Topic : 10/29 Gender Confused Children

   Dear Dr. Phil,

    I am less inclined to watch your show  of late. Today was an example of such. I watched the episode with the mother of a young child who is gender confused. I found Toni to be attention seeking and wanting to be the only one heard.One time you asked the 2 fellows seated opposite her to not edit her reaction. Though they were not allowed to speak and give their expert knowledge in their field  and /or  their opinions. Toni often interrupted with anger and sarcasm. Interviews and guests like Toni maybe more appropriate to shows such as Jerry Springer, which I think shouldn't be televised.

   In closing , I agreed with the views of the endocrinologist and peadiatrician at the end of the program. Hoping to see more open minded  discussion with everyones view point heard.

                                                                                                                          Regards, S.F.

I fully agee.Way to go Toni! You are a hero for all transgendered children.

I have never posted on any board but was so angry watching this show that I decided I needed to vent and found this board.  First off, Dr. Phil, I'm very disappointed in your handling of the show.  You sat there like you were afraid of that mother.  She was allowed to rant and rave and say whatever she wanted to the two doctors on the other side.  But, when they tried to stick up for themselves to her, you scolded them on their reaction  to her answers.  Where was your backbone?  Did you leave it in your high-heeled pumps?  Second, the mother was completely rude, obnoxious, and was obviously correct about anything and everything (at least in her mind).  If you are going to have a show about a very controversial issue then let both sides have equal time.  The show definitely was not about gender confused children, it was about angry parent of gender confused child. 

I feel sorry for the boy.  He will have a tough road ahead of him. God forbid he gets on the wrong side of that woman.  He doesn't really need to have a dad, because she obviously wears the pants in that household.  I don't know much about this condition  and thanks to Dr. Phil just sitting there, looking on blankly with his fingers under his chin, i STILL don't.  I only got to hear an angry mother telling off two men that obviously care about children or they wouldn't waste their time on the show or studying this disorder.

My prayers will be for the little boy that he is able to live a happy, healthy productive life no matter which way he turns out.  And, Dr. Phil, I'll pray for you that the next time you are faced with a situation like today,  that you will find your voice and guts to step in and take control of your show and your guests (even if you are intimidated by them).

I feel so strongly about this that I couldn't even wait until the end of the show to speak up.  I was a single parent for several years with two sons.  The two guests on the show claiming that boys being too close to their mothers is a problem are absolutely ridiculous.  One of my sons was what people called "all boy" and the other had a temperament usually seen in girls.  He also asked for an Easy-Bake oven for Christmas one year and I gave it to him.  He was like a girl in many ways but never wanted to be one.  Both of my sons are grown now and they're both still male.  I encouraged them both in whatever interests they had.  Meanwhile, when I was a child, there was a time when I thought I wanted to be a boy because I didn't like the way girls got treated in society.  It was a phase.  I'm still female but I have a lot of male interests that nobody ever discouraged me from pursuing.  I have made repairs to vehicles and appliances and am currently doing major renovations to my basement.  Whatever our interests my whole family is still the genders they were born as depite the fact that nobody pushed stereotypes on any of us.  However, for some people it goes beyond interests and you can't make them something they're not.  I am so proud to say nobody stereotyped me and I didn't stereotype my children.  If either of them had decided in their teens that they were not the gender they felt they were supposed to be I would have gotten them counselling to see if it was just a phase, without discouraging them from being exactly who they are, whatever that may be, and to help them transition if that's what they needed.