Extended Clip: Deciding to Raise a Transgender Child
Thursday, December 15, 2011 5:45AM
After continually being teased at school for her traditionally girl-like tendencies, the parents of our transgender guest, Danann, had to take their child out of school.
"[Her teachers] would say things like, 'she has to stop bringing princess backpacks to school, lunchboxes. It's confusing the kids and it's causing a distraction," Danann's father says.
Around this time, Danann was diagnosed as "gender disordered," which actually came as a relief to her parents, after previous diagnoses of bipolar disorder, ADHD and dyslexia. Her parents did some research, and the pieces seemed to fall right into place, verifying that their child was, indeed, transgender.
Watch this extended clip from the show to see what this revelation meant to them…
Filed Under: As Seen On The Show
Comments
I completely simpithize with these kids. I knew I was TG from about 4 yrs. of age. It was difficult in gradeschool but I was amazingly accepted in porociaol jr.high and highschool. Now 49 I'm on an estrogen treatment and feel great. For years I was depressed till the HRT. I'm a security enforcement ofc. in Fl. and my my agency and conrads support me. SRS is something I've always wanted but like with most TG's it's reserved for those with $ and are well off. dispite that I'm very happy with who I am.Born with a condition called (tunica Vaginalis) and with my development the absence of an adam's apple, feminine features etc. Though I liked Tonka trucks and G.I joes I was elated at Chistmas one year to get a barbie and easybake oven. I was always into fasion and girls clothes. My mother was accepting to my TG side My dad came around when I was about 12 to 14. Thankfully my parents accepted me as I was.
So, to all those "trapped in the wrong body" I stand with you. Be who you are, not what the world forces on you.
You do not "Decide" to raise a transgender child. Your child is, or is not, transgender and you raise your child. Horrid way to describe this piece.
I truly understand the agony she was going through, I went through it over 50 years ago but becasue of different time have lived with the agony of not being able to make that choice not the parents as understanding as Danann's , I went through the tantrums and displays of anger everytime I had to shop for boys school clothes or forced to do boy things I did not want to do. I hope people can learn to understand and realize she is a beautiful girl we preach everyday "It is what is inside a person that matters" and someday we will act as though it truly is....
Unfortunately, I saw this show last week. I was so disturbed and upset by it. This poor little BOY will never have a normal life and I feel that Mr. Cooper should have at least confronted the parents with some challenging and uncomfortable questions instead of just making it seem okay or acceptable. I was really sad and disappointed in Mr. Cooper and this show. In the past I have always respected him and watch his show but I will not anymore. If this is the kind of things he supports and has on his show then I don't want anything to do with him. The parents almost seemed to encourage this! It seemed like the mom really wanted to become a boy but didn't have the guts to so she lets her son do this. I was completely disgusted by it. The boy is only 8! It just isn't fair and I am very sorry your show supports that. God Bless America.
I was deeply disturbed by this program, and do not feel that it should ever have been allowed to be seen on public TV. If a child has the organs of one sex or the other, complete and normal, then there is NO ISSUE; the child is created as he or she was intended to be: a boy or a girl!
UNLESS, through PHYSICAL testing procedures, these children are found to be both male and female, no parent should EVER permit or encourage a child born a boy or a girl, to behave like, or dress like, the opposite sex!!!
I believe that any parent who allows such a child to undergo any form of physical sex change treatment or surgery, should be ARRESTED! These treatments and surgeries should ONLY be used for those who are born Hermaphrodites, both male and female!
Sara Giroux
Regarding the show on children discussing their decision to live their lives transgender...Hurray!!! I was SO uplifted by these childrens' stories and by the love,support and understanding their parents showed! I am sure their are MANY transgengered youth whose parents are no so accepting.I hope this discussion helped at least SOME of those parents who are not supporting their child's choice. This is why discussions like these are so important! Bless all those children "living in the wrong body" and hoping that their parents and society will wake up to the fact that this is really NOT a choice for these kids...it IS WHO THEY ARE!
when I was 15 my father [a doctor] told me there were 8 sexes in the human race and to never get on my high horse with others when I met them. he told me this because at the time April Ashley was in all the papers [in Europe]. she was the first public or successful transgender person. the sexes are. male /female; male to male; female to female; hermaphrodites male and female [often they are converted; by the doctors to females depending on the size of their genitalia.[making for LOTS a problems later] and lastly males trapped in female bodies and females trapped in female bodies. six are documented in medical books lately the transgendered are being taken seriously in the States. Bi-sexual are life choices by people very comfortable in their own bodies. in nature [among the animal kingdom these are also common.
I was intrigued by this show. About 6 years ago, I wanted to do a paper in college on an increase in homosexuality as a result of pollution specifically the myriad of endocrine interrupters that are entering our air, water, and food supplies. I can remember at least 2 news reports about fish gender problems in major rivers in the U.S. ABC News reported years ago about said fish in the Hudson River near outlets where human fecal matter was greater and the insinuation was that pollution may be causing it. Years later Robin Roberts of ABC News reported about the same phenomenon in fish in the Potomac. I was still unable to produce my paper simply because a rise in homosexuality cannot be ascertained easily. But your program on an increase in transgender children has given me the impetus to do more research. My degree is for professinal writing. I've done research and written around 800 blogs for the environment and am fully aware that far too many corporations are deciding our health in parts per million. There is no main database in the U.S. that measures just how many companies are doling out toxins in ppms that are supposedly "safe" for humans. Most corps. will push that number to the limit but there is no summary of all toxic output from all corps. What are we thinking? One company has it's ppm for us, another over here is doing the same, and another and another until it's literally hundreds emitting toxins in supposedly safe ppms on a daily basis and no one is keeping a tally of it? Certainly the sum of all the ppms of toxins of which we are recipients daily is way over the limit for anything healthy. Having children in this environment could be considered an experiment since there are greater percentages of births affected by autism, transgender, and autoimmune diseases that as of yet are unexplained. Every living thing on earth is being overwrought with the cumulative effect of toxins some that have gone untested for decades, i.e., perchlorate an additive in jet fuel that literally blankets the world. Perchlorate is used in thyroid meds because it affects that endocrine gland. It doesn't take a stretch to see what's happening here.
Thanks for this show. I'm beginning research on my theory after the holidays.
Conservatives that want to judge transgenders claiming God created them and that's how transgenders should remain should start to look at the big picture of taking care of the earth/environment because man not God is polluting himself to the point we're seeing a rise in sexual orientation problems.
Our 16 years old daughter Samantha (we call her Sam) just recently informed us that she is in the wrong body. She just started counseling and hope to transform FTM. She did not to come to us for the longest time, she was afraid that we would stop loving her or abuse her or kick her out of the family since that's what she learned from other's experience
She will start college in the Fall and wants to start fresh as a boy. However, it is a long process, she hasn't started on hormone treatment yet and it does take time to change your name and change your sex on the paperwork. Sam also wants to have her top surgery, and ultimately, a hysterectomy, which will not be cover by insurance.
We are learning on how to support her and provide for her to the best of our ability. There's so much more we need to learn and we are so glad to see your show yesterday.
We did missed the first half of the show and was wondering if we can get a copy of the show somewhere? She hasn't told our extended family and we think it would be helpful to show everyone your show before she share the news. In the near future, we hope that the insurance company and the government will acknowledge that transgender are real people and they have rights just as everyone else.
Thank you so much for provide such a great show. I hope your show will help other transgenders to come forward and talk to their parents,that the senseless suicidal will stop, that the parents will show them love and support, that the insurance will consider covering the expenses for all the necessary surgery, that the goverment acknowledge and support this great group of people and that we, the people stop the discrimation and treat each other with kindness and respect.
Tu Anh
What ever happened to a Tom Boy stage with female kids? As a little one I remember taking off my shirt and joining up with the boyz...they went nuts and were quick to let me know I had to cover up 'cause I was a girl. I was mortified but stayed acting as a tom boy. When the first little girl said I am what I want to be, I got a chill. Something is not right....at such a tender age. Will we hear from therapists who assist children through this and resolve their gender crisis and thus gain acceptance of their sexuality?
Wow, unfortunate headline wording. "Deciding to Raise a Transgender Child" makes it seem like the parents decided that the child would be trans. The only other explanation would be that the parents decided not to turn her out of the house. The child is transgender regardless of how she is raised.
A better wording would be "Deciding to Support a Transgender Child".