Is age 5 too young

[factor-fiction]

http://uk.lifestyle.y...to-become-a-girl.html

"Zach Avery was three when he started questioning his gender, and began wearing dresses and ribbons in his hair."

Is it too young or were the family and medical experts right to take action at such an early stage?

[sp1814]

factor30

It may be that the press got hold of the story, then approached the mother saying, "We're going to print this anyway - perhaps you could help other parents by giving us the story in your own words".

And with regards to the point about letting children be children - agreed, but this has nothing to do with sex, and everything to do with gender (and the two aren't necessarily synonyms).

[DTCwordfan]

I agree - why release the story, let him be a girl and live as a girl, which he is comfortable with (given the history) and then if he changes before or on puberty, so it. If he doesn't then take him into the hormone programme and eventually reassignment at an early age.

He is so lucky to be able to live in the gender he craves, most do not. He is unlucky that this story has been leaked to the press by his parents, relatives, family friends or even the school.....the person that did should be ashamed. However, once it has been released, so be it, be honest and proud of her.

[giveup]

All I feel is poor little child,whatever gender.Why all the publicity,they should be left alone to work it out within the family,with sympathetic help if necessary.

[jno]

sp1814, I'm pretty sure the press can't do that - printing stories about children without their parents' consent. They can't even run photos of politicians' kids. If the Telegraph had told me it was going to run a story about jno jnr's gender crisis when young, I'd have told them to see me in court.

[DTCwordfan]

The more I think about this the more I wonder if there is some money involved, from the newspaper or, secondly, the parents are after sponsorship from a kiddy clothing co (or both)....after all, the gurl was dressed up in a party dress for a photo by one of the "happy snappy" Press photo agencies.

[joko]

5 is absolutely too young to understand this sort of thing properly.

to a 5 year old, the difference between boys and girls is likely to be little more than girls have long hair, wear dresses and like pink.

this little boy may end up gay and is perhaps going through premature sexual maturation and experiencing puberty too early...but to me it just sounds like he likes pink and fluffy things and his parents have indeed jumped on it...i mean where on earth would be have even heard the concept of this and understood it?

lots of little girls become tomboys, we dont think they must be confused and probably lesbians, we think nothing of it.

i am glad nothing can be done until hes grown up though.

[ladybirder]

Did you see this on This Morning today?

http://www.itv.com/th...tity-disorder-debate/