Two Weeks to a Year *EOTWP*
15 January |
| Week 50 |
What defines you as a person? Okay, I realise that is kind of a broad question to ask, as there could be numerous facets of your being that could define you. Let's go with gender, or for some of you, the lack of labelling yourself in a binary manner. (Since this blog is about my transgender journey...)
Ruth's boyfriend and I had a good discussion Tuesday morning about hormone therapy in children. This whole conversation began when I told him how I was reaching out to a couple who are friends of a good friend of mine. This couple have three children — and one is a transgender girl who is almost 6 years of age.
Phillip began debating how he was unsure of or how it could be problematic to start a child on HRT at such a young age. I wish I would have had more information at my fingertips during this convo, but alas, I didn't. I could only go off of my own experiences as a child. As I've mentioned before, at age six, I knew something was odd. This body of mine didn't feel like it was mine. And because of this feeling, I would occasionally ask my mother, "Why can't I be a girl?" I've done this all throughout my life growing up at random points. So, at such a young age, I knew...at least to a certain point of recognition...who I was as an individual. But living in the household and family that I lived in — a very overly religious one of the Pentecostal nature that abided by strict, stringent gender roles — I had to keep my mouth shut and live the best that I could as something I never was.
I told Phillip that I would give anything to be able to go back in time and convince my parents to start me on puberty blockers around age 8 or 9. I knew who I was after all. It made sense. If you're curious about puberty blockers, by the way, here's a good article about transgender children starting blockers. They've been determined to be safe, and actual hormone therapy isn't applied until age 11 to 13 for either gender. And of course there's elongated androgen receptor studies, too. Phillip wasn't necessarily arguing that it was bad, he's just the type of individual who wants to see the research and science behind it, proving every aspect ideal. I get it. I do. Unfortunately, there's not as much research as one would expect to see by the year 2016. That will change in the coming years as more and more transgender children, accompanied by more accepting parents, come to light. I mean, trans kids have been coming out as far back as 1948. I'm sure there have been plenty more in centuries past, but stern gender roles in society have kept that all in check...as sad as that is. Thankfully, that's coming to an end.
So, I commend parents who step forward and recognise that something is different about their child(ren) at such a young age. The goal of a parent should never be to enforce a role upon their children, but instead, to foster love, support, and acceptance of how they view themselves as they develop. If this means developing under the binary gesture of western culture gender roles, then so be it. Applaud it. Encourage it. But do the same toward those children who feel they're of the opposite gender, too. And likewise for non-conforming children. Those exist as well, you know.
HEY, how about some statistical updates, eh?
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| Starting a new measurement this week (I really wish I would have done this one from the beginning.) Increases in bust and hips again. *does happy girl dance* |
Be good and do good! Love! <3
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