Author Topic: German transgendered girl, Alex, has been institutionalized  (Read 4125 times)

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Offline Reddit TroubledTeens

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German transgendered girl, Alex, has been institutionalized
« on: March 24, 2012, 06:10:10 PM »
The original article (http://www.taz.de/Streit-um-elfjaehrige ... le/!90229/) is in German, here is a hand translation (source - http://www.reddit.com/r/ainbow/comments ... en/c44gmn0):

Quote
The transsexual Alex Kaminsky (name changed) can now legally be institutionalized against her will. The Berlin Kammergericht (chamber court) has ruled so on Thursday. The mother of the eleven year old had sued against the decision of the youth office and lost. Her lawyer declared he will continue and appeal to the Verfassungsgericht (constitutional court).

The child, who felt as a girl her whole life and who lives as a girl, can now be forcibly institutionalized in the Berlin Charité. Youth office was able to make that decision because the parents, who live separated, are of different opinions about the medical treatment of the child and thus had transmitted the health care custody to the youth office. There, a nurse was of the opinion, Alex should be treated in the Charité institutionally and then be sent to a foster family.

The nurse found, that the mother had 'induced' the childs transsexuality, and therefore Alex had to be removed from her sphere of influence. In the Charité it is to bring near to Alex her “biological” gender/sex, and to “prohibit gender atypical behavior”, chief physician Klaus Beier explains the therapy. Which the Hamburgian sexual scientist Hertha Richter-Appelt states is an “antiquated point of view.” A forced institutionalization deems unwise to her., If the mother induces the transsexuality, it could be determined ambulant.

No expert report necessary

Mother and daughter asked to be psychiatrically evaluated. But the Kammergericht declines this expert report. An expert report were not necessary, the families lawyer cites from the enactment. The explanation of the nurse is comprehensible, the desired stationary diagnostic within her discretionary authority. On the other hand, it were to accuse the mother of intending to introduce the child in the teaching hospitals of Hamburg and Frankfurt at the Main, the only specialists for transsexuality in children and youths in Germany.

The Kaminskies lawyer calls the enactment “startling”: “The view that transsexuality can be induced over years without any resistance is nowhere represented in the expert literature. That is an invention of the nurse.” Said nurse has only had a single, hour long, conversation with the child, whose opinions she had ignored.

Lawyer and family now want to go to the Bundesverfassungsgericht (federal constitutional court.) It can decide quickly in custody matters, the lawyer states. In Karlsruhe (seat of the federal constitutional court) they usually take a childs rights serious.

International signature campaign

Support for Alex comes from human rights activists. On monday at 3pm, the “Activist alliance Alex” will demonstrate in front of the Berlin senatorial department for youth. Their slogan: “Stop Alex forced institutionalisation at once.” “This is not an isolated story,” the appeal states. “Institutions like the youth office and the Charité use force on humans through enforcement and psychological pressure! Each gender and each gender identity is a right, not a disease.”

There is also a signature campaign brought on its way. The british transsexual activist Katrina Swales started it on Change.org . Adressing Berlins mayor Klaus Wowereit, it says: “This young girl gets taught that her feelings are wrong. She gets pushed into self denial more and more. Something that has already cost the lives of so many transsexuals.” Already 9000 people have signed.

And Alex? She wanted to endure the crisis with help of a therapist. But the youth office declined that too.

***

Google Translation: http://translate.google.com/translate?s ... 2F&act=url

Change.org Petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/mayor-o ... transexual

Discussion on /r/ainbow: http://www.reddit.com/r/ainbow/comments ... x_has_been

Link to previous story about this subject: http://www.reddit.com/r/ainbow/comments ... tionalised
« Last Edit: March 24, 2012, 07:12:05 PM by Reddit TroubledTeens »

Offline Reddit TroubledTeens

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Re: German transgendered girl, Alex, has been institutionali
« Reply #1 on: March 24, 2012, 06:12:41 PM »
Here is the original article in German:
http://www.taz.de/Streit-um-elfjaehrige ... le/!90229/

Streit um elfjährige Transsexuelle
Alex soll in die Psychiatrie

Die transsexuelle Alex fühlt sich als Mädchen und lebt auch so. Nun urteilte ein Gericht, dass ihre Mutter die Transexualität „induziert“ habe. Das Kind soll in die Psychiatrie.von Heide Oestreich

Alex fühlt sich als Mädchen.  Bild:  privat

BERLIN taz | Die transsexuelle Alex Kaminski (Name geändert) darf in die Psychiatrie eingewiesen werden. Dies entschied das Berliner Kammergericht am Donnerstag. Die Mutter der Elfjährigen hatte gegen die Entscheidung des Jugendamts geklagt und verloren. Ihr Anwalt kündigte an, vors Verfassungsgericht zu ziehen.

Das Kind, das sich sein Leben lang als Mädchen fühlt und wie ein Mädchen lebt, darf nun in die Berliner Charité zwangseingewiesen werden. Das Jugendamt konnte diese Entscheidung treffen, weil die getrennt lebenden Eltern unterschiedliche Auffassungen über die medizinische Behandlung des Kindes hatten und die Gesundheitsfürsorge deshalb ans Jugendamt abgetreten hatten. Dort vertrat eine Pflegerin die Auffassung, Alex solle in der Charité stationär behandelt werden und anschließend in eine Pflegefamilie wechseln.
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Die Pflegerin meint, die Mutter habe die Transsexualität des Kindes „induziert“, deshalb müsse Alex aus ihrem Einflussbereich gebracht werden. In der Charité geht es darum, Alex sein „biologisches“ Geschlecht nahe zu bringen und „geschlechtsatypisches Verhalten“ zu „unterbinden“, erklärt Chefarzt Klaus Beier die Therapie. Das bezeichnet die Hamburger Sexualwissenschaftlerin Hertha Richter-Appelt als „überholten Standpunkt“. Eine Zwangseinweisung erscheint ihr unklug. Ob die Mutter die Transsexualität induziere, könne auch in einer ambulant festgestellt werden.
Kein Gutachten erforderlich

Mutter und Tochter baten darum, psychiatrisch begutachtet zu werden. Doch diese Begutachtung lehnte das Kammergericht nun ab. Ein Gutachten sei nicht erforderlich, zitiert der Anwalt der Familie aus dem Beschluss. Die Ausführungen der Pflegerin seien nachvollziehbar, die angestrebte stationäre Diagnostik liege in deren Ermessen. Demgegenüber sei der Mutter vorzuwerfen, dass sie beabsichtige, das Kind an den Unikliniken in Hamburg und Frankfurt am Main – den einzigen Spezialisten für Transsexualität im Kindes- und Jugendalter in Deutschland – vorzustellen.

Der Anwalt der Kaminskis nennt den Beschluss „erschreckend“: „Die Ansicht, dass eine Transsexualität über Jahre hinweg und widerspruchslos ’induziert‘ werden könne, wird nirgends in der Fachliteratur vertreten. Das ist eine Erfindung dieser Pflegerin.“ Diese habe sich nur ein einziges Mal eine Stunde lang mit dem Kind unterhalten – dessen Ansichten habe sie ignoriert.

Anwalt und Familie wollen nun vors Bundesverfassungsgericht ziehen. In Sorgerechtsangelegenheiten könne dies sehr schnell entscheiden, so der Anwalt, von Karlsruhe werde das Recht des Kindes in der Regel ernst genommen.
Internationale Unterschriftenkampagne

Unterstützung bekommt Alex auch von MenschenrechtsaktivistInnen. Am Montag um 15 Uhr wird das „Aktionsbündnis Alex“ vor der Berliner Senatsverwaltung für Jugend demonstrieren, Motto: „Zwangspsychiatrisierung von Alex sofort stoppen!“ „Dies ist keine Einzelgeschichte“, heißt es in dem Aufruf. „Institutionen wie das Jugendamt und die Charité üben durch Zwang und psychischen Druck Gewalt auf Menschen aus! Jedes Geschlecht und jede Geschlechtsidentität ist ein Recht, keine Krankheit.“

Auch eine Unterschriftenkampagne ist auf den Weg gebracht. Die britische transsexuelle Aktivistin Katrina Swales startete sie auf Change.org. An Berlins Bürgermeister Klaus Wowereit gerichtet, heißt es dort: „Diesem jungen Mädchen wird beigebracht, dass seine Gefühle falsch sind, es wird somit immer mehr in jene Selbstverneinung gedrängt, welche schon das Leben so vieler Transsexueller gefordert hat.“ Unterschrieben haben über 9.000 Menschen.
Artikel zum Thema

    Transsexualität im Kindesalter
    Wer wollte das rosa Einhorn?

Und Alex? Wollte diese Krise mit der Hilfe eines Therapeuten durchstehen. Doch das Jugendamt lehnte auch das ab.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline none-ya

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Re: German transgendered girl, Alex, has been institutionali
« Reply #2 on: March 24, 2012, 06:55:09 PM »
Does the world gone mad? Transgendering children? Get it right. Your gender was decided at conception. An 11 year old can't possibly understand any of this. Leave nature alone.
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Re: German transgendered girl, Alex, has been institutionali
« Reply #3 on: March 24, 2012, 07:14:51 PM »
Quote from: "none-ya"
Does the world gone mad? Transgendering children? Get it right. Your gender was decided at conception. An 11 year old can't possibly understand any of this. Leave nature alone.

Transgendered people often realize from a young age that they don't wish to be the gender they were born. At the very least, an investigation needs to be done, not just institutionalizing a child based on a one hour interview with a nurse.
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Offline DannyB II

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Re: German transgendered girl, Alex, has been institutionali
« Reply #4 on: March 24, 2012, 07:26:28 PM »
Quote from: "Reddit TroubledTeens"
Quote from: "none-ya"
Does the world gone mad? Transgendering children? Get it right. Your gender was decided at conception. An 11 year old can't possibly understand any of this. Leave nature alone.

Transgendered people often realize from a young age that they don't wish to be the gender they were born. At the very least, an investigation needs to be done, not just institutionalizing a child based on a one hour interview with a nurse.

Don't think he is negating this understanding you have.
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Offline none-ya

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Re: German transgendered girl, Alex, has been institutionali
« Reply #5 on: March 24, 2012, 07:42:00 PM »
Quote from: "Reddit TroubledTeens"
Quote from: "none-ya"
Does the world gone mad? Transgendering children? Get it right. Your gender was decided at conception. An 11 year old can't possibly understand any of this. Leave nature alone.

Transgendered people often realize from a young age that they don't wish to be the gender they were born. At the very least, an investigation needs to be done, not just institutionalizing a child based on a one hour interview with a nurse.


What you wish doesn't matter. Drop your drawers in front of the mirror. End of confusion. You want to be "gay"? Then be gay. But surgery and hormone therapy still won't change your gender, only your appearance.
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Offline none-ya

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Re: German transgendered girl, Alex, has been institutionali
« Reply #6 on: March 26, 2012, 06:07:12 PM »
TRANSGENDERING MINORS IS CHILD ABUSE! WORTHY OF DR. MENGELE!!
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Re: German transgendered girl, Alex, has been institutionali
« Reply #7 on: March 28, 2012, 02:05:31 PM »
Quote from: "none-ya"
Quote from: "Reddit TroubledTeens"
Quote from: "none-ya"
Does the world gone mad? Transgendering children? Get it right. Your gender was decided at conception. An 11 year old can't possibly understand any of this. Leave nature alone.

Transgendered people often realize from a young age that they don't wish to be the gender they were born. At the very least, an investigation needs to be done, not just institutionalizing a child based on a one hour interview with a nurse.


What you wish doesn't matter. Drop your drawers in front of the mirror. End of confusion. You want to be "gay"? Then be gay. But surgery and hormone therapy still won't change your gender, only your appearance.

I think you need to do some reading up on transgendered people, none-ya. Gender identity has nothing to do with sexual orientation, ie, gay vs. straight. There is some good info here for newbs:

http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comme ... e_deal_is/

Quote
Sexual orientation is about sexual desire; your orientation describes who you are attracted to.

Gender identity is about the fundamental sense of who and what one is; your gender identity describes an aspect of who you are. If a person's gender identity doesn't match their anatomical sex, they're transsexual.

Nobody knows entirely how gender identity forms. All evidence says it's set by birth, and there's evidence it's neurological, literally built into the physical structures of the brain.

It may be an aspect of the brain-body map; the hardwired ability of a brain to recognize the body it is in. You don't have to see your nose to know it's there, and you didn't have to learn it - your brain is built to know there's a nose there. And if your nose was cut off or you were born without one, your brain would still be built to know one should be there. The "my body is wrong" dysphoria transsexual people feel may be an aspect of this.

There's also a lot of evidence suggesting prenatal hormones are a major factor here. All fetuses start out physically the same - they all start out anatomically female, regardless of genetics. As gestation progresses, if there's a Y chromosome present it's normally activated by testosterone in the mother's blood (all women have some). This causes the neo-gonads to turn into testes, which then flood the system with more testosterone and cause the fetus to develop into a male.

If something in this process goes off, the fetus can turn into an intersex or transsexual baby. Early in gestation, if the fetus can't respond to testosterone or there isn't enough, or there's a lot more estrogen than usual, the XY fetus can stay physically female become neither male nor female. If an XX fetus is exposed to lots of testosterone early on it can develop as male or as neither male nor female.

That's when the body's forming. Later in gestation the body is basically done, but the brain is being built. An XY fetus flooded with estrogen at this point won't look unusual physically, but the developing brain may be wired to expect a female form. An XX fetus flooded with testosterone late in gestation is developing its brain under conditions typical for a male fetus, and the brain may be built accordingly even if the body still looks typically female.

Also, check out this story of twins; one was born transgendered, the other wasn't. It was a journey for the family to come to terms with it: http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2011/1 ... story.html

Forcing any child to assume a gender they don't identify with is abusive, no matter what body they were born into. The suicide rates of misunderstood transgendered children is extremely high. Pointing a kid to a mirror is an extremely simplistic approach to a complex issue.
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Offline none-ya

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Re: German transgendered girl, Alex, has been institutionali
« Reply #8 on: March 28, 2012, 03:07:14 PM »
Let me get this straight. A teenage boy is prohibited by law from having any kind of intercourse or sexual contact of any kind. He is not allowed to touch a vagina. He is not allowed to look at a vagina in a strip club,or smut magazines.You are supposed to be at least 18 years old to even look at at a vagina on the internet. So according to the law,said teenage boy has to live in a vagina free world until he is 18 for his own protection. But yet it is somehow legal for a  doctor to make him his very own vagina out his own body parts?!!!! Not yet old enough to have sex. But old enough to make sexually based decisions of this magnitude??
YES THE WORLD HAS GONE FUCKING MAD!!!


ps. I wonder if Chas Bono is much happier an overweight unattractive man, than "he" was as an overweight  unattractive woman?
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Offline Reddit TroubledTeens

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Re: German transgendered girl, Alex, has been institutionali
« Reply #9 on: March 28, 2012, 04:21:35 PM »
I'm hardly an expert in this subject, but I don't believe they do gender reassignment surgery on minors. However, I've read that doing hormone therapy during puberty can save a lot of trouble in the future. Chas looks pretty happy to me in that photo. Why does this bother you so much?
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Offline grapeape

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Re: German transgendered girl, Alex, has been institutionali
« Reply #10 on: March 28, 2012, 04:35:59 PM »
Its a lot more complicated than just "pulling down your pants" and viola you know what gender you are.  I know of many people who were born with the genitalia of both sexes; eventually one atrophies and one takes over.  I worked at a hospital where this happened several times; as the child matured many timed the name and sex had to be changed on their medical charts.

Sometimes this phenomenon is not as apparent; it is more a part of the sense of who you feel you really are. I think it would be hard to "induce" transgendering" if a person has no doubts; I would like to know what that nurse was basing her remarks on.
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Offline none-ya

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Re: German transgendered girl, Alex, has been institutionali
« Reply #11 on: March 28, 2012, 05:37:16 PM »
I understand in rare medical cases where sexual abnormalities (birth defects)require genital surgery.
BUT NOT ON HEALTHY CHILDREN!!

And how is it that poor people never are diagnosed with gender associated disorder?    
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