Parents hide gender of child for 5 years. People need to knock this PC crap off

[geraldford]

I'm not saying this to be a terd...

You'd be a happier person if you'd mind your own business. A 5 year old in the UK should not matter to you. Pick your fights and relax the rest of the time.

In the words of a poet...

[Krony]

News flash: no one cares.

He's healthy, he's happy. So what if they don't tell people what gender he is and let him choose for himself what clothes he wants to wear and what toys he wants to play with instead of shoving trucks and little green army men down his throat?

also, inb4 "SASHA IS A GURLS NAEM HURR", it isn't. Sasha is traditionally a male name, just like Ashley, Courtney, Kim, etc.

sure hes happy now but im sure at one time you went to school and you know what will happen he will be tormented by the other kids then he wont be happy and he will even more gender issues than if they just treated him like a boy and didnt put him in dresses and pink girl swim suits

[Melanieshaman]

That child will be sexually confused until later in life. Until our society completely cuts out gender roles within the new generation nearly all at once, then this will just confuse the children until they are old enough to understand. There is a possibility of psychological damage in the long run as well, not as high as if he was molested or beaten, but there is a chance none the less. Society today is just getting ridiculous, "I don't want to live on this planet anymore"

I know, from my experience i was forced into that typical male role (sports, girlfriends, etc) And was confused like crazy!

[starlord]

Don't you think this will lead to ridicule and out casting from peers once he joins the schools?

maybe. but so would certain kids not liking the way he breathes. it happens all the time to so-called "normal" kids.

---------- Post added 2012-01-20 at 01:47 PM ----------

sure hes happy now but im sure at one time you went to school and you know what will happen he will be tormented by the other kids then he wont be happy and he will even more gender issues than if they just treated him like a boy and didnt put him in dresses and pink girl swim suits

define issues.

[Maruka]

i guarantee in 15 years this kid is bat sh!t crazy

[Krony]

maybe. but so would certain kids not liking the way he breathes. it happens all the time to so-called "normal" kids.

---------- Post added 2012-01-20 at 01:47 PM ----------

define issues.

cross dressing ,gender confusion, sex change surgery just a few things that can happen when you mess with a childs mind

[Melanieshaman]

cross dressing ,gender confusion, sex change surgery just a few things that can happen when you mess with a childs mind

Why does someone have to have their mind "messed with" to desire to go through those things?

[Krony]

Why does someone have to have their mind "messed with" to desire to go through those things?

because most result traumatic childhood events like being raped ect or they could have a hormonal imbalance in the brain.

[Gfg333]

Very young children like the boy named Sasha depend 100% on their parents to make appropriate decisions on their behalf. In this case, you have a mom who is a feminist with gender issues. So why does the poor child have to be subjected, to his own detriment, on mom’s problems? Some authorities take is very seriously. Think about it… What if a mother named her child “Satan”? Would the state step in?

[Mercuria]

As a transgender person aswell, I wasn't 'forced' as much as Melanie in her gender-role as a child but still the out-side world and peer pressure made it so inbelievably hard to express yourself, and it's going to be in the small details of social life that you feel strength or just very un-sure and worthless (People calling you names, feeling excluded, feeling your body is acting up more and more because it isnt what you want etc)

Parents who do things like in the OP think its noble , but it's just as bad as children being forced to be 100% straight, male/female because that's what the parents want.

I guess teaching children values and responsibility is more important than strict gender-roles or a experimenting with a child's gender; let them decide for themselves who they love and what they feel comfy with, motivate them to be a good person

Personally I am thinking of adopting if I ever want children, there's so much hurt and lonely kids that would love someone who smiles at them and takes care of their future a little bit ...and my bias towards having a baby girl isnt healthy, so I'd rather not get children the 'normal' way. I guess my dissapointment would be cringworthy, such a silly flaw of me -.-

[Catta]

This gender ambiguity is silly... My stance on it is the same as with circumcision... If people want it then let them choose when they are old enough... dont force it on children

[Tastyfish]

It's child abuse but amazingly they're allowed to get away with it since they're man and wife. Imagine the outrage if a gay couple were to do this.

Yea but that would not happen, because, well.. People who want kids because they want kids tend to treat the kids like the gift they are, and not so much a burden.

[Catta]

I know, from my experience i was forced into that typical male role (sports, girlfriends, etc) And was confused like crazy!

And you disliked it... But since the majority of people are comfortable with their own gender then theres a high probability this kid will get confused when forced into the opposite gender role

[Melanieshaman]

because most result traumatic childhood events like being raped ect or they could have a hormonal imbalance in the brain.

I haven't seen the numbers, but i disagree most trans people have been raped, or molested. Hormonal imbalance is true, but that's not "having your mind messed with" ... that's an in utero (i'm sure i misspelled that) thing.

Mercuria- well said.

[FathomFear]

First of all, the parents sounded like they hid the sex of the child--not the gender. Being only five, the child likely has a minimal gender identity at this point. There's really nothing to "hide" as far as that goes.

[Saevio]

"Sasha" and "Storm". Thanks parents for ruining every chance they'll ever have of normal lives. Normal is kind of important in this world.

Also: Yes, it isn't about the differences being slight biologically. It's about the serious lack of tolerance that people will have. There will never be acceptance to this sort of thing. You just can't wear women's clothing to school because you "lack gender roles" if you want to live more than a few years.

Even though I believe they are taking it a little too far, I don't really think you are qualified to determine how "normal" his life will be. Normal is merely a state of being in a sense. Living a normal life under societal standards may not be what this child determines to be normal. If this is all he knows, then it is normal for him. Besides, some people prefer to live a life not subjected to societal norms. I personally would rather live my life how I want to live it instead of listening to what the majority thinks I should do. As a matter of fact, some of the greatest minds in human history lived lives that would not be deemed normal by society. Does that make their contributions to our world any less significant?

[Melanieshaman]

And you disliked it... But since the majority of people are comfortable with their own gender then theres a high probability this kid will get confused when forced into the opposite gender role

I didn't "dislike" it, it just confused me. "Is THIS what i am supposed to do/be?" It felt wrong, but i went along with it.

[Deleted]

For those of you saying it will mess with the kid, I laugh. I'm pretty 'messed up' (although I have excellent self control I guess) myself and while my parents weren't perfect they weren't terrible or abusive either (the latter will screw with someone though). Something like this is a hard thing to judge but by the sounds of the article they aren't forcing him to do anything so he'll probably look back in 10, 20 years and blush at the though of wearing his sister's clothes or perhaps he'll be buying his own feminine clothes and be happy with himself, who knows.

"Sasha" and "Storm". Thanks parents for ruining every chance they'll ever have of normal lives. Normal is kind of important in this world.

Also: Yes, it isn't about the differences being slight biologically. It's about the serious lack of tolerance that people will have. There will never be acceptance to this sort of thing. You just can't wear women's clothing to school because you "lack gender roles" if you want to live more than a few years.

You know that you're only helping to propagate the discrimination by thinking like that, right?

[Priestion]

This totally seems like something right out of the Onion... But it isn't, and that makes me sad.

[Zathrendar]

I'm not a psychologist or a biologist but I don't see how this is abusive. I don't condone it nor would I do it but if they want to I don't see a massive issue. However, if the child developed demonstrable issues as a result of it you could say it's a bad idea, but I don't see how it's worse than encouraging children to adopt gender roles they may never identify with and which force them later on to repress themselves. On the other hand, as a child I don't see how this encouragement would affect them anymore than teaching them manners or other forms of social etiquette which may result in them not getting their way. It may also help them avoid a lot of teasing and scorn. I don't think people should underestimate the negative impact that can have.

I'm not someone who believes sexual differences are nil or even exaggerated hugely. But a lot of what goes into being male or female is really socially constructed. A few thousand years ago men wore robes. Now that'd be "gay". This sort of stuff is not set in stone.