Mum Supports 9-Year-Old Transgender Son

When 9-year old Joseph Hughes decided he wanted to be a she, his mother, Sam Hughes, supported him whole-heartedly.

According to Yahoo News, ever since he was a toddler, Joseph’s feminine side was already evident with his preference of playing with dolls and painting his nails. The 9-year-old is now starting his transition to Ellie-Jo with the help of his mother.

At the moment, the young boy from Wales finds it easier to dress up and paint his nails while indoors as he still gets a little self-conscious when others notice his nails outside. To prepare him, his mother started accompanying him outside while he’s wearing a dress so that he will get used to it by the time he goes out in a dress alone. Already, Ellie-Jo plans to go back to school as a girl in September.

The supportive mother said that the decision of her son’s gender is left wholly up to him. If in a few years’ time her son decides to be Joseph again or to be Ellie-Jo permanently, she will back him up a hundred percent.

Transgenders are people whose gender identity or expression does not conform to their physical appearance. Joseph Hughes is not the first child to identify with the opposite sex. An article on the Washington Post discussed at length young transgenders and their journey to finding and becoming their real self.

Transgender transformations start with identifying one’s self and deciding on whether to undergo transition or not. On average, it takes at least two years to change one’s physical sex, often it may take longer.

The next step is taking prescribed hormones. This is to change the physical appearance of the body into becoming that of the ideal sex: Testosterone for female to male transgender and progesterone for male to female transgender. Formulations and dosage may vary depending on the individual.

Some may be contented with transformations using hormones only but some opt to take it a step further by undergoing sex reassignment surgery. Transitioning is already difficult with the stigma attached to it by society. However, people are slowly starting to accept the trend. Cases like these helps as well as the media exposure to prominent individuals who underwent or are undergoing the same experience, like in the case of reality star Bruce Jenner, now known as Caitlyn Jenner.

For feedback/comments, contact the writer at ailyanaferrer.salumbides@gmail.com.