a hypothetical situation

[Rainboq]

Situation follows: Okay, I want you to imagine yourself as a parent. Now, this child, of whichever gender, comes out to you as a transgender/transsexual/transperson, what do you do?

EDIT: EDITED FOR CLARITY.

 

[MassiveGeek]

Let them be transgender.

Really, I wouldn't care personally, it's my kid and they can be whoever they want to, I support them wholeheartedly.

 

[Mr Thin]

Smile, nod politely, assume it's just a phase they're going through.

I seriously doubt my child (I'm assuming you mean actual 'child', say around... 10 years old?) has a true understanding of what it means to be transgendered.

Now, if they hit 18, and they're still convinced that they've got the wrong plumbing, I'll take it more seriously.

I'd then spend a few years quietly confident that they'd change their mind, but if they get into their twenties and are still... being transgendered... then I would stop being dubious and switch to simply not caring.

 

[wooty]

No, but seriously and in all honesty.....I dont know, I doubt I'd be exstatic about the situation.

 

[Indeterminacy]

Experiment follows: Okay, I want you to imagine yourself as a parent. Now, this child, of whichever gender, comes out to you as a transgender, what do you do?

I have to challenge the experiment. You assume that I impose a particular gender role on the child in the first place.

EDIT (To elaborate): If, by contrast, you want the child to come out as Transsexual, I would simply explain the difference between sex and gender, ask them why they think being a particular sex is so important and then probably challenge their reasons on the grounds that they're thinking it lets them do things that they otherwise feel prohibited from doing.

I think Transgenderism is an entirely healthy and interesting state of being, and don't see it as anything that either needs to be challenged or specifically catered for (in that Gender role is a subject that I find rather troubling in the first place). Transsexualism, on the other hand, seems to me to be a mistake. Why should people feel they have to alter their physical sexual organs in order to get sufficient happiness in life? That sounds like a psychological condition that may need addressing; as much for people who, while being confident in their own sexual identity, obsess over their own genitals for oher reasons, as for people who think their sexual characteristics are "the wrong type".

 

[hashtag]

I really wouldn't care. I might ask them why they decided to become transgender but, it's their life they can do what they want, within reason.
EDIT: I'd ask them not to do anything until their out of high school because, they'd be less likely to be made fun of.

 

[Rainboq]

Experiment follows: Okay, I want you to imagine yourself as a parent. Now, this child, of whichever gender, comes out to you as a transgender, what do you do?

I have to challenge the experiment. You assume that I impose a particular gender role on the child in the first place.

You assume that you are able to not impose a particular gender role.

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

I'd seek opinions as to why they would want to do that, if they're certain they'd want to do that, etc., then decide from there.

 

[DarkRyter]

Same thing I'd do with any other of my children.

Teach them kung fu.

 

[idodo35]

id make sure he thought it through and isnt under presure from an outside force if this isnt the situation id suport him

 

[Indeterminacy]

You assume that you are able to not impose a particular gender role.

And is this as major an assumption as one that states that all parents necessarily impose gender roles on their children? I think not. You just need one even hypothetical counterexample to rule out the assumption inherent in the experiment.

 

[JoJo]

Depends on the age, if they were a younger child I'd smile and go along with their little game, if they were old enough to be serious then I'd ask why they thought that and perhaps get in contact with a psychologist. If they truly wanted to be the other gender then I'd accept that and support them but I'd want to make sure it wasn't another underlying psychological factor first and they were sure of their decision.

 

[Rainboq]

You assume that you are able to not impose a particular gender role.

And is this as major an assumption as one that states that all parents necessarily impose gender roles on their children? I think not.

If not the parents, society certainly does.

 

[Rainboq]

Depends on the age, if they were a younger child I'd smile and go along with their little game, if they were old enough to be serious then I'd ask why they thought that and perhaps get in contact with a psychologist. If they truly wanted to be the other gender then I'd accept that and support them but I'd want to make sure it wasn't another underlying psychological factor first and they were sure of their decision.

I'd like to point something out here, Transgenderism isn't purely psychological. There are cases of over exposure to androgens in utero that result in the child having a predisposition towards being transgendered.

 

[DanielBrown]

Talk to him/her.
Drink a bottle of whiskey.
Try talking to him/her again.
Drink more whiskey.
Pass out and never mention it again.

As a parent I would have to support it eventually though.

 

[ZeroMachine]

Support them however I can. What else should a parent do?

Not that every parent does this...

 

[Indeterminacy]

If not the parents, society certainly does.

And this should impact how I teach my child to look at gender roles? As noted in my elaboration of the above, I see transgenderism as an entirely healthy aspect of a person's character. Why my child should think that being transgender is something they need to "come out" to me about is something that seems unclear.

 

[Indeterminacy]

I'd like to point something out here, Transgenderism isn't purely psychological. There are cases of over exposure to androgens in utero that result in the child having a predisposition towards being transgendered.

Oooh... you really are conflating transgenderism and transsexualism.

Okay, now that that's clear, I'll drop my previous assertions. Yes, a child coming out to me as transsexual would be a surprise, and not an entirely welcome one.

 

[Rainboq]

If not the parents, society certainly does.

And this should impact how I teach my child to look at gender roles? As noted in my elaboration of the above, I see transgenderism as an entirely healthy aspect of a person's character. Why my child should think that being transgender is something they need to "come out" to me about is something that seems unclear.

On a side note: being Transgendered means that you want to alter your sex organs to better fit the gender you most identify as, not the other way around.

To respond to what you just said: A child can often feel ashamed of varying from percieved societal sexual normals, hence why coming out of the closet is a huge thing, IME.