And A Child Shall Lead Them...

Freedom of speech (in all its forms) is, perhaps, the most valuable human right of all, and the implied freedom from oppression as a result of that speech is equally important. I cherish this freedom and would not ever want to restrict another person's right to do so under any (do NOT yell "Fire" in a crowded theater!) circumstances. I say and believe all this while balancing copies of the Bill of Rights and the Magna Carta on my head as I type.

That being said, it has occurred to me that blogs are like assholes...everybody has one. And some of them are written by HUGE, incontinent assholes.

One such blog is called "The Right Rant" (http://therightrant.blogspot.com/). It is produced (I hesitate to say 'written', since it's content seems to be more intestinal than cerebral) by this guy named Ed.

Recently, Ed decided to "produce" some of his ideas about a gender non-conforming third-grader in Colorado who is in the process of transitioning with the support of family, friends, school administrators and an organization I founded but am no longer affiliated with.

Here is some of Ed's "product", as well as follow-up comments by some of Ed's ummm....fellow floaters.

"It's bad enough when schools indoctrinate our third graders with radical liberal dogma...but seizing the opportunity of a (transgender) kid who likes womens' clothes to proselytize third graders into accepting alternative-lifestyle pedogogy is beyond abhorent."

"If you are a discerning reader, you probably are asking yourself, why are they using the term "transgender" when the 9 year old did not have a sex change? The author of the article wants you to think that men who prance around in womens' clothes are comletely normal and they didn't choose to be cross-dressers."

"Third graders being indoctrinated into believing that literally any perversion is the norm and should not only NOT be judged, but embraced."

'Floater' Kevin commented:
"Do you know why we shouldn't treat this boy like normal boys and girls? Because he isn't normal! I'm sorry but if i went to school with that kid, I would probably make fun of him... until he graduates from high school and goes to work at a women's clothing store full time."

To which Turd-In-Chief Ed responded:
"Who knows if the kid is gay or not, or if he just likes womens' clothes. At 9, you can't tell. Only as he approaches sexual maturity can one determine orientation. Until this kid reaches adulthood and chooses to have a gender reassignment surgery, he remains a dude and must dress like one.

What kills me is this kid's indulgent parents who don't say, "Life blows kiddo....now put on some pants!"

It was at this point that I decided to exorcise (not a typo) my freedom of speech on Ed's blog and "produce" some ideas of my own. I tried my very best to generate these thoughts from the top floor of Jenn Central rather than the bowels of my corporate sub-basement...though I cannot tell a lie. There were audible rumblings from the boiler room.

I wrote:

Why are insults, stereotypes and prejudice your first reaction to something you don't understand, or need more information about? This is a CHILD we're discussing here, not some pawn to be moved around to suit yours or anyone else's political or social agenda.

The fact of the matter is that there is a great deal of evidence that gender identity in ALL people is formed by age 4. That it is completely separate from anatomical sex (though most frequently they match to one degree or another) and that is has nothing to do with sexual orientation.

You have no idea of the pain these children experience when they are not supported and loved for who they are rather than for who others want them to be. This is not an illusion, or a whim, or an obsession. These children are not crossdressers or transvestites. CD's & TV's do what they do occasionally for various reasons. This child does not want to switch back and forth...this child identifies as female.

You can not "beat the girl" out of her or psychologically abuse her into being what you might consider "normal". And if you endorse teasing, humiliating or bullying these children in school, then quite frankly, you will be an accessory to their potential suicide...which 50% of gender non-conforming children at least consider, and far too many succeed in doing.

Just because YOU don't understand it does not make it wrong, anti-Biblical or the work of Satan.

If you'd like more accurate information about this issue as it relates to children, then please contact our organization. If not, then please at least do not continue to assume you understand this enough to endorse and inflict further abuse, intolerance and psychological harm on this child, her family and others like them.

Respectfully,

Jenn Burleton
Executive Director
TransActive Education & Advocacy
transeducate@comcast.net

That was pretty reasonable, wasn't it? Mature? Measured? Coherent? Respectful? I think so.

Now, I need to tend to the 'Boiler Room'. It's about to go China Syndrome on me.