German Girl to be institutionalized

[IDrinkaRum]

Because her father (not in picture) wants her to be the boy she was born as

Local authorities in the girl's town are wanting to put her into a mental institution over her "gender confusion".

"Alex" or "Alexandra" has been raised as a girl by her mother, is accepted as a girl at her school, and is actually registered as a female.

Now that puberty is approaching, her father wants to force her to become a boy, and is encouraging officials who think she should be forced to identify as male and if she does not, there is always the mental institution option.

If this father really loved his child, he wouldn't care if the child was male or female. He should be happy for her. If my daughter told me tomorrow she wants to be a boy, I'd be a little shocked (she does like to be "girly" sometimes) but I won't have a problem with i. (At least I hope not, since I'm not in that situation, I have no clue how I'd actually respond, but I'd hope it would be with love & understanding).

[bara]

So, the father who abandoned him/ her comes back and says he wants her to be a him?

I think my brain cells just imploded.

[IDrinkaRum]

Yeah, the way I read the article, it says Alexandra(?) had these gender questions at a young age. The mother let her be a girl, the dad objected, and so the parents divorced, with him leaving the picture completely. Then he decides to come back and force his girl to be a boy again. My brain cells imploded also.

[fireheart17]

Sounds like the dad wants to get revenge on his ex-wife and is using his transgender daughter as a scapegoat. Poor girl.

[Silverharp]

I agree that she does need psychiatric help, but that's to help her adjust to puberty as a boy.
Other than that, her father is a small minded asshat who needs no contact at all.

[fireheart17]

I agree that she does need psychiatric help, but that's to help her adjust to puberty as a boy.

What I'm thinking is that the father WANTS her to be a boy no way around it. For some reason, this is making me think of the Millenium Series, where Lisbeth was institutionalized for no particular reason.

Fact is, she knows that she is a girl, she FEELS like she's a girl, she feels like she was born in the wrong body and helping her "adjust" to getting erections instead of periods and her voice breaking instead of breasts developing is going to probably not be in her best interests!

[Rapscallion]

"adjust" to getting erections instead of periods

To be fair, I think most of us would agree that one is more fun than the other.

Rapscallion

[fireheart17]

To be fair, I think most of us would agree that one is more fun than the other.

Rapscallion

To a girl, getting breasts and having periods can be celebrated depending on their upbringing.

[Silverharp]

Fact is, she knows that she is a girl, she FEELS like she's a girl, she feels like she was born in the wrong body and helping her "adjust" to getting erections instead of periods and her voice breaking instead of breasts developing is going to probably not be in her best interests!

Not adjust, then, but at least accept.

[bara]

To a girl, getting breasts and having periods can be celebrated depending on their upbringing.

I think hes referring to all the interesting pains that Ive heard gals have during their cycle.

[Canarr]

According to a German article I found on the subject, there's a bit more behind this:

According to the mother, there has been at least one case of transsexuality in the father's family, which was - as often the case - repressed and led to problems. Apparently, his motives are a wish to spare his own child a similar fate, as well as a belief that the kid's confused identity is the mother's doing.

Experts acknowledge that this is a possible scenario, and that cases of prebubescent children being confused about their gender (whether on their own, or brought about by their parents) may just resolve on their own during puberty. The difficulty is in telling such cases from "true" transsexuality, because only in the latter case would it be prudent to prescribe hormones to alter the child's development during puberty.

Since Alex was never extensively tested - and since no clear criteria exist to tell one case from the other - experts are divided and unwilling to give a diagnosis.

The father has, apparently, besieged Berlin's CPS in order to avoid hormone therapy - and, since Alex claims she'd rather die than be a man, the CPS case worker claims she is suicidal and is therefore pushing for the institutionalization. It has already passed the lowest rung of German courts and is currently being appealed by the mother. But CPS is pushing for an injunction to have the child be committed immediately.

[Panacea]

I don't know what to make of this.

I'm sure there's a lot we don't know about this case, so it's hard to make an informed opinion. Is this really a case of a transgender kid, or a parent (one or the other) imposing a gender identity on a child?

Sounds like a sorry mess.

[AdminAssistant]

Honestly, it sounds like some therapy and time away from both guardians is just what the child needs.

[IDrinkaRum]

The more I think about it, I'm in agreement with Admin. Not necessarily a mental institution, but some place anonymous (where the parents can't visit at their own whim), where the child can make up her mind.

[SkullKing]

I agree with admin,.

It is a sorry mess because it is actually possible for both parents just having the best interest of the kid in mind.