Transphobic Statement from the Pedagogy Association

The Pedagogy Association claims that with a set of methods, trans children can develop “a gender identity that matches their biological sex.”

Source: “Transphobic Statement from the Pedagogy Association”, (Pedagoji Derneği’nden Transfobik Açıklama), kasogl.org, July 19, 2018, http://www.kaosgl.org/sayfa.php?id=26300

The Pedagogy Association published an article claiming that trans children can develop “a gender identity that matches their biological sex.”

The Pedagogy Association does not see any harm in defining trans existence as “unusual” and as a “disorder”.

This comes in direct contradiction to the World Health Organization who 2 months ago removed trans identities from the “mental illness” category in the list of International Disease Classifications.

The association states that in a child’s gender identity development process, it is ‘natural’ for “a male to perceive himself as a male” and “a female to perceive herself as a female” and cases where this is the opposite should be medically treated.

Instead of acknowledging accepted scientific knowledge, the association continues to embrace the binary gender system saying that incorrect parental guidance and environmental factors are the reasons why children have gender dysphoria.

The association states that “for a person to develop a gender identity that matches their biological sex is natural” and continues the article saying, “sometimes a boy feels like a girl and starts behaving like a girl, and sometimes a girl feels like a boy and starts behaving like a boy. This shows that the person has not been able to develop a gender identity that matches their biological sex.”

“A Gender Identity that Matches One’s Sex”

The association defines trans existence as “unusual:” “For a child to develop a gender identity other than its own sex is an unusual situation. This should be addressed with care and the reason for the deviation in the child’s gender identity should be investigated. By seeking help from specialists when necessary, the child should be supported in developing a gender identity that matches their own sex.” The claim has no scientific basis.

The Pedagogy Association claims that it is a waste of time for parents of trans children to take their children to psychiatry specialists and that with intervention at an ‘early age’ the child can ‘recover:’ “…seeking psychiatry specialists for a solution drives people who experience gender identity issues into helplessness. Parents are told that this gender identity issue is normal and that it should not be intervened with. However, with early and appropriate interventions, a child’s gender identity problem can be resolved.”

Well, what does the association advice parents who have a trans child? Complete uncertainty! The association states that psychiatrists are not able to solve this ‘problem’ and that the solution is in “environmental, educational and therapeutic interventions.”

What Should Parents Who Have a Trans Child Do?

In the 143rd issue of Kaos GL Magazine’s “Health” themed file, in an article titled “Family and Transition Process in Trans Children and Adolescents,” Prof. Dr. Şahika Yüksel and Seven Kaptan offer suggestions to parents of trans children.

Yüksel and Kaptan advice parents to put gender binary constructs aside and to accept their child.

Yüksel and Kaptan end their article saying: “Parents pursue information so that they can understand and give the best response to what their children are going through. Ideally, while hiding their own emotional/intellectual experiences from their children, parents support their children, adapt to this process and try to recognize their children’s needs. Even though it is hard, parents, over time gain a new perspective on the concept of gender. Embraced acceptance may take years. What will be helpful to remember for the family is in fact general suggestions appropriate for all children: ‘Accept your child and love him/her’, ‘question traditional attitudes’, ‘create a safe space for your child’, ‘research acceptable activities.’ Forcing adolescents into dressing and behaving in a way that matches their biological sex will not shape them according to binary genders, but will increase their gender dysphoria.”

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