TransChildren

K.D. is a healthy and happy child just like any other seven-year old. He is learning to read above his grade level, socializes with his classmates, plays rough sports like street hockey and touch football with neighbors in the street, and gets along well with his younger brother and older sister. His teachers at the local New York City Public Elementary School in the ethnically diverse, working and middle class Eastern Queens neighborhood say he is a normal, even above-average boy.

K.D. is different than most children, though. He was, in actuality, born a she; Katie, a biological female. From the time he was old enough to dress himself, K.D. started wearing boy’s clothing. He insisted on getting a boy’s haircut, and his parents were liberal enough to oblige. He fooled everyone at school, teachers included. It wasn’t until his mother went for open school night that she found out everyone thought he was a boy. K.D.’s second grade teacher kept using the male pronoun when talking about his academic performance until his mother corrected her.

More and more we are seeing cases like K.D.’s. Is it that parents are granting more freedom to their children to express themselves or is the media just starting to cover these stories more? Either way, there seems to be a foundational shift in gender expression that is skewing younger and younger. There are even research centers that now address issues of gender identity with youngsters.

Not all children are as lucky as K.D., growing up- and out- in NYC with open-minded parents and friends. 10-year old Cameron McWilliams hung himself this past winter in the UK, perhaps related to discomfort with his gender assignment. His mother reported that he was socially isolated and liked to wear girl’s underpants. When asked if he could wear make-up his mother told him no, but that he could when he was older.

Transchildren are helping to lead the way towards a more universal acceptance of gender diversity and are helping to demonstrate to the world at large that gender expression isn’t just about the sexual freaks of the gay community, but rather about supporting more generally inherent biological diversity.