raising-theybies-let-kids-decide-n891836) actually _would_ be thrilled if their kid turns out trans because it’d bring them even more attention.

I’m guessing you can’t relate to why parents would raise their children like that. Which makes sense, because I can’t at all either. It’s pretty far from a standard worldview.

But I can think of a dozen reasons why they might decide to do that before I get to “they just want attention.” Why do you jump to the least charitable explanation, when there are many others that are more likely?

When you cast such aspersions on the motivations of parents of transgender kids, it reflects on all of them, despite the “vast majority” qualifier. If you’re going to do it, at least have some evidence.

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**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035/83 "2018-12-18T17:33:29Z")

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> [@Slash1972](#):
>
> Can you explain what you mean by “trans-positive”?

I’m just throwing out a guess here, but I \*think \*it means they are positive towards trans issues.

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**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2018, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transexual-children/826035/84 "2018-12-18T22:27:23Z")

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> [@Shodan](#):
>
> P
> 
> > [@](#):
> >
> > 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

Did you actually read the [cite](https://www.kqed.org/futureofyou/441784/the-controversial-research-on-desistance-in-transgender-youth) you provided? Because its actual point is that those numbers you cited are probably incorrect.

Some of the studies basically included anyone who’s parents brought them in because they expressed interest in wearing a dress, and even the study on the lower end of the scale (the 64%) included anyone who stopped coming to their clinic as “growing out of it”.

> [@Shodan](#):
>
> 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:_  
> 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

For the sake of argument let’s assume that you are right and 66% of kids “grow out of it”. Then the question is whether going through puberty as a gender you don’t conform to is more than three times as bad as the side effects of the medications (which as others have pointed out, are actually known). I would suspect that it is.

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