A 7-year-old in Texas—whose gender identity became central to a court custody case after the mother sought to transition the boy into a girl—has reportedly been attending school dressed as a boy.
The father, Jeff Younger, tried to obtain sole custody of the child after the mother, a pediatrician named Dr. Anne Georgulas, allegedly intended to subject the child, named James, to hormone replacement therapy and have him use the female alias “Luna,” reported Fox News.
According to the BBC, Georgulas claims the child identifies as a girl and wants to be called Luna, Younger however, claims James was pressured by Georgulas into identifying as a girl.
In the court ruling, Judge Kim Cooks said a “substantial change in circumstances with child or parent,” warranted her decision to award joint custody.
The child was considered to be male at birth. The mother has argued the child is a transgender girl. The father maintains the child is a boy.
A Facebook group named “Save James,” whichs advocates for the prevention of the child from undergoing any procedures to change his sex, recently posted photos of the child dressed as a boy with a caption that read, “Going to school. This is what it looks like when JAMES gets to choose! * Affirm this! *”
In 2018, Georgulas filed a lawsuit seeking to modify her custody agreement with Younger, attempting to force him to recognize and affirm the child’s female name.
Judge Kim Cooks ultimately denied the request, saying that “the Court finds that the State of Texas has no compelling interest to justify such interference.”
The judge also ruled that “there has been no abuse, neglect, or family violence by either parent,” but ordered the father and mother to each attend family counseling with the child and the child’s twin, a boy named Jude.
The judge ruled that the child “appears comfortable as a male, female, or gender nonspecific.” The decision means that both parents will have a say in any medical decisions involving their child’s gender.
The case drew attention from Gov. Greg Abbott and US Sen. Ted Cruz.
In response to the jury’s initial decision to grant Georgulas sole custody, Cruz tweeted: “A 7-year-old child doesn’t have the maturity to make profound decisions like this. The state of Texas should protect this child’s right to choose — as an informed, mature person — and not be used as a pawn in a left-wing political agenda.”
Abbott tweeted that the Texas Attorney General’s Office and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services were looking into the case.
A day before the judge issued her ruling, First Assistant Attorney General Jeff Mateer sent a letter to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate Younger’s claims of abuse.
Marissa Gonzales, a spokesperson with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, said the department “has begun investigating the allegations,” responding to the letter sent by the attorney general.
The judge’s ruling also said both parents must agree on topics like medication, surgical and psychological treatment. A parenting coordinator was appointed to the family, according to court documents.
The CNN Wire contributed to this report.
