On Tuesday, a Texas court granted a mother temporary primary custody of her 7-year-old son, whom she believes wants to transition to a girl. The father, Jeff Younger, believes his child, a biological boy, wants to remain a boy. The divorced couple is fighting for custody of the child.
According to The Christian Post, Judge Mary Brown ruled against James' father, citing his "unwillingness or inability to follow the order designed to serve the best interests of the children."
Younger and his ex-wife, Anne Georgulas, have fought over custody of James over the past several years. Georgulas, who is not the biological mother of James and James' twin brother, Jude, is a pediatrician in Coppell, Texas. She reportedly believed James, whom she calls "Luna," wants to identify as female.
Younger, however, asserts that James does not want to be a girl.
"When James is with me, he shows no signs of wanting to be a girl when given the choice. Even when in female company, away from me, James rejects a female gender expression," Younger said in a statement on the "Save James" website.
On Tuesday, the court granted Georgulas several "exclusive rights on a temporary basis," such as the right to establish the children's primary residence and the right to consent to various medical decisions. Georgulas was also given the right to determine the children's education and other privileges.
Judge Brown, however, refrained from granting Georgulas the exclusive right to decide if James can undergo experimental transgender procedures, including the prescription of puberty blockers or hormonal suppression "without the consent of the parents or court order."
Additionally, the Texas court ordered that "Younger's possession periods shall be continuously supervised by Forensic Counseling Services … at Mr. Younger's sole cost and expense."
On Wednesday, the "Save James" Facebook page denounced the court order in a statement, contending that the judge ruled "against the safety and protection of James and Jude."
A "Save James" campaign has also been launched on the Christian crowdfunding site, GiveSendGo. At present, the page has raised $102,396 out of its $200,000.
The page, which was created by George Genovezos, asserts that James "does not have gender dysphoria" and that the best outcome for him is to identify as a boy.
In May, as The Christian Post reported, Texas Republican lawmakers reportedly derailed a bill that would ban sex-change procedures for children.
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Alexmia
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
