My Secret Self: A Story of Transgender Children (20/20 Season) Part 1 of 3

Aired 27th April 2007
A report on some of the youngest transgender kids, including a six-year-old girl who was born a boy, a 10-year-old boy who lives as a girl and a 16-year-old-boy who was born a girl. Barbara Walters talks to these transgender children, all diagnosed with gender identity disorder (GID), as well as to their parents, who are allowing their children to live in the gender they identify with in order to save them from a future of heartache and pain. They are sharing their personal stories to increase future understanding of transgender children.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• 20/20
• Female-to-Male
• Male-to-Female
• Girls
• Boys
• Stories
• Gay
• Lesbian
• Love
• Gender Identity Disorder
• GID
• Parents
• AllSortsOfStuff91
• AllSortsOfStuff101.

[SmoothCinnamonX]

My only little quibble with this is that Barbara keeps referring to Riley as a boy living as a girl and Jazz as a girl who was born a boy. (?) Why make Riley out to be less of a girl? They're both girls, bot gorgeous, and I LOVE THEM! :o)

[theantidoter]

they keep talking like being trans is some defect and no-one would really want to be trans. it's like saying "don't be racist, people of color don't choose their race". what really needs to change is the society that thinks there's something wrong with these kids.

[adrienmcfarland]

Are people jumping on board because an opposition to transgenders has popped up? Or are we seeing CHILDREN making an adult choice? Why is it that so many people can get behind KIDS making, in my opinion an adult choice, but are opposed to another child being punished in an adult manner for an adult crime. Why do we say "there children, they don't know any better" when somthing bad happens, but if no one gets hurt "there just expressing them self."

[xanderburke]

gender is not a preference,it just IS

[SpiritofInsanity]

My best friend since birth has just been diagnosed with severe GID. He is nearly an adult now, but watching this reminds me of so many times when, as children, he would behave like and wish to be a girl. This does not go away if the parents ignore it, but instead can cause other severe psychological problems if repressed. My very best friend is suicidal, struggling with sexuality, and now I understand why. Perhaps if he had been allowed to make the transition at such a young age, as these chil

[mahtexas]

There is nothing WRONG with them!!!!!! Stop acting like they were born with two heads!!!

[elchatodeoro1]

The first case.. mother fault absolutly

[stefanybody]

@dolphanman7 YOUR A FUCKIN PIECE OF SHIT, AND MOST TRANSEXUALS IDENTIFY AS LESBIAN AS THEY LIKE WOMEN NOT MEN, THERE NOW DO U FEEL BETTER THAT THERE NOT INTRESTED IN YOUR LITTLE SMELLY DICK YOU STUPID ASSHOLE,

[Afaye03]

It's amazing how children can be so receptive but not so many adults....

[SophiaAphrodite]

I cannot believe this information was shown so recently. GID is no longer used at all and the term transgendered has now been broadened to cover anyone with an incongruent gender. the fact is it IS a hormone issue. Remember every baby is conceived as a girl and when the Mothers body detects the Y chromosone she tells the baby to start producing testosterone. Sometimes that does not happen early enough and the brain actually stops allowing the production of testosterone in brain development.

[SophiaAphrodite]

@dolphanman7 They are not the same at all. One is sexual preference and the other is gender preference. The simplest way to explain it is sexuality is who you choose to go to bed WITH, gender is who you choose to go to bed AS. Therefore by definition a transgendered MtF who is gay is a lesbian. Your hate for your child if that happens is something that is your problem and I hope you become more of a human being before you have children of your own.

[MaxRobertsOfficial]

@dolphanman Nobody chooses to become transgender or gay. I did not choose to be gay, I just am. Did you choose to be straight? Why would you hate having a son who was gay or a transgendered daughter? Why would that be so wrong? Would they be hurting anybody? As long as my child was a happy, healthy, productive member of society, I personally would not care if they were gay, straight, bisexual, lesbian, transgendered or whatever.