Gender Dysphoria - am I naive?

[Lougle]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2036545/Mother-sends-10-year-old-son-school-GIRL-believes-trapped-wrong-body.html

Am I naive for thinking that if this had been a little girl who liked only boys things, it wouldn't have been seen as a 'medical condition'?

[WidowWadman]

Yes, you're naive. This is not about a boy liking girl's things. I'm glad she has such a supportive family.

[ripstheirthroatoutliveupstairs]

Exactly what widow said.

[savoycabbage]

Yes, yes you are.

[pinkytheshrinky]

yes you are

[CMOTdibbler]

Gender dysphoria goes way beyond wanting the other genders clothes and toys. I think its great this childs family and school are so supportive

[netherlee]

Good for them. Sadly I think there are many times more who think it less painful to bottle it up than endure the abuse that happens without exception.

[ScarletLady01]

I wouldn't say you're naive, it's a subject most people don't know a lot about. The fact you asked questions and want to know about it is good.

I think it's amazing they've been so supportive, and the school as well. My sister is 23 and has Gender Dysphoria so this is an issue that is close to home. A lot of people don't think a person can know from a young age but I know that not to be the case. My sister knew her whole life, came out to my Mum at around 8 and the rest of us a few years later. She is due to have her gender reassignment surgery next year and I'm so happy for her. The discrimination and bullying she has had throughout her life (school was the worst) is disgusting and it makes me so angry to think others go through it every day. She got punched in the face in a club last week as she got chatted up by a man. He punched her when it dawned on him what she was.

Any story that raises awareness and normalises this issue is great as far as I'm concerned although I'm not a fan of the Daily Mail (AT ALL) it's belittling quotation marks in the title. It's not something a lot of people encounter every day and it is perfectly acceptable and normal. They're just people at the end of the day, as we all are.

[CollieandPup]

You are being naive but tbh most people are about the subject as very litte is understood about it and it's rarely talked about. This article is great and I'm very impressed to read a school dealing with the situation in such a supportive and positive way. The impact of having to 'live a lie' for adults with gender dysphoria can be devastating.

At least your asking the question though and it's being talked about.

[TottWriter]

I think Widow does raise a valid point though. I can't claim to have known much about gender dysphoria before (though obviously I am aware that it happens) but the article mentions at the end a statistic that it is 5 times more likely to be identified in boys than girls. Is that an accurate statistic? Could that be because girls with the condition occasionally are simply branded as tomboys, whereas it is more noticeable when a boy wants to behave as a girl?

I don't think it makes it right that this is the case, but it is less of a social taboo for a girl to wear boyish clothes and play with toys aimed at boys than the other way round. I'm not saying all tomboys have gender dysphoria, but it seems odd that the statistics are so skewed.