A teenage girl has got permission from Australian family court to have her breasts surgically removed so that it would be easier for her to pass as a male.
The 17-year-old, who believes she is a boy, applied to the family court in Melbourne in 2007 for a double mastectomy before he turned 18. The teen, who was known as Alex and also referred to as a boy in the court, had been on hormone treatment since 13 to thwart puberty.
According a
news report, Alex was suffering from a psychological condition —
gender identity dysphoria — a condition which makes a person to believe that they are the opposite sex.
Family Court chief justice Diana Bryant said Alex, who had been living like a boy, was socially constrained by the breasts. She said having the mastectomy was in Alex’s best interest.
She said:
“So it was quite an impediment to his social development, which everyone thought was very important. Overwhelmingly, the evidence was that it was in his interests. And I made that order. I wanted to make it quickly so that he could have the operation straight away.”
The decision has enraged Catholic groups who believe that it was an irresponsible decision as a teen cannot make such a crucial choice.
Professor Nicholas Tonti- Filippini, the head of bioethics at the John Paul Institute,
reportedly said It was a psychological condition and the surgery was not the required solution. He thinks that Alex was not socially well adjusted and this has prevented him from forming normal relationships with women.
