New twist in parents' legal battle over seven-year-old's gender identity
A dad has been granted joint decision-making rights of his child who he tried to stop from transitioning to female.
Former spouses Anne Georgulas and Jeffrey Younger, who live in the Dallas, Texas, have been embroiled in a legal dispute over their divorce, and the care of their two teenagers and twin seven-year-olds since 2015.
Dr Georgulas said one of their twin children, James, now identifies as a girl and prefers to be called Luna.
But Mr Younger, who says the child acts like a boy around him, asked to be the sole decision-maker and launched a website in which he pleads for help to “save” his child.
Judge Kim Cooks said in a hearing on Thursday the court noted no abuse, neglect or family violence in the case and ruled the parents would make joint decisions about the child.
The judge scolded the father, who she noted was unemployed, for seeking publicity on the case and raising money on his website, but she also pointed out how the mother testified her encouragement of the child being transgender may have been excessive.
“The father finds comfort in public controversy and attention surrounded by his use of unfounded facts and is thus motivated by financial gain,” Judge Cooks said, adding the gain came “at the cost of the protection and privacy of his children”.
Much of the public reaction to the case has focused on backing the narrative laid out on the father's website, which features a headline saying he's fighting “chemical castration and sex-change of his son”.
A post of a woman holding a baby shared widely on Facebook targets the mother, saying she “always wanted a girl”.
Judge Cooks said Thursday no Texas court or judge has ordered "the chemical castration, puberty blockers, hormone blockers or any transgender reassignment surgery on this child to become a female".
Attorneys for Dr Georgulas, who is a paediatrician, said before the hearing she was “being viciously attacked and threatened by complete strangers based on false and untrue statements”.
Judge Cooks said she limited spectators to only the media at the hearing because of safety concerns.
Earlier this month, Dr Georgulas filed a proposed parenting plan that said the child isn't yet at an age where treatment with hormonal suppression, puberty blockers or gender reassignment surgery is considered.
And she asked the court to not allow any such treatment without the consent of both parents.
Dr Stephen Rosenthal, medical director for the University of California San Francisco's Child and Adolescent Gender Centre, says often when parents disagree about potential medical treatment it's “likely because there's a possibility that they may be misinformed about what the treatment actually is” or if it would even be considered at the child's age.
He said a puberty blocker temporarily puts puberty on pause and is a safe medication that has most commonly been given to kids who go into puberty much too early.
He said before the onset of puberty, there's "no role" for medical intervention in a person who might be transgender.
Judge Cooks said the court found both parents loved their children and she noted the 7-year-old appeared comfortable as a male or female.
Mr Younger told the AP before Thursday's hearing the child identifies as a boy when at his house.
Asked after the hearing if he was happy with the outcome, Mr Younger didn't comment, and only smiled and nodded.
With Associated Press
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