“My dad told me that if I wanted his love, then I should become his little boy”
When I was 8 years old, my dad told me that if I wanted his love, then I should become his little boy. He said that girls were useless and worthless. I wanted his love, so, I did as he said. Although, I was a female, he changed my name to Harry, and I was his son in all aspects other than the physical. Along came puberty, and he quickly discarded me as his favourite boy. However, the seed was already sown, so to speak.
Harry had become a part of my identity. Carmel was too.
I was not schizophrenic but there were 2 of me living in one body. I grew up having to deal with everything on my own. No support. No counselling. No suicide advice. Nothing.
My life has been such a mess.
I know that I would have benefited greatly from counselling, back then, even from aged 8 years to 13 years old. Even if it was just to sort through my feelings about the gender confusion. My dad projected his needs on to me and I have spent the last 43 years sorting my life and identity out.
I never asked for any of it. It was his need for me to become his boy.
Imposing a ban on counselling for unwanted sexuality and gender issues is so very wrong for a multitude of reasons.
As an 8 year old, I was naïve and innocent, so how was I to know what becoming dad’s little boy actually meant. I was just looking for his love and acceptance.
If gender confusion is the result of rape, paedophilia, molestation, incest or other abuse, counselling is an integral part of rehabilitation.
If gender confusion is caused by projection, or is forced upon them by another, is that not ABUSE?
A ban would mean every child and every adult might never learn who they truly are. They may well be now or become someone else’s sexual fetish.
If mental health is a human right, then since counselling goes hand in hand with mental health as a positive tool, it too, should be classed as a basic human right.
Imposing a ban on counselling for unwanted sexuality and gender issues would mean opening the doorway to depravity, perversion, degradation and ultimately abandonment.