Gender Confused Kids? Who's confused here?

I read with concern The New Paper's front-page article on MOE's ongoing efforts to train teachers to counsel gender-confused kids (TNP. 11 Sep 08). My question is - do the counselling sessions aim to help the child find his/her true gender identity or influence transgender youth to conform to social norms?

It has long been established internationally that one's gender identity is distinct from one's sex at birth. When the two do not match, the individual experiences the medical condition known as "transsexualism". While I recognise that a sex change operation is not a one-size-fits-all solution for all transsexuals, it is certainly a "natural" and valid recourse for the majority of transsexuals, contrary to the sentiments expressed by Professor Tsoi. And contrary to what Ms Sarah S, a counsellor from NuLife Care and Counselling Services says, male to female transgender children do not necessarily behave the way they do because they lack a masculine father figure in their lives. Has she done a nationwide survey to substantiate her claims? Or is she commenting based on two to three individuals she has counselled? A more important question in light of MOE's initiative - is she one of their trained counsellors?

I myself was a victim of the lack of support in my childhood years. There were lots of well-intentioned but misguided individuals - including a prominent leader of the religious group mentionned in your article - who tried to convince me that being transsexual was "wrong". This compounded my loneliness and sense of alienation, leading to a suicide attempt in my late teens. It was only when I fled to the United Kingdom for my studies in a more tolerant and welcoming environment that I flourished academically and socially.

I have remained in Singapore because I feel I still have lots to contribute to this beautiful society of ours - a society founded on secular, meritocratic principles and love and respect for racial and religious diversity. I hope MOE will adopt the same open-minded, enlightened approach when conducting its training sessions - and when selecting the service providers.

Yours Sincerely
Leona Lo
Author, From Leonard to Leona, A Singapore Transsexual's Journey to Womanhood