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posts about #drphill more → Dr. Phil: Christian Researcher Blames Gender Identity Confusion On Bad Parenting
New York, 10:06 PM
Mon Dec 21
55 posts in the last 24 hours
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Dr. Phil: Christian Researcher Blames Gender Identity Confusion On Bad Parenting |
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
10/31/08
10/31/08
10/30/08
That the show presents a Christian view against a scientific one as a legitimate way to "balance" the argument is so appalling and unsurprising. I heard Dr. Phil in an episode many years ago advise a mother with a transgendered child to throw away all toys that were not gender-normative and replace them with more suitable toys. Talk about psychologically damaging the child AND mother.
As for Focus on the Family, they are possibly the most extreme organization one can tap to offer an "expert opinion." Progressive and mainstream Christians should probably be more vocal in denouncing such organizations when they are used as representatives of Christianity as a whole.
10/30/08
10/30/08
10/30/08
I understand that gender identity, all encompassing, is a product of nature and nurture. But what purpose does it serve to deny a three year old child whatever it is that makes him/her happy to make sure they conform to a masculine or feminine societal norm.
Christians, especially their scientists, drive me batty.
10/30/08
10/30/08
If gender is ALWAYS in line with physical sexual characteristics, then one doesn't need to be guided by their parents. You'll easily incorporate gender into your identity as you you learn (from day 1) what makes boys different from girls.
That's fallicious reasoning. Thanks, Bachelor of Arts - you didn't let me down!
Gender is a subtle network of ideas that incorporate physical appearance, internal and external physical traits and our culture's view of gender.
He is right that for many, gender is about things that aren't masculine or feminine. Art museums aren't only for girls. Baseball is not only for boys. But it doesn't suprise me idiots who fear museums (that don't claim dinosaurs were hunted by men) are associated with Focus on the Family. FOTF probably does have idiot parents calling them for advice about a son's affection for gardening or finger paints.
The truth is our society is far to restrictive about gender. He's right that we genderize (is that a word?) activities that have no link to sex, like dancing, knitting, baking, gardening etc...
But it is also possible that a transgendered kid might adopt these interests specifically to re-inforce a chosen gender or just to explore their gender identity because they need to figure out who they are.
And art is for everyone!
10/30/08
How entrenched in a gender can a child be? Is the kid's gender really being decided on his taste in toys and clothes?
It seems that the parents have decided to self-diagnose their child which has gotten him a ton of attention. Kids do what ever they can to get attention and aim to please. To this end, having the little boy wear a dress and a tiara on national television is not going to help anyone.
Take the boy out of the spotlight and let him be a mixed up kid for a few years before you start diagnosing him with a rare identity issue. You will probably cause more just as much damage in raising a normative kid transgendered then a transgender kid normative.
10/30/08
10/30/08
10/30/08
Here's a radio story on two family's approaches to gender identity disorder. The fam that is trying to force their kid to be a boy is really sad. It's sad bc they obviously love their kid....and they have to suffer watching him unhappy and he is unhappy
10/30/08
Everyone should read about the case of Joan/John [infocirc.org]
[www.slate.com]
His real name was David Reimer if you want to google.
He was a boy who's penis was accidentally cut off during circumcision who was then raised as a girl. It was a failed experiment. David was never like a girl and always wanted to be/act like a boy without even knowing he really was one.
Children know their gender. It is an innate and biological thing. There are differences between boy brains and girl brains, which come from the hormones while developing in the womb. The argument that society creates gender roles has pretty much been debunked in science. Yes, society exaggerates them, but they are pretty much innate for most people.
If a boy child is certain that he is a girl or vice versa, that is probably because he is a girl, in his brain that is. It has nothing to do with how his parents raised him, but with how he developed in the womb.
10/30/08
Years ago, they had the real boy boy from the John/Joan case on 20/20 (I think), and when they finally had David Reimer on camera, I just thought he looked so miserable and beyond repair, even after finally being able to live as a male. Sadly, in 2004 he took an overdose of pills and died, unable to overcome what he had gone through while growing up.
10/30/08
BTW, the book about David's case is called "As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised As A Girl", written by John Colapinto.
10/30/08
10/30/08
And then he grew up to be a horse's ass. Funny, that.