Gender Identity Disorder in Childhood: Inconclusive Advice to Parents

Alice Dreger, “Gender Identity Disorder in Childhood: Inconclusive Advice to Parents,” Hastings Center Report 39, no. 1 (2009): 26-29.

For purposes of this essay, let’s invent a contemporary American child named William Lee. William is five years old and, as far as anyone can tell, his body is that of a typical male. But William has long acted in a fashion more typical of girls: he likes to play with “girl” toys like Barbie dolls and My Little Pony; he strongly prefers playing with girls to playing with boys; and he likes to dress up like a conventionally pretty woman, in pumps and dresses, with jewelry and make-up. He increasingly insists he is really a girl and indicates a belief—or a desperate hope—that he will grow up to be a woman. He wants to be called “Julie” and to go to school as Julie. He exhibits what psychologists call gender dysphoria. This stresses out his parents; it is not easy to have a child who challenges social norms, especially norms about gender.

Note from Curtis E. Hinkle: I find this to be a very good article which has many of the same findings that I wrote about in the following article:

Zucker: Manipulation of Young Feminine Boys

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