An Examination of Pathological Views on Children’s Gender Expression Mallory Goss CHYS 2221

Gender Identity and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV + V) A Brief Overview

Gender Identity Disorder (DSM IV) A. A strong and persistent cross-gender identification (not merely a desire for any perceived cultural advantages of being the other sex). In children, the disturbance is manifested by four (or more) of the following: 1. Repeatedly stated desire to be, or insistence that he or she is, the other sex 2. In boys, preference for cross-dressing or simulating female attire; in girls, insistence on wearing only stereotypical masculine clothing 3. Strong and persistent preferences for cross-sex roles in make-believe play or persistent fantasies of being the other sex 4. Intense desire to participate in the stereotypical games and pastimes of the other sex 5. Strong preference for playmates of the other sex B. Persistent discomfort with his or her sex or sense of inappropriateness in the gender role of that sex. In children, the disturbance is manifested by any of the following: In boys, assertion that his penis or testes are disgusting or will disappear or assertion that it would be better not to have a penis, or aversion toward rough-and-tumble play and rejection of male stereotypical toys, games, and activities; In girls, rejection of urinating in a sitting position, assertion that she has or will grow a penis, or assertion that she does not want to grow breasts or menstruate, or marked aversion toward normative feminine clothing. C. The disturbance is not concurrent with a physical intersex condition. D. The disturbance causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. Gender Identity Disorder (DSM IV) Diagnostic criteria for diagnosing children, used from 1994 until 2013. Adult categories such as “transsexualism” have been around since 1980, and homosexuality had been considered a mental illness from the first edition of the DSM (1952) until 1974.

Gender Dysphoria (DSM V)

Preschool Children with Gender Normative and Gender Non-Normative Peer Preferences: Psychosocial and Environmental Correlates Carol Lynn Martin, Matthew D. DiDonato, Laura Clary, Richard A. Fabes, Tyson Kreiger, Francisco Palermo and Laura Hanish (April 2012)

Comments Is considering only a child’s peer affiliation a suitable basis for designating them as gender normative or non-normative? Likewise, is something like gender really best studied quantitatively? What roles are children playing when they play with different-gender peers? “Gender” and “sex” are often used interchangeably through the article, and it is assumed all children studied have the assigned sex that “matches” with their gender labels (i.e., all boys studied are XY males). Stigmatizing language, such as “more severe” and “less severe” gender non-normativity, and face-value acceptance of GID.

Gender Disorder as Gender Oppression: A Transfeminist Approach to Rethinking the Pathologization of Gender Non-Conformity Shannon L. Sennott (2010)

Comments The author has provided useful tools in an area that is not often considered and can be alien to professionals. The diagnosis of GID is critiqued for sexism, lack of clarity, and in particular the effects of pathologizing children and labelling and “treating” them when they’ve not had any input. While the author advocates that the gender and sex binaries are socially constructed and are oppressive, she doesn’t come out strongly against diagnosing gender variance. Are so-called practical arguments (such as about health insurance) very practical for the more at-risk and vulnerable populations, like children? The sex and gender continuums in the appendices are still framed with male/female and masculine/feminine at the poles- is this still feeding into the gender binary?

The Discursive Production of the Male/Female Dualism in School Settings Bronwyn Davies (1989)

Comments Linked to many concepts I have found interesting in my studies like the notion of “lenses” (or discursive practices), postmodern theory and hegemony. Interesting that what we consider to be adequate solutions for anti- sexist class environments aren’t always so. Good framework for looking at gender as a social construct and non- pathologically. Does the author have any approaches or suggestions in how to start these conversations?

Why Does it Matter? Gender non-normative children are more visible now and are “coming out” at younger ages, which impacts our profession.

Thank you for listening! 