Sexual Identity Goes Awry

An 11-year-old girl claims she neither thinks nor feels like a girl. Failing at school, she becomes depressed and dreams of being a boy.

An 11-year-old girl claims she neither thinks nor feels like a girl. Failing at school, she becomes depressed and dreams of being a boy. When the 11-year-old reports that she feels she is gay, therapists downplay her concerns. The 11-year-old remains deeply troubled. Finally, a physically explosive episode leads the mother to bring her daughter to a gender disorder specialist who concludes that the 11-year-old should grow up as a male. After this, the mother supports her daughter's transgender journey. Her feminine bedroom is redecorated. She receives a boys' haircut. Finally, she changes her name. The transformed 11-year-old has a troubled reception at school, but the mother continues her support. As adolescence begins, the child decides that the eventual answer is surgery. Although still too young to undergo a physical sex change, hormone therapy is an option. An intensive psychological evaluation leads the psychiatrist to recommend the therapy.

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      After you've watched the video, click the link below to answer questions about what you've learned.
      Video Assessment Quiz

      Question

      1. What was the initial reaction of therapists when the child said she felt she was gay?




      Question

      2. How did the school community eventually react to the situation?




      Question

      3. What precipitated the child's desire for surgery?