Gender Stereotypes
My sister by marriage posted this story on Facebook, and I’m dying to know what all of you think about it. I will reserve my opinions for a later time.
My sister by marriage posted this story on Facebook, and I’m dying to know what all of you think about it. I will reserve my opinions for a later time.
6 Comments
Tre Lawrence
Headlines grab…
My life as a Home Engineer
Hey sis! I think it's just a publicity stunt, how else did this story make the news? I'm sure the parents called and blabbed otherwise this never would've made the papers, once the kid goes to kindergarten it's gender will come out anyway. Sad they're using their kid for their experiment but I think they just want attention honestly. Love U!
Kelly
Some thoughts – gender identity is an important part of who we are. If it wasn't so, why does gender confusion cause so much turmoil in the lives of people who struggle with it?
When issues that are realities are denied or hidden, it causes great confusion for children. What issues do we usually not talk about? Death, sin, sex, etc. The impression children get when these things are hidden is that something is very wrong with the issues, and they must be avoided. Children are left to come up with their own conclusions, and are often left confused. We are being encouraged by mental/spiritual health pros to bring these issues out into the open and deal with them. What will be the message when a child's gender identity is hidden? The fact is that the child is either male or female. Denying it does not change reality. It creates the "elephant in the living room" dynamic, when a significant reality is denied by adults, while the child wonders why they cannot see what is very real to him or her.
How quickly would you be willing to accept a Facebook friend request or pen pal invitations or even a lunch date with a new friend who would not tell you whether they were a man or woman? Would you allow your children to become msn buddies w/someone who would not disclose their sex? Would the fact that something so significant is hidden cause distrust and concern? Isn't gender an important bit of info? As a married woman, I would not want to meet a single man for drinks after work, but I would accept an invitation from a woman. Does this make me sexist, or is gender info simply important?
Are there other identity factors that we should hide? Like race? Marital status? Age? Is denying who we are an effective way to combat cultural bias? Is it simply putting the responsibility on the victims of cultural bias to hide who they are to avoid it, rather than targeting the bias itself?
Interesting topic, that brings up a lot of questions.
Babetta
Gender is definitely undeniable. I believe these people are doing a very destructive experiment with this poor child. I certainly hope it's no more than a publicity stunt… Not that it makes it better.
bpwells
Hi Babs!
I read the story and the comments posted and I agree that I hope this is not an "experiment", but I could see this being a more modern and flexible way of coping with a child born intersex (born with ambiguous genitalia or with one of the many chromosomal disorders which can be related to gender dysphoria).
There are many well documented cases and some which have made headlines where a child was born with both or neither well defined genitalia and the parents and/or doctor made the decision at birth to raise the child as one gender.
Years later, the individual had suffered from depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns only to find the truth. Often when these individuals are able to live as their psychological gender they are able to live happy, productive lives.
For believers, I would put this in the context that if God created us how he wanted us and then doctors, psychologists, and parents intervened, we were not being true to who we were meant to be, but rather true to who those individuals attempting to change us want us to be.
<3
Babetta
I definitely see where you are coming from regarding ambiguous children. No matter what is decided, it has to be very difficult to determine what's right. As for this couple, we received no indication that this was the case. It seemed they provided no feasible reason for this behavior. How can you keep gender from all who contact this child? It just doesn't seem best. I could be missing something.