AmericanGov_W6 Assignment 2

Watch the assigned documentary and then answer the questions below.

1. How did Lia come across in terms of her understanding of the issue?

She was a male but transitioned into female which she now identifies as now. She likes to say that she is a girl stuck inside a boy’s body. She persists that she is not a male but a female by changing her pronouns, names, clothes, room, and the way she acts.

2. What happened with her name?

Lia changed her name in second grade, dropping the name of Liam, officially, completing her transition of clothes, room, and pronouns.

3. What did Daniel's mom say about how transgender children are treated medically?

Treatment is often difficult to find and medical professionals often find it difficult to work with children, not just from a medical standpoint but also an ethical one, considering that children are perhaps unable to make the major decisions of transgenderism that medical treatment entails.

4. What is the purpose of puberty blockers ?

Puberty blockers prevent the release of hormones that initiate puberty and cause the changes that most would experience during puberty, in order to give time to transgender children to grow and develop mentally and emotionally. It also means that when they do begin to transition using cross-sex hormones, they have not already had features altered by puberty that are considered more permanent.

5. What is the story of Alex and puberty blockers?

Alex realized his issue when he was going through puberty. He didn’t want to expose himself as he began to go through puberty. His parents noticed his distress about how he hated his female hormones. However, his parents were very skeptical about puberty blockers with its short introduction to children and its possible health risks. They were just scared for Alex as they didn’t want anything to happen to him. His parents were really split as they wanted more time to think about this before making a final decision. Although, through their talks with Alex they realized that waiting a little longer wasn’t an option as he was still suffering with his female hormones.

6. What was the reaction of Kyle's father?

Kyle’s father was concerned and bothered by the fact that doctors were giving children options he didn’t feel children had the mental capacity to consider properly. Though initially resistant to the idea, Kyle’s father accepted it.

7. What is the significance of cross-sex hormones?

Cross-sex hormones enable transgender individuals’ bodies to adopt characteristics of the sex they wish to identify with. Cross-hormones for a female to male transgender, for example, will give a flatter chest, an Adam’s apple, and make it easier to gain muscle, deepen the voice, and grow facial hair. Cross-sex hormones enable transition to become more complete

8. What was the reaction of John's father?

Similar to Kyle’s father, John’s father did not view his daughter’s potential maleness in a favorable light at all. While he has allowed Giana to progress towards becoming John as a trans male, he remains unable to refer to his daughter as John and constantly prays for guidance. John’s father feels as if his daughter was robbed from him. He holds out hope that Giana is just going through a phase.

9. In general were fathers or mothers more supportive of their children's desires?

Mothers were generally more supportive and accepting of their children’s desires. Men were often uncomfortable with the idea or found it difficult to accept ideas of transgenderism, or they felt as if their child was being taken away from them and molded into something they didn’t want.