I identify as a penguin.

I went through my whole life living in the wrong body. Day in day out, they told me I was a boy but deep down I knew that I was a penguin. At the age of 18, I underwent surgery where they changed my arms into wings and inserted tiny white and black hairs throughout my whole body. My mouth and nose were changed into a fully functioning beak, a beak that would make any penguin in this world jealous. I was also given special injections, so that I could withstand temrepture of -50°C.

At the age of 19, I moved to antartica where I now live with other penguins in harmony. Some penguins around these parts, tell me that I'm crazy. They tell me I'm a man with psychological problems but I know that they are the ones on the wrong side of history.

I am Pinto the Penguin and this is my story. Had my parents changed me into a penguin at a young age, I believe that I would be in a much better position now.

Oh, how funny.

Just because I want to cut my legs off and identify as a parapalegic, doesn't mean I'm insane.

#parapalegicism

i truly heartfelt and moving story.

#IamPinto #PenguinLivesMatter

#lgbtwhataboutpenguins

I think that kind of thing is too important to choose for somebody, and too important to let them choose until they have reached a certain wisdom.
How to know if they've achieved that wisdom? It's hard to say. Simply putting an age cap on it is a very crude catch-all solution, but I do think there is also an age at which you have to say "it's your body, do what you want with it." Even if you don't think they're emotionally mature enough.
I mean... I don't think people are going to choose something like they unless they're serious about it.

...man, I don't know! I'd just say trust each parents to know their kids individually, but then again, plenty of parents don't.

There's a clearly difference between sex, gender and sexuality - some people NEED to learn. Also, you don't choose any of them, you're just born with it. Either you deal with it or live a miserable life trying to be someone you don't truly is.

how about no one decides? Just look at their genitals, question answered.

"If you have a better system than the Scientific Method, you should publish it in a peer-reviewed article and collect your Nobel Prize."  --SuaveSocialist, Roman Catholic Buddhist.

god enough of this nonsense all over the internet. stop with the obsession with 'gender'. In the end all gender is an option of A or B in terms of a combination of stereotypical quirks and likes/dislikes. 

its quite simple- a kid should be treated like a kid. if they were born a boy then tell them they're a boy. The problem with trying to even bring up the discussion of gender with a child is that they will not fully understandd the difference between it and what sex they are

a little boy is a male. a little girl is a female. in terms of gender I don't think little kids should be encouraged at extremely young ages to attempt to make decisions about whether they feel more natural in the traditional female or male roles in society. Bear in mind most kids aren't even quite SURE what they like yet, that's part of growing up

again though, the concept of gender in today's society is quite flawed, like as if someone must pick that they identify more with a male or female traditional group of things.

A girl can love sports, cut her hair short, go to the gym all the time- it doesn't magically mean there needs to be a gender discussion.

the problem we have is so many of you seem to not understand that gender is just another label. its constantly directly correlated with sex which makes no sense because someone's sex isn't debatable.

someone born with a penis is a boy. someone born with a vagina is a girl. If a boy grows up and wants to wear their hair long, likes makeup, and WISHES that they were born female- it doesn't magically have any impact whatsoever on what their sex is. At that point (maybe when someone is a teen?) I say let someone go for it, but its just as simple as making decisions about one likes or dislikes.

but for the record if someone WANTS something it doesn't magically make it be. Gender and sex are two different things. I could be a boy who loves everything traditionally stereotyped as feminine and I could identify as feminine/womanly but it would not magically change the fact that I was a boy.

can't reiterate enough that sex and gender are extremely different things, one is essentially a choice and the other is a scientific fact of which you are born. therefore having a discussion about gender is in the same stupid vain as having a conversation about why a girl loves pro wrestling and football and camping. who cares? its not noteworthy if someone is defying how things were traditionally in terms of a sex liking certain stereotypical things

perfect analogy.

I often use this same arguement. Sex and gender are not related at all. you're born a certain sex, male or female, it is what it is.

I have no problem with someone hypothetically 'identifying' as being a penguin. Or a boy identifying with being a girl. or vice versa. But its sort of like, who cares? Okay, you make your choices on how you want to live. what you like, what you dislike, your activities, how you dress, who you date and make love to- but its irrelevant in terms of what you are scientifically and quite literally.

I could WANT to be a girl. or a penguin. or a cat. but I'm male. it is what it is. there are some things in life that are not up for debate. People have the choice to identify or behave how they like. I'm all about freedom. But simply screaming over and over that you are something you're NOT is getting nowhere and wasting time. It seems to stem from the same misguided people over and over who don't seem to grasp that gender has nothing really to do with sex, except for in traditional society stereotype.

And simply identifying as something doesn't change what you are. Whether we're talking sex, race, SPECIES, etc.