Source: catholictrans.wordpress.com
I'm sure we've all made those huge life-altering decisions back when we were six or seven years old, when we decided on a course of action which would form our lives for the duration to come... (Just in case you haven't noticed, this sentence and the next few to come are heavily laced with sarcasm.) Remember? Back when we were rational thinkers and had plenty of life experience to back our decisions, when we really knew what we wanted! Ah, to be a child again and have everything figured out! At no point in my life was I more confident in my own being and certain of my own identity then when I was young. Maybe one day I can hope to reach the level of self-knowledge and intelligence I had when I was seven years old...
It's Gone Too Far
This is getting fucking ridiculous people! Gender reassignment is now covered by health-care as necessary surgery in Canada. At least one province (Ontario) has passed legislation which could result in children being removed from any caregiver who does not respect a child's choice in "gender expression". Expression is one thing - assignment another.
Being an advocate for freedom, I am of course 100% for freedom of expression or actions which do not result in the harm of others.
It Could Cause Harm
The problem with extremely modifying the body of a young individual is that IT MAY CAUSE THEM HARM IN THE FUTURE. Let's face it, people are still making decisions they regret well into adulthood. How many of you have a tattoo you regret? How many of you have had the same haircut for the duration of your life? But you have your extreme body modification desires figured out when you're seven? I love tattoos, always have. I can recognize the fact that if my parents had let me get tattooed at seven years old THE TATTOO WOULD BE FUCKING STUPID! I'd say you pretty much have a 100% chance of not appreciating it the same way once you have matured.
Surgery is dangerous under any circumstances which also puts the physical safety, and even life, of the child in immediate danger. I'm not sure if the data on the long-term effects, both physical and psychological, of gender modification is out yet. Based on my understanding of physiology and psychology there are bound to be some negative results.
We Need To Teach Them
I guess society needs to be reminded that children are stupid. This not meant as an insult, but in the direct definition of the word - especially definition 1 b. & c. and definition 3;
Stupid:
1 a : slow of mind : obtuse
b : given to unintelligent decisions or acts : acting in an unintelligent or careless manner
c : lacking intelligence or reason : brutish
2 : dulled in feeling or sensation : torpid
still stupid from the sedative
3 : marked by or resulting from unreasoned thinking or acting : senseless
a stupid decision
This is, of course, hopefully not a permanent state as it is our job as parents or caregivers to teach these young minds and give them the tools required to develop intelligence. To use our life experience to guide our child's decisions at times where they may not be based in fact or reality.
This brings us to the fact that children are highly impressionable, or even programmable, prior to seven years old. This leads me to question: Are children who are not exposed to the idea of gender fluidity likely to even consider reassignment as a possibility or is the projection of this onto children the main cause of the increasing cases of gender confusion? Really that's what it is - gender confusion, and I would say it's directly due to environmental influence.
Source: allthatisinteresting.com
Six Of One, Half A Dozen Of The Other
Let's make some direct correlations here folks. If gender reassignment is not child abuse then ALL of the following must also be acceptable and a right for a child to choose;
- Tattoos
- Piercings
- Dermal Implants
- Botox
- Plastic Surgery
- Genital Mutilation (such as splitting the penis, etc.)
- Voluntary Amputations
If you consider any of the above not acceptable to be performed on children you must come to terms with the correlation of the above and gender reassignment and inevitably come to the same conclusion I have.
Disagree To Agree
Realistically this post has nothing to do with whether or not gender reassignment itself is morally acceptable, so if you've gotten all 'bent out of shape' and are planning to comment accordingly, save your breath. This post is speaking out against child abuse, and even more so, it is speaking out against governments supporting child abuse through current legislation.