[Me. I Am Salman]

A five-year-old boy who rejected his gender is now living as a girl with the support of his family, doctors and school

Zach Avery was three when he started questioning his gender, and began wearing dresses and ribbons in his hair.

Until the age of three Zach was a regular boy who loved Thomas the Tank Engine, but suddenly he became obsessed with Dora the Explorer and started dressing in girls clothes.

Zach's anguish at being a boy was such that "he used to cry and try to cut off his willy out of frustration."

Eventually NHS doctors officially diagnosed Zach with GID, one of the youngest affected children in the UK.

Ms Avery said: "They told us that although he had a male body, his brain was telling him he was a girl."

Ms Avery said the school has been very supportive and Zach had experienced no bullying from other children.

Source: Yahoo
And I read in another article from the telegraph that his mother "would love to have her son back, but respects his decision."

So what do you think? Do you think the child is too young to make such a lifechanging decision?

[Niamh.]

I would say 3 is too young yeah but I really don't know enough about that to comment

[Black Dagger]

So, first we have a seven year old come out as gay. And now this?

I mean, I don't know what to say, yes he's a little young, but genetics etc then... ooh I'm not sure...

[Livia]

When I was five I wanted to be a mermaid and thought it was within the realms of possibility. When I got older I grew out of it. I reckon he will too. Five is too young to even understand this stuff.

I blame Dora the Explorer...

[lostalex]

I don't agree with putting it in the media, but sounds like the parents have a good head on their shoulders.

What's worse, supporting the child to explore who they are? or pushing bigotry and shame on them?


Let the child explore, and support them in their decisions with guidence.

Compared to the shame and bigotry aimed at LGBT kids now, and the resulting suicide rates among LGBT youth, i say good for these parents. They may have saved this child's life.

Obviously the way our society has treated LGBT kids in the past is not working, so why not try something new, like love and acceptance.

That being said, i would not support any surgery or pills until he/she is at least 22. I'm appalled at any parents that get cosmetic surgery for children. Seeing girls getting breast implants as an 18th birthday present repulses me. Surgery and medical intervention should only happen when they are fully grown adults imo. No one's brain is fully developed by the age of 18.

Most research shows that the human brain isn't fully developed until the age of 22.

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Livia

When I was five I wanted to be a mermaid and thought it was within the realms of possibility. When I got older I grew out of it. I reckon he will too. Five is too young to even understand this stuff.

I blame Dora the Explorer...

...you definately have a point

[CharlieO]

So stupid. A 5 year old doesn't know what it wants to be

[Livia]

Wow...Dora grew up to be a hooker??

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Livia

Wow...Dora grew up to be a hooker??

..oh yes, she has 'equipment' merchandise...an Aquapet..yeah right

[Niamh.]

I don't really know alot about transgenders but surely it's a psychological issue rather than a physical issue?

[Niall]

I agree with it tbh. Well so long as the appropriate authorities make it plain to the kid whats going to happen and how it'll be irreversible.

If the kid was truly unhappy being a boy then maybe it suggests that swapping genders should be investigated. Those sort of feelings shouldn't just be written off because the person is still a child. Finding a solution to the issue as soon as possible is the way to incur the least stress.

Thats my take on it anyway. And I don't agree with this being plastered all over the papers either. Its a very personal thing imo.

[Niall]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I don't really know alot about transgenders but surely it's a psychological issue rather than a physical issue?

From what I've read about it, its a psychological thing. The person will often feel that they're trapped or have been born the wrong gender.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Niall

From what I've read about it, its a psychological thing. The person will often feel that they're trapped or have been born the wrong gender.

I understand that but shouldn't it be treated psychologically and not by advocating sex changes which are just mutilating their bodies. I mean it's all well and good saying I should have been born a woman, but they weren't born a woman, shouldn't they try to accept that instead. I mean if someone said, I'm a cat born in a humans body they wouldn't be encouraged to get surgery to try and make them look like one. I don't mean that to sound harsh or dismiss transgenders feelings, I just don't think having a sex change is the answer.

[Niall]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I understand that but shouldn't it be treated psychologically and not by advocating sex changes which are just mutilating their bodies. I mean it's all well and good saying I should have been born a woman, but they weren't born a woman, shouldn't they try to accept that instead. I mean if someone said, I'm a cat born in a humans body they wouldn't be encouraged to get surgery to try and make them look like one. I don't mean that to sound harsh or dismiss transgenders feelings, I just don't think having a sex change is the answer.

I don't agree at all. I do think that if a person feels they are the wrong gender than a rigorous psychological analysis should be applied to the person, to make sure that their feelings can't be resolved in another way.

I think that if the person feels truly unhappy with their gender, then we shouldn't force them to accept it, when their quality of life could be greatly enhanced with an operation. Forcing them to accept that they'll never be able to become the gender they feel is 'correct', is almost akin to saying to a homosexual that their sexual feelings are just a phase.

Its a genuine problem. And if its not sorted it can just cause a plethora of other much more harmful mental disorders later in life.

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I understand that but shouldn't it be treated psychologically and not by advocating sex changes which are just mutilating their bodies. I mean it's all well and good saying I should have been born a woman, but they weren't born a woman, shouldn't they try to accept that instead. I mean if someone said, I'm a cat born in a humans body they wouldn't be encouraged to get surgery to try and make them look like one. I don't mean that to sound harsh or dismiss transgenders feelings, I just don't think having a sex change is the answer.

So should all retarded people or disabled people also just accept that they weren't born "normal" or should they try to live how they want to live and over come what they were born with? Why put limitations on someone just because they weren't born "normal"?

Saying a trangendered person should try to accept being born a boy, is just ike saying a person born without 1 leg shouldn't get a prosthetic because they were born without a leg, so they should just accept only having 1 leg.

Why should they try to walk with a prosthetic, they should just accept not having the leg. That's what yur saying.

[Samuel.]

I agree with Niamh, at least for a 5 year old child. Surgery certainly shouldn't be an option at that age. Who knows how he'll be thinking in 10, 20 years time?

[MTVN]

Meh leave him be, and if he still feels the same when he's an adult then he can go ahead and get a sex change

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by MTVN

Meh leave him be, and if he still feels the same when he's an adult then he can go ahead and get a sex change

eggggsactly.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Niall

I don't agree at all. I do think that if a person feels they are the wrong gender than a rigorous psychological analysis should be applied to the person, to make sure that their feelings can't be resolved in another way.

I think that if the person feels truly unhappy with their gender, then we shouldn't force them to accept it, when their quality of life could be greatly enhanced with an operation. Forcing them to accept that they'll never be able to become the gender they feel is 'correct', is almost akin to saying to a homosexual that their sexual feelings are just a phase.

Its a genuine problem. And if its not sorted it can just cause a plethora of other much more harmful mental disorders later in life.

I really don't see how being gay and being transgender are even comparable. One is sexual orientation and behaviour and the other is thinking you are the opposite gender.

Originally Posted by lostalex

So should all retarded people or disabled people also just accept that they weren't born "normal" or should they try to live how they want to live and over come what they were born with? Why put limitations on someone just because they weren't born "normal"?

Saying a trangendered person should try to accept being born a boy, is just ike saying a person born without 1 leg shouldn't get a prosthetic because they were born without a leg, so they should just accept only having 1 leg.

It's absolutely not the same thing at all Alex.

[lostalex]

Well obviously it's not the same thing, because there isn't the same level of oppression and bigotry against disabled people as there is against trans people.

[Niall]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I really don't see how being gay and being transgender are even comparable. One is sexual orientation and behaviour and the other is thinking you are the opposite gender.

They're comparable in the sense that they were once viewed as a mental disorder.

I think people should be allowed to get a sex change anyway. So long as they are proven to be truly unhappy with their gender identity.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by lostalex

Well obviously it's not the same thing, because there isn't the same level of oppression and bigotry against disabled people as there is against trans people.

I just don't see the connection Alex What kind of a change are you comparing between the two?

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Niall

They're comparable in the sense that they were once viewed as a mental disorder.

I think people should be allowed to get a sex change anyway. So long as they are proven to be truly unhappy with their gender identity.

Well look, it's not going to effect me if someone wants to have a sex change, I'd just imagine that it would leave them feeling even more out of place is all.

[Tom4784]

I think he's probably too young for a serious diagnosis to be made. I'd just go along with it until he grows out of it.

[Fetch The Bolt Cutters]

ridiculous