Tracy Clark-Flory asks, what might the consequences be of forcing a boy to dress as a girl?

That question has already been answered in a couple of horrific cases in the past, but it is beside the point of the story. The child is insistent on dressing as a girl. The parents would only be "forcing" a particular gender identity if they were forcing the kid to dress as a boy.

I'm sorry that this thing has become a public brou-ha-ha; for the child's sake, it should never have become one. Children do all sorts of odd things, some of them for profound reasons and some of them as short-lived phases. If it is a phase, making a huge big deal out of it will only complicate matters. If it is a phase, it will pass. That is the nature of "phases."

If that were my child, I'd get an evaluation from a good professional as to how well-adjusted otherwise he or she was, and if everything else is ok, I'd step back and wait (1) for it to be outgrown or (2) for it not to be outgrown. The world is plenty cruel to children who are different and/or imaginative; the parents need not add to the grief. Just love the tyke, and let time sort things out!

If on the other hand, everything is not ok, if the kid is suffering in some way for which this is just an expression, then don't get involved in public arguments about child-raising, take care of the kid. And the rest of the world should butt out.

that this is even an issue. Boys, girls, men, women, and those who feel in-between should be able to live and dress as they please without any flak. I'm a male who wears skirts on occasion; I'd do it often if it wasn't so stressful getting stared at for it.

to say that I agree with Adar. Have an MD and a counselor examine the kid to make sure there aren't any other issues, physical or psychological. If he is otherwise healthy, happy, social, and well-adjusted, then just don't make a big deal out of it. I think the parents are right to offer gender-neutral clothing to wear in public, and have the choice to wear girl's clothing be entirely his. If it is a phase, he can easily transition back by simply not choosing the girl's clothing. If it isn't a phase, being non-judgmental and not making a big deal out of it is the right way to go. The parents will need to be proactive about talking to teachers and school officials, and they should be considering that new issues will arise in adolescence. It's probably a good idea for them to seek some professional help in dealing with those issues in advance, just in case.

If you read the Voice article, it covers in-depth the processes by which the family has come to make this decision, and situates this one child's struggle within the overall fight for LGBT rights.

I just hope that Nicole gets fair treatment from her peers and teachers. The child doesn't need discrimination on top of everything else.

I wonder, can any one explain to me why this child is not suffering from Body Dismorphic Disorder, and not Gender Misidentity Disorder?

How can a child with a presumably unformed sexual self be so obsessed with gender identity?

I do not claim to know the right action in this case, but I feel that if one removed the sexual connotation from the discussion, and the child said, I want to cut off my ears or nose, would anyone endorse the child's wish to wear a paper bag to school to cover the offending body parts?

Honestly, I am worried that this child has something in their past which has caused them at such a young age to become fixated on their sexual identity at an age when most children are barely cognizant of such things.

The only counter point I can think of is that many children do go through phases where they may wish they were a different species such as a dog and want to behave as such. These children will play at barking walking on all fours in pantomime of the family pet. The difference here is no parent let's their child go to the bathroom in the yard or eat out of a dog's dish, even though the child may truly wish to be a dog.

I think the sexual aspect of this story disturbs us, we've heard from gay people that they knew at a young age that they were gay, and we don't want to stifle this young person’s identity. At the same time, however a parent must set limits for the child. I can't help but think that no one would be supporting them if their child decided that they wanted to adopt the stereotypical dress, mannerisms and outward appearance of another group, an African American child deciding that they are really white for example.

This is a very confusing and hard case to imagine from the outside, I hope the parents continue to love and help their child through their emerging identity. And I truly, truly hope that there is no darker story below the surface being ignored by those who see a prop to be exploited where in truth there is a child.

If it's a phase, the kid will tell them that too.

I'm sure there are crossdressing boy children who grow up to be gay, not trans. But I wonder how many of those express such a consistent and specific desire to change their bodies into womens' bodies. I think that's less likely. I have met so many transgendered people who began just like this little kid, and of my gay male friends, I can't think of a single analogous story. Not scientific by any means, but you can add that data point to the list.

Anyway, say it is a phase. I fail to see what the big deal is about letting it run its course. If it feels wrong to the kid, if the desire suddenly goes away from peer pressure or something like that, it seems to me that the kid will stop on hir own.

I'm inclined to doubt it's a phase, myself. I've not met anyone who started like this and just kind of stopped being gender-variant entirely one day.