An unprecedented case of traumatisation and abuse of a minor child and his mother has come to our attention.
According to the mother, the child had been expressing clear signs of gender-diverse identity from a very young age and had been asking to live according to their desired gender identity for two and a half years. The mother and the rest of the family respected and supported the child, while the father, based on information provided to us, expressed opposition.
The case reached the court, where it was ruled that custody should be awarded to the father, after accepting his claim that the mother was pushing the child towards female gender expression. The couple had already been separated for years and the child was living normally with the mother.
After immense distress and despite the mother’s previous efforts to ensure support from a specialist, the prosecution ended up ordering a temporary ban on the mother’s contact with the child, because she did not comply with its directive on mandatory “neutralization” of the child’s gender.
“Neutralisation” means not calling the child by the desired name and pronouns, and not wearing the clothes they want, but rather being called in a way that the child does not identify with a particular gender. Unfortunately, the Prosecution was not supported by an expert in this instruction.
This prohibition of communication seems to be aimed to the conversion of the child, especially in the school environment, since the directive of “neutralization” on the part of the father, according to the mother, was never respected, with absolutely no consequences for him! In other words, the father calls the child by the undesirable name and forces the child to wear boy’s clothes. And all this is happening at a time when the child has already been confirmed as having gender incongruence!
How can services and institutions, without knowledge on the subject, treat a minor child and their mother in terms of conservatism and puritanism? How, without the responsible and supervised presence of an expert, is gender identity treated as something to be rejected by the social environment despite EU legislation and directives?
Children who present with gender diversity are not and should not be invisible. They should not be treated as undesirables and even by institutions and services!
These incidents are increasing because children are not hiding, as they used to, and society is prepared to welcome them with respect. It is not acceptable, today, for the supportive parent to be removed from the child and blamed for being respectful!
Science has provided competent answers, which have led to legislation in our country as well.
Based on the mother’s complaint, Proud Parents draws attention to the dangerous way of treating the mother and child that resembles to conversion therapy of former times and urges the state to
- keep every gender-diverce child under the care of a supportive parent and competent informed specialists
- provide updated information and knowledge on the subject to services and institutions from competent experts and to not issue regulations or decisions that go against science
- treat such situations seriously and responsibly and not in terms of idealism
- provide a safe school environment for these children, supporting each child and their desired identity.
Ignorance and the absence of appropriate specialists and institutions cannot endanger a child and unjustly condemn the supporting parent.!
Our children deserve recognition and support and we cannot wait for the society to be educated in order for them to live.
Co-signed by LGBTQI+ organisations:
Rainbow Families Greece
Intersex Greece
Proud Seniors Greece
Rainbow Seniors
Rainbow School
Colour Youth – Athens LGBTQ Youth Community
LGBTQI+ Employment Support Group.