Lovelyish

There is a member of my extended family, from the time he was a small child he was raised as a female. He continuously said he was a boy to his parents, and they got him checked out at the doctor. It turns out, he had ambiguous genitalia at birth, and it’s just easier for doctors to call the baby a girl. So “she” has now officially become a he, and he is receiving hormones to help him develop more as a boy.

Good for her!

I’m glad she did this, because no matter what age, transgendered people are transgendered.
They were born in the wrong body since they were born, it didn’t happen overnight, and it’s better for them to come right out with it at an early age.
It’s definitely a plus that her family supported her. It’ll be easier for her to grow as a person, and she won’t have to hide herself away and follow society’s standard of gender roles.

Personally, that’s too young for me to make a life-lasting decision.  I mean, I won’t even get a tattoo because I’m too worried I won’t think it’s worth having in 5 years.  I’ve never been in a position like Jackie, though, so I’m sure that something like your gender is much more certain than your current obsession.  But I agree that the whole before-puberty thing would give me pause, but hopefully the parents looked into that before allowing the surgery.

I think she made the decision too young. She should have waited until she was at LEAST 21, to make sure it wasn’t a phase. I blame her so much as I blame her parents, they should know that when you’re that young you don’t know EXACTLY what you want and the consequences of it.

i think the parents did the right thing

Kudos to the parents. And bah humbug grandpa, but it was nice he still gave her a hug and appears to still be involved in their lives.

They’re just allowing their child to wear the clothes (and fabulous accessories) she wants. I don’t think something as drastic as, say, surgery would be the right call at 10, but that wasn’t even brought up. She looks happy. Yayness all around. Also, mom getting choked up = me on verge of boo-hooing, lol.

Dude, whatever.  Let the kid do whatever they want, it’s not like the half-assed opinions of the internet will totally matter.

fine but i wouldn’t want my 10 year old wearing makeup just yet 

Life-lasting decision? That’s pretty insulting. Surely when you were ten you knew if you were a boy or a girl. So did this little girl!

@Murphy_Rants@xanga -  This.

No, you didn’t make any life-altering decisions at 10, but I’m sure you KNEW you were a girl by then. So why is it strange that this child knew that as well? hmm… oh yeah, it’s not.

who is to say she is too young? as a child, did u question ur gender? or did you accept it w/o thinking about it? well Jackie questioned it and despite knowing she would be different, she has accepted it and so has her parents. who are we to doubt?

GO FAMILY.  This story makes my heart happy.  Why aren’t people this accepting normally?  

I’d agree that it’s too soon for her to start taking estrogen and have corrective surgery, BUT DRESSING AS A GIRL AND WEARING MAKE-UP IS NOT A LIFE LONG DECISION.   She can take the make-up off tomorrow if she changes her mind.

Congrats to the fam for being supportive

Some children are mature enough to come to those conclusions. I knew I liked boys and girls in Kindergarten. I didn’t exactly knew what it all meant but I didn’t care. All I knew is that was how I felt and those feelings never changed. As long as the kid waits till 18 to do any kind of surgery I don’t think it’s a big deal just because of her age.

I think the only “life lasting decision” was made before Jacky ever sucked air… I think if I felt like I was trapped in the wrong body at 10 (or 5 for that matter) I would know what I was talking about… what sort of kid would make that up just to do it??? I don’t think any would. Its accepting who you are, not making a decision…. I say AWESOME to the parents for not labeling her, making her feel like a freak or demeaning her presence…. supporting and loving and allowing your child to feel proud to be who they are: thats what parents are supposed to do.

my male cousin’s favorite color was pink and he also loved toys geared towards females such as polly pocket playsets, supermarket grocery toys, etc when he was a toddler to slightly older. now he’s a teen and looks like a skater boy, who is into video games. it varies by person, so there isn’t a right or wrong choice, just whatever makes the person happy.

She is not a 10 year old transgender. She is a ten year old girl. She happens to be transgender, but that is not all there is to her.

And the puberty thing isn’t an issue, you can get puberty blockers until you’re old enough to have the surgery to fix the deformation.

Jackie’s very cute! c:

I also congratulate the parents for being accepting!

I posted about this before too.

I think the parents were right to let their daughter be a girl, regardless of the kind of body she is in. It’s not like they are running out and doing gender reassignment surgery or anything, All of the changes that have taken place are reversible should Jackie change her mind one day. But it doesn’t sound like that will happen. I think as far as puberty, they should just do the blockers that I saw someone else mention.

@opticalnoise@xanga - i agree with what you say  

She didn’t “decide” to be a girl. She IS a girl. It’s just unfortunate that she was born with an outer appearance that didn’t reflect the “gender” of her brain. That’s why this is a disorder…Gender Identity Disorder…

When the mom responded with, “It’s going to be okay.” I got all teary.  I love that she did research beforehand and educated herself.  I love that her parents and most family members are accepting, loving people who made it safe for Jackie to really be who she is without issue.  I love that her life is moving on functionally.  I think her parents did the right thing.  Jackie is beautiful.  

These parents deserve nothing but support, and I do believe that life will be difficult for Jackie, but happier because she was willing to talk to her parents about it so young.

i have a friend who was born a female and has been living as a male since he was 8 years old. he always knew his body was wrong, it was never a decision he made, it was a fact he knew. children are free of the sexuality aspect of transgenderism, this is not about sex or relationships or anything its just about being who they know they are. my friend has been taking hormones since he was 8 and thankfully has only needed very minimal surgery. he developed as a boy and went through puberty as a boy, and he is now a very well adjusted happy man.

The kid will be more fucked up if they don’t get the say than if they do get say and turn out to be wrong when it comes to identity. As long as no irreversible things occur (i.e. surgery), should the kid change her mind later, it’s not an issue.

It’s not remotely weird. There are kids MUCH younger than that who know they’ve been born in the wrong body – I forget names, but I’ve read about four and five year olds who chose to dress/act/be called by the opposite sex, and they’re now happily living as the opposite gender.

If you know, you know. It’s not the same as “deciding” to get a tattoo or something. You just KNOW inside that you’re meant to be the wrong gender. That’s not something that you’re ever too young to know about it. I mean, you know you’re a girl at a young age, so why shouldn’t they know that they’re the wrong gender?

I think there are some kids who know themselves enough to be able to make certain life decisions. 

ohh..

@xxGetWellSoonxx@xanga - As someone who is dating a M-to-F transgendered person I have to agree. I’ve only ever known Jenna (my SO) as female and her past life as Jason I don’t really take into account. Jenna is a woman in my eyes, and quite frankly that’s who she is and has always been.

I think it’s awesome that the family is so supportive. Jenna’s family basically turned on her, which just saddens me. I’m a firm believer that you are the sex you identify as, not the sex you’re born. Period.

Jackie isn’t just an adorable little girl, she is a very brave one. She’s got a long road ahead and the world isn’t always going to be as kind and accepting as it should. I hope they check back with her in ten years so we can see the woman she will grow to be.

I’m not sure on this one.  While I understand that those who are transgender struggle with their sexuality/gender, at 10, I don’t believe you have a firm foothold on the concept(s) of changing your physical gender.

I’m glad the family was supportive, but in my personal opinion, the child should have been older to have any sort of reassignment surgery and also had a thorough psychological exam.  I’m not trying to be a jerk here but changing your physical gender is a HUGE deal and it can’t be anything but exactly what you need.  I think at 10, you’re too young to figure that out.

No problem with any of it except the makeup! Ten is too young to wear it. But I love this family’s respect for individual rights. I think that surgery would be extreme at that age, of course- the body is still developing, and it’s best to wait until they are done growing to do that.

I think she has the advantage not having to go through her adolescent years with a conflicted gender identity.  It’s better to nip it the bud in the early stage.  However, I do worry when puberty hits, will her state of mind change due to the hormones.

I definitely side with the grandpa in this case. I’m happy the parents accept their child the way she is and all but you really are in no position to make life-long decisions at age 10. Thats just dumb. (Heck, I wouldnt trust a teenager to make life long decisions.)

Though after reading the article it clears up my assumption about getting a surgery. Ok! She didn’t get a surgery! Good! I totally thought her parents made her go under the knife already. Ok they’re fine. 

What a bunch of bullshit. Great for Jackie/Jack. But happens the first time she gets a hard on? Stop her puberty? I’m sorry ten is just to young for any child to make these decisions. Plus ten year old don’t wear make-up! Please these parents need to wake up. Children do need boundaries. My daughter is 14 and I still won’t let her shave her legs and wear make-up. My son is 12, I have a feeling he’s going to be gay or maybe Bi-sexual. But that’s his choice when he is old enough to take care of himself.

 I blame all of this bullshit on Cable TV.
 Kids just don’t know how to be kids anymore. What happened to riding your bike and playing outside till it was dark. Coming home and being so sleepy from being outside you pass out and the next day you did it all over again. 
What happen to going somewhere and being disconnected?  For all you parents out there—– Turn off your fucking cell phone on the weekends and at night. Turn off the computer and the t.v.. Spend some time with your Kids! That’s why you had them! 

I am glad Jackie’s parents are supportive of her.  When it comes to people who believe they were born in the wrong gender’s body, or homosexuals, I don’t believe it’s a choice they make, like deciding to cut their hair short or not, or wear a blue or red shirt.  I think it was already predetermined when they are born.  I have friend who is gay, although he did not always tell people that he was growing up, he always felt that way towards other males even from a very young age.  I don’t understand why some people cannot accept the fact.  It’s not like whether she is Jack or Jackie will affect their life adversely.  Perhaps, they should put aside their biased opinions and make time to spend quality time and get to know her.  After all, she is still human.

Good for them, good for her.  They made her life so much easier, it’s amazing.

So many kudos to the parents. This is a touching story.

@uglymebanana@xanga - Well, in the video, Jackie is out riding bikes with her friends..

@Murphy_Rants@xanga - this! thank you!

i feel like if you were called a he when you were ten you’d know it was wrong too.

I think she’ll be happy as a woman, and that is what counts. The family is great. I think sometimes it really is a tough decision to make. Many kids just have phases where they want to be the other gender. Or they don’t feel as free to show and realize what they really like. I’m a girl, but when I was little it was always more appreciated when I played with toy cars than when I played with dolls, so some people believed I was very boy-ish. Actually I liked both. I’m still not a SUPER girly girl, but I very much appreciate that I am one (and look that way). Had I been born in a male body, I probably would not have realized how happy my female-ness makes me for a long time. I think Jackie is very lucky that her family is so accepting, and that her it is so extremely clear. Taking puberty blockers will make it all more authentic, and easier for her.

liking pink, playing with dolls,  and wearing makeup and dresses are not innately female characteristics. those are just restraints that SOCIETY puts on us, it isn’t biological.

i don’t really understand the whole transgender issue, i would like to but i can’t. my younger brother likes playing with barbies because he saw me playing with barbies, does that make him less of a boy? i liked playing sports and cars and action movies, does that make me less of a girl?

i’m not saying that there isn’t such a thing as being biologically
transgendered, there are cases with hormone disorders etc. what i worry
about it that a young boy is being told that if he likes the color pink
then that makes him a girl, because only girls like pink. i think he
should be allowed to be himself without worrying about labels because of
society’s inability to accept him as he is. 

why can’t people just like the things that they like without having to put labels on them? a boy can like “girlie” things and still be a boy and vice-versa. he shouldn’t have to change his gender in order for it to be acceptable.

physically, i’m a girl, but inside i’m a just a person. we’re all unique individuals and you can’t characterize a person’s entirety with a simple gender label. i have blue eyes, i don’t see people making assumptions about eye color in regards to personality/preferences. some people wear colored contacts because they like them, people dye their hair, people do a lot of things to change their appearance, but it doesn’t change what’s underneath, and what’s underneath doesn’t define them. if a girl is really ditzy, does that mean that she should dye her hair blonde because that’s a quality that is stereotypically associated with blondes?

also, i don’t like labels of sexual orientation, i think it places a stigma around it. i like who i like. i’m not attracted to a certain gender, i’m attracted to who they are as PEOPLE. i don’t label myself as bisexual just because i’ve been attracted to females. labels are silly. 

/end rant.

You know what’s ALSO a difficult decision for a 10-year-old to make? To continue living his life in a body that feels wrong, a gender that feels wrong, & to finally transition decades down the road – to live a lie. I commend this girl’s parents for allowing her to make this transition early & for being so accepting of it. This isn’t a decision – this is their daughter’s life, period. Cheers to the whole family for standing up for what’s right here.

And by the way? “Transgender” is an adjective, not a noun. This post title is incorrect. And “transgendered” is not a word at all.

@uglymebanana@xanga - So, you’re saying that the reason why she feels as if she’s a she.. is because of tv? Really?

I remember seeing this on Tyra, I believe, & I was a little shocked but I am so glad that she came out. <3

Those are really supportive parents.  I went to high school with a transgender boy.  I didn’t realize it completely until I saw him in the girls bathroom.  I heard that he’s been transgender since, at least middle school, so that’s not far away from 10 years old at all.  Everyone at school was all supportive of him and I never saw him get bullied.  He had a girlfriend at school too.

As for the above story, all I can say is, I’m jealous of that girl!  She’s allowed to wear makeup at 10 when I wasn’t even able to touch any!

Okay, let’s get one thing straight right now: BEING TRANSGENDER IS NOT A “LIFE-LONG DECISION”. Being Transgender is not a choice. So STFU and let someone be who they were born to be.

He/She is too young to decide something so life-changing. I understand if he/she wants to wear girl clothes & play with girl toys. But it may just be a phase. Or maybe in the future (age 18+) he/she can make the decision then. But not at the age of 10. That’s ridiculous. Especially since he/she hasn’t gone through puberty yet! There could be some major issues…

I knew I liked other boys when I was in the first grade. I always knew I liked them a little bit more than other boys liked each other. I think people sometimes underestimate how much children do know about themselves. I think 10 is too young to be getting the hormone injections and talking surgery of course but I wouldn’t say it’s too young for them to not know what they are.

@xxGetWellSoonxx@xanga - I agree with you. I don’t like the label of the “disorder” just because of the stigma that comes along with it.

I want to hug her family! Most stories like these end sadly because the parents didn’t accept their child being different.

@x_papergirl@xanga - I don’t like the word “disorder” either. But, it was the only way I could explain it.

@xxGetWellSoonxx@xanga - Oh, I wasn’t attacking you! I know it’s an actual disorder. and that it was the only way for you to discribe it. I was just expressing that the stigma is rather harsh.

@x_papergirl@xanga - I totally agree : )

Age is irrelevant. You know in your heart who you are, no matter how old you are.

That is quite sad. Glad the parents handled it far better then I could. Though I wouldnt ever go along with that.Espcailly at 10 years old.

kids calling her gay boy at 6 years old?  im questioning those kids’ parents…..

That was quick, maybe we don’t need to wait for them to be an adult first…

What the crap? I wanted to be a girl when I was a kid, but I grew out of it.

i think thats a little young to switch genders but if that what he wants so be it i mean if he is that sure. Althought he will never became a real woman since he cant have babies or have a real vagina intsead of a inside out penis and the brain it self is a male brain not a female brain i mean scinetifcaly we have diffrent brains. if he just gay thats something diffrent so really he is not entirely male nor is he female. if u disagree with me or u think u can prove me wrong than go ahed and message me

Why do you say this like it’s a bad thing that she’s a transgendered child? Does that even matter? She knows she wants to be a girl. She’s TEN. At ten, I had an idea of my talents, interests, hobbies, and my character. She’s not three. She can decide on her own, and doesn’t need people like you judging.

This is so sexist and closed-minded. The kid, who hasn’t even hit puberty yet and doesn’t even get sexual anything yet, has apparently been taught that you have to be a girl to like his favorite things. I teach dance, I sing, I do theatre, when I was younger I played Pretty Pretty Princess with my next door neighbor, I read American Girl books when I was younger I loved the idea of jewelry and makeup (and wear jewelry frequently now and makeup on the occasion (in the rock style)), I still enjoy the Power Puff Girls, and good grief I am a young man! A confirmed hetero what’s more! There is no confusion about that. But this kid for some reason thinks that he has to be a girl to embrace all that. Bull. Shit.

I think it’s great and as long as they are prolonging any surgery/hormonal treatments until she is older and past puberty, I don’t see any problem. Okay, I do see problems, but the same problems any transgender has to deal with, just at a younger age. Like which gym locker room does she use.

@Garishi@xanga - Yeah, I liked pretending to be a boy at that age and younger. I don’t see the harm in humoring it as a phase. As I already mentioned, as long as they aren’t allowing the kid to have any surgeries or hormonal treatments, it really isn’t that bad.

Giant kudos to the parents for all of this!  Its so nice to read a nice story like this sometimes instead of what usually happens in the world.

@theflowerstem@xanga - And yet I have a friend who KNEW since they were 3 that they were in the wrong sexed body. Most people who need to change know from very early on. 

If a guy wants to be a girl, let him be it.

If you hate some kind of food at age ten, chances are you’re old enough to stick with taht decision for the rest of your life, it’s not like when you’re five or six and you don’t like it because your friends don’t like it.One of my younger cousins has known for as long as he can remember that he’s transgender. He’s only come out to me and a couple others about it because he knows that people won’t accept him for it. He knew by age 4, and here he is 14, still thinking the same thing.

ugh, to the people saying she should have waited…how about you live 20+ years in the body of the wrong gender while people tell you “you need to wait and be sure” before you can transition back to how you know you should be.

the less time a person has to endure that kind of body dysphoria, the LESS psychologically damaging it will be. and it’s not even like surgery has been involved yet.

@writemyheartt@xanga - yeah seriously. i’m 19 and jackie’s worn more makeup in this video than i ever have in my entire life! 

My sister at 3 or 4 decided she wanted to be called a different name from her first name, and ever since then it’s stuck. It’s not a nickname or a cutsy name or anything, but most people at this point don’t even know that it’s not her given first name. My parents at first were just humoring her since it wasn’t outlandish or anything, but it’s what she wants to be called and that hasn’t changed even now that she’s an adult. Not as drastic as being transgendered, but sometimes kids really do know what they want. 

Well, I don’t know. I wouldn’t let any of my kids if I had them, make decisions like that at a young age. People do tend to give a lot of freedom to their children though because they feel and believe its the right thing to do so you can’t really say much about it when they’ve got child soldiers, kids getting cutting up to pass as a man when their just 12 years old, and etc. Its all cultural differences really. I mean I crossdress for entertainment purposes by no means do I believe in myself to be a woman even if I wanted to, the hard truth is. Your born as you are, and no surgery in the world can change this. You all heard of expressions like “that is so fake”. Well yeah, I can never be a girl no matter HOW badly I want to be, wrong body or not. Just because your kid wants to do something doesn’t mean you have to out right support it just because you love them either. I wanted a gun at age 9 but my mom didn’t let me have one just because I liked guns.

 I also wanted to play violent video games too but she wouldn’t let me, of course as I got older she was fine with me cutting peoples heads off and stuff like that. In China kids are allowed to smoke, so what I’m saying if your supporting everything your kid wants, how are you helping them at all? First you teach them about decision making, just because you feel that you know what you want doesn’t mean you do know. And despite the fact that I am attracted to transgender people, part of me doesn’t want to accept the truth about their real birth gender and the other half wants to believe that the person is the total opposite. I think a lot of females are just way more open to their kids making fast decisions then males because most dads get angry when their daughter get pregnant while the mother might seem less likely to be pissed about it, and its not wise to be loose with your kids making decisions that even adults have difficulties making. Its like that one kid who is on steroids, that shit isn’t healthy nor safe for a child. But its not my kid. And we all know a kid isn’t born straight or gay. You can’t help if you’re attracted to the same sex or both, and I’d never hold that against someone in the slightest bit.

But you are born as a male or female and whether you want to accept this or not? The truth hurts like hell. People can feel that they are born into the wrong body, but it just does not change that you are still a male or female, you don’t have to accept it, but you cant force others to accept it either or get mad that people refuse to accept it when deep down its the TRUTH, you cannot make a person accept a lie plain and simple.
If I wanted to be Asian, I can’t go to a doctor  get them to slant my eyes, bleach my skin, learn the language and just claim that I’m Asian, that would be BS!

Granted there are instances when a child might have both gender organs and parents often decide if they want that kid to be male or female or they let the child grow up to decide on their own. You people are just way to quick to say “good for them” that seems to be the biggest issue, you don’t think you just assume and make the decisions because you feel its automatically the right thing to do. Do you even understand what a transgender really is? Are you aware of all its procedures and the drugs? Do you know the effects it has? Until you understand EVERYTHING about a transgender think first. What i’ve learned about them is that they are some of the most overly emotional people I’ve ever met, and its not always because of people being against them either. Its the drug that causes their mood to increase drastically making them ten times more likely to bitch at you than an average woman would if she was on her time of the month or just simply pissed off.