4 year olds able to change gender in Scotland

What a pointless comment. I'm not defending everything, I'm defending specific things. Could equally say after all of your posts: "you don't have to argue against everything you know".

A four year old may not have deep analytical thoughts in humanity but in my experience a 4 year old extremely clearly knows the difference between a person and an animal and that they are like other people and not like animals. Just because they can't take part in an internet debate on the issue doesn't mean they have barely any conception of it.

Except that trans people have to be at least 18 before they can have sex change surgery

Funny the only person posting anything that could be considered bullying is yourself. Scumbag bastards? Sick perverted freak? all things you've called people in this thread.

It isn't law. Some of the more excitable posters seem to think this is some legal requirement. It pays to read beyond the clickbait headlines.

It would be lovely if life could be simplified like this, but really this is not reality.

Thread done, QED then?

Your opinion is at odds with what is happening in real life.

I'm all for neutering these folks. Let them do what they want.

Well I guess the physical harm is different to the psychological harm?

Or is this a threat against the policy makers?

Do you often want to physically harm those that you disagree with or don't understand?

What you described (boys and girls being interchangeable) is at best an over simplification or just plain not happening.

Neither is the "leading them to believe otherwise" / encouragement.

People who are trans exist. Evidence is beginning to show that this happens from a young age, possibly before birth or even genetics (biology, for those fans of using that line).

i.e. it's not encouraging boys to 'become' girls or vice versa, but supporting those that do have an issue with their gender.

What would your propose in these cases? The usual? Get them to suppress this and cause other firms of psychological harm? Because this is the reality. I firmly believe you are completely wrong with this "encouragement" line and it's seems to be policy makers think the same (or have these people been played as well? Seems a bit unlikely tbh?).

Cool. I respect your right to have an opinion, but there is a growing body of research, and it's really not that hard to find (hint tho: it won't be in the daily mail, unfortunately).

It's basic biology really that trans people exist and yes, children are aware of it. I don't see why people get so upset by this? Why does this bother you exactly?

I take your points about evolving research (paraphrasing a bit as I'm short on time) but that is the nature of research.

Re the question, you don't specify <insert> but generally, I don't believe that kids are being encouraged to be something they are not.

And specifically in this case, I don't think there is an agenda, simply an option to provide support to people who do feel their gender is not one of the binary (mainly) options aligned to their sex (which if I understand correctly, you accept that there are people who fall under this category).

I'd like to go into that in more detail, but sun shining (and I didn't want to ignore your genuine question)! For later perhaps.

Yeah like.. it's boards.ie lol, there is stuff outside 😆

4 year olds are not anywhere near puberty. Why would they be given hormone treatment?

i have 2 girls and a boy aged 8 10 and 12. They have never expressed even the slightest interest in changing gender, but if they were obviously distressed and came to me or confided in someone else that they were deeply unhappy being the gender they were assigned at birth, I would listen to them and take their feelings seriously and get expert advice on the matter

at aged 4 there are no long term decisions to be made other than to let your child express them self. Trying to force them to be something they’re not comfortable with is more likely to do harm than good in the short and long term. There are a lot of suicides attributed to sexual preferences and gender identities not being accepted by parents leading to feelings of hopelessness and self loathing