Guest post: Why does the media show transgender children more sympathetically?

[Shana A]

Guest post: Why does the media show transgender children more sympathetically?
Emily Manuel

http://www.raisingmyboychick.com/2011/10/guest-post-why-does-the-media-show-transgender-children-more-sympathetically/

For some reason, everywhere I go lately there's stories about trans children.  Nightline ran an episode, while Dr Phil ran one on one trans and one intersex child.  And CNN currently has a video up of trans children about two children at the Gender Spectrum Family Conference.

Interest in trans people in general and trans children in particular isn't really a new phenomena, of course, but what's notable about these stories is how sympathetic and non-sensationalised these takes are.  While there's of course the odd bit of sketchy language, the children's rights and identities are largely respected, and in the case of CNN allowed to speak in their own words.

[SandraJane]

Why does the media show transgender children more sympathetically?

by Emily Manuel| Retrieved from the Internet on October 9, 2011 by SJ

http://www.raisingmyboychick.com/2011/10/guest-post-why-does-the-media-show-transgender-children-more-sympathetically/

For some reason, everywhere I go lately there's stories about trans children.  Nightline ran an episode, while Dr Phil ran one on one trans and one intersex child.  And CNN currently has a video up of trans children about two children at the Gender Spectrum Family Conference.

Interest in trans people in general and trans children in particular isn't really a new phenomena, of course, but what's notable about these stories is how sympathetic and non-sensationalised these takes are.  While there's of course the odd bit of sketchy language, the children's rights and identities are largely respected, and in the case of CNN allowed to speak in their own words.

[spacial]

This was a first class article. I can think of a number of points it raises, but at this time, the subject of the article stands well as it is.

The comments that followed, as always, are worth reading. This one makes such a good point, it's worth repeating here.

Heather Freeman | 3 October 2011 at 4:47 am | Reply It never fails to amaze me how, according to gender conservatives, gender is simultaneously inborn/immutable and so fragile that a chance comment or painted toenails could destroy it.

[Emily Ray]

I think children are non-sexual and so the conservative movement can't call them perverts and get away with it. They usually go after the parents and say they are doing a terrible thing to their children. Some of it my just be our culture is maturing although slowly. I can remember when children with HIV couldn't go to school. Tose days are now gone and I hope these days of being bullied because of your perciieved sexuality or gender will pass soon.

Huggs

Emily