At what point does a "kid" become a "transkid"?

[SunniDelite]

We're often accused of hating trans kids or wanting them not to exist. I'm confused as to when a kid becomes a transkid.
When they start playing with dolls when they're boys or tractors when they're girls?
When they express a feeling that they might be the opposite sex (or when that thought might be put in their heads by a parent, teacher or social contagion)?
When they want to wear typically opposite sex clothing?
When a boy is quiet and sensitive or a girl is sporty and obstreperous?
When they go to a clinic in expectation that they can actually change sex?
In other words, what is a trans kid?

It's when the child's parents say they have a trans child.

When they are diagnosed by a qualified professional.

I do agree the diagnostic criteria are works in process and imperfect as there is a worrying albeit small % of post transition regret and retransitioners in existence.

The objective should be to filter out those whose dysphoria is puberty related rather than sex related.

I don't know if the film "Petite Fille" is still on BBCiPlayer. I found it heartbreaking. A French mother who really wanted a girl had a sensitive little boy. It looked as if she (and others) had convinced him to believe he was a girl. School tried to resist, but the doctor wrote them a letter telling them to call the child her/she and let him wear dresses. So many reviewers didn't see the problem, it was just a film about a trans child....

I think the question is about children at a much younger age than puberty, given the examples of playing with dolls/tractors. And many of the trans kids that are seen in the media are primary school age.

Thank you for recommending that film, going to watch that.

In answer to the OP… I don’t know TBH. Sadly it seems to be “when the parents say so” as Linguini says.

Prepare yourself @SingToTheSky - there are a lot of adults complicit in the abuse of the child and you see it in real time.

Never. In my view, there is no such child. There are, however, children diagnosed with gender dysphoria who may grow up to be transsexual adults. With "transsexual" referring both to a person who has what I would call sex dysphoria (i.e. a body dysmorphic disorder) and someone who undergoes a medical transition as far as they are physically able to.

There is also now a considerable number of children who identify as trans who may or may not experience sex stereotype distress (which I think would be a much more fitting term than the nebulous gender dysphoria) and/or sex dysphoria but who don't or have not yet received or sought medical support.

When adults fail them.

When adults fail to safeguard them.

When adults fail to say "No" to them.

When adults fail to say "You're great the way you are."

When adults get lost in the idea of playing the hero.

@SunniDelite

We're often accused of hating trans kids or wanting them not to exist. I'm confused as to when a kid becomes a transkid. When they start playing with dolls when they're boys or tractors when they're girls? When they express a feeling that they might be the opposite sex (or when that thought might be put in their heads by a parent, teacher or social contagion)? When they want to wear typically opposite sex clothing? When a boy is quiet and sensitive or a girl is sporty and obstreperous? When they go to a clinic in expectation that they can actually change sex? In other words, what is a trans kid?

This makes me want to scream as it feels like we are going backwards not forwards. Gender stereotypes should in the 21st century be a thing of the past that we laugh at. Instead they are becoming more embedded.

Toys are toys, children play with toys. Action man is a doll. I played with dolls and cars, what does that make me?

Clothes are clothes, we all wear clothes. Kilts are skirts, David Beckham wore a sarong, is he a woman? I always liked Eddie Izzard’s approach of wearing what he wanted and not looking like he was in drag, just a man wearing a dress. I had hoped it would become more mainstream instead it has taken us down very different rabbit holes.

People have a wide range of personality types, likes and dislikes they do not define if you are a boy or a girl, just a human being.

Having done some research I understand gender dysphoria historically arises very early I.e. 3,4, 5 years of age and it’s not “I’m a boy because I like to climb trees, play with cars etc” it’s “I’m a boy”. If it is the former explaining that boys and girls can climb trees and supporting choices and not saying things like “that’s girly” will help a child to be comfortable with their choices and encourage them to experiment and find out what they do and don’t like e.g. like climbing trees take them to rock climbing wall it may be a sport they excel at. The ones who are “I’m a boy” may need support but it is important to let the, work it out for themselves and not be pidgin holed so I would never label a young child as trans.

The second type of gender dysphoria is a relatively new phenomenon and is known as Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria. Research is limited and
the Cass interim report shows the multiple causes and outcomes and advocates more rigorous scientific research.

Then we move on to paraphillia’s and that’s a whole different ballgame.

@CharlieParley

Never. In my view, there is no such child. There are, however, children diagnosed with gender dysphoria who may grow up to be transsexual adults. With "transsexual" referring both to a person who has what I would call sex dysphoria (i.e. a body dysmorphic disorder) and someone who undergoes a medical transition as far as they are physically able to.

There is also now a considerable number of children who identify as trans who may or may not experience sex stereotype distress (which I think would be a much more fitting term than the nebulous gender dysphoria) and/or sex dysphoria but who don't or have not yet received or sought medical support.

I agree. Transsexualism used to be something that only ever applied to adults. The trans activist lobby deliberately chose the term 'trans' or 'transgender' to remove the connection with sex. I'm remembering something here that was said (I think) by Christine Burns of Press for Change about terminology.

This is a transactivist (Autumn Sandeen) on the subject of 'trans children':

“I’ve always said there are two groups that are going to make change in transgender legislation and the “gender identity and expression” related language in legislation. It’s going to be trans youth because … they demystify it and take the sex right out of the trans experience.”

There used to be a video on youtube of this, but it is no longer available. It seems that making it clear that children were being used as propaganda tools was seen as not particularly helpful to their cause. Some of us saw it though, and the transcripts are still there.

Would anyone be promoting the idea of 'trans kids' if we were still using the term 'transsexual' and talking about 'transsexual kids'?

It all comes down to "define trans".

Listening to a number of transsexual people they are annoyed that it is now just "trans" and too generic. There is no medical diagnosis etc.

I saw someone on the internet proclaim that they were "trans" but had not transitioned and had no desire to transition. That doesn't strike me as "trans".

It's the same as "queer" with many heterosexual people describing themselves as queer, because for instance they want a romantic relationship with a member of the opposite sex, not just casual sex.

A trans kid should be someone who has been diagnosed with gender dismorphia, and it is worrying now that there appears to be a system in place to identify gender non-conforming children (based off of gender stereotypes) and then label them as "trans".

When they present in a gender non-conforming way, particularly boys, and their parents are freaked out by the possibility that their kid is GNC or [whisper it] g-a-y