NYCGrrrl, I think you are on to something. I don't agree with the philosophy of the tormentors as victims. Kids don't just need love, understanding, and tenderness, which the lack of, some above have surmised, is behind this horrific incident. No, kids need STRUCTURE. They need grown, responsible adults to say things like "no." They need grown, responsible adults to show them that right, and wrong, does actually exist. That everything is not always "relative." That no matter what indignities a person may have suffered as a child, at some point, he or she has to get over it, and stop using excuses. That is the essence of acting as an adult. Majoram, your heart is in the right place, but your reasoning is faulty. Such reasoning continues the cycle self-victimhood. To follow such logic, everything is permissible - I beat my wife because my mom was beat, I molested that kid because I was molested, I raped that girl because I was raped, I can't show love because I was never show love. Yes, that is obviously part of the problem, but at this current moment of time, everybody falls back on that excuse, just check out your local courthouse, jailhouse, etcetera. People need start taking responsibility for their own actions, and stop making excuses for their reprehensible behavior. In short, grow up.

Poor trans guy, everybody is so unfair to him!!! Meanwhile, who gives a sh@t about the young girl he completely deceived, and most likely traumatized, forever compromising any future sense of trust with a man. To be outraged at this girl's true-life confession of betrayal in Seventeen magazine is absolutely ludicrous, and further proof that society is gone, or has already gone, completely mad.

Many have mentioned that the girl is right to be hurt by the deception, as long as the deception isn't JUST based on the fact that the trans guy was born a girl. Well, I think it is totally acceptable that the girl is upset that her boyfriend was born a girl. Just as it would be acceptable for a man to be deeply upset if his girlfriend was born a boy, and presented himself for an extended period of time as a natural-born girl. First of all, because it is lying. Second of all, because it touches on deep, personal, and frankly, hard to define issues on sex and gender. The fact of the matter is a lot of people are uncomfortable with the thought of being with a person of the same sex, no matter what they presently look like. This is just true. There are also a lot of people uncomfortable with being with a person of the opposite sex. And never the twain shall meet. She is not close-minded, nor is Seventeen being biased.

for bringing this all down to reality and common sense, you are one hundred percent correct.

..that is what gets me about this article, and most other articles on Broadsheet. Earlier, someone quoted that great sage Jon Stewart, the most great and beneficent man in the universe, who said something like we are most afraid of what lies within...yes well, I've read plenty of high school essays on that very topic, it is not a particularly deep or novel thought. Point being, if this girl was hurt by this lying, conniving, a@@hole, who presented himself as something or someone he was not, knowing full well that he was WRONG in not sharing some essential information about himself with his girlfriend (otherwise, why didn't he just come forward from the begining?), why do I have to sympathize with him. Because he's transgender? That gives him some sort of carte blanche to ride roughshod over basic human decency and morals? What pisses me off is people "disagreeing" with her outrage, or arguing over whether she was traumatized or not. This is at the heart of the liberal mind-set. Not everybody is as enlightened, educated, compassionate, understanding, well-read, fair, or simply *good* as you, the all-caring beneficent leftist. So you all, in your kind, understanding, patient way, will calmly school this poor girl about how she should really be sympathetic to poor Derek's plight. See, you say, (or Jon Stewart, your fine, great leader says...) this Seventeen girl is just so old-fashioned in her plain, backwards morals, of thinking in terms of man, and woman..she is really just disgusted with her inner conflict, and confusion, about her own sexuality. Plus, she's homophobic. She should really go to rehab, get a shrink, and accept that she is not as smart as the rest of us. That is what this article is about. Not homophobia. Not the fact that people will ALWAYS discriminate against others, as long as the human race is comprised of, you know, differences. This article is about mind control. About showing how superior those on Broadsheet and its followers are, and all those who disagree must be idiots who need to be brain washed. That is the hypocrisy. Supposedly, the liberal agenda is all about freedom, but it is quite the opposite. It is about controlling other people's thoughts, morals, and judgment. It is the farthest thing from freedom that can exist. And it is bulls**t. I will call it what it is, and some other people may recognize as well, and the only reason I post on here is to make a little tweet into the abyss that we haven't all bought the bulls**t hook, line, and sinker.

I can only say so because I used to be a liberal myself, and it took me a long time to finally wake up. I'm very thankful that I finally did. Seventeen is teaching homophobia, transphobia,or whatever?? The transgender code of conduct book tells us to think, act, talk, this way or that way? Jon Stewart Show code of ethics thinks I'm a heathen because I don't follow lock-step with leader? I'm sorry but I can't buy that b.s. anymore. You lost one.