A teenager diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder (GID) has been allowed to attend her school as a boy from April. The 13-year-old girl, who has felt uncomfortable with her gender since around 2 years old, will attend her public junior high school in Kagoshima as a boy from the new school year.
The case comes on the heels of a recent recognition of an 8-year-old boy in Saitama Prefecture to attend the school as a girl after he was diagnosed with GID. While the cases won recognition thanks to their schools' understanding, other GID suffers and their parents are calling for more comprehensive measures by educational administration.
According to the 13-year-old's mother and her school, the student complained of sickness when she wore a sailor-style school uniform and refused to go to school for many days. After her parents consulted with school officials in July last year, she was allowed to commute to school in a gym uniform from September.
Furthermore, the school agreed to switch the 13-year-old's gender classification in her class register and allow her to attend in a boy's uniform from April after she was diagnosed with GID on Feb. 20. The school is also looking into letting her use a women's bathroom for teachers and school staff and a separate room for changing her clothes.
The student's family quoted her as saying, "I can finally wear a school uniform that I feel comfortable with. I'm so happy." "My child has suffered so much pain, so we appreciate the school's response," said the 13-year-old's mother.
"I believe there are many more children who are suffering from the lack of understanding by others. I hope the board of education and the prefectural government will set up a counseling service in conjunction with specialized medical institutions."
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