[GoneGirl]

...not all fathers are created equal. Hell, I could never have told mine at 30, much less 14. He would've disowned or beaten me, no doubt. If your mom is cool, kid, stick with her and distance yourself as much as possible from Dad in the future ;p

If this kid's dad is a homophobic bigot like mine was, I would not advise ever telling the guy.....not that I disagree with the advice in general.

Sarah, I see what you mean. It's impossible for any of us to give Steele more than basic rules-of-thumb advice in his situation. We don't know his family situation well enough. My only hope is that he gets some good counseling before he progresses too far into puberty. If he is trans, his life will be so much easier if he transitions as a teen. Patti's reference to the paper by Ann Lawrence, I think it was, pointed out how important it was to block puberty in children that are diagnosed transsexual. If at age 16 or older, Steele decides to stay a boy, it's not too late for him, but he can also begin HRT and grow into a passable girl, too. DIY HRT, on the other hand, is not advisable, and I hope his grandmother can convince him of that. He obviously holds his grandmother in high esteem, so I'm hopeful.

Shit, am I preaching to the choir or what?

Steele, I think responsible parents will always challenge a child's notions if they see potential trouble ahead. But, there's no reason for them is withhold professional counseling from you. It sounds like the cost of seeing a gender therapist is not going to be an obstacle for you. Ask for it.

I recommend taking a look at this site, too:

http://www.avitale.com/

Do you know you can meet with a gender therapist on-line?

CK