Wentz-Graff Media

Storytelling: Science of Gender

Gender is the most fundamental bedrock of our personalities. It dictates nearly everything about your life and what you do with it. And yet, science is showing that your physical gender may not be an accurate depiction of what gender you actually are.  

IIsabella was born a girl, but age the age of two, she began expressing who she was on the inside. "I boy," was her first sentence. Her mother grappled with how her child felt, but after soul searching and seeking professional help, she is letting Isabella, now called Izzy, express who the child is on the inside. 

  • Jennifer's daughter Isabella was just two-years-old when she first communicated her gender mismatch. {quote}I boy,{quote} stated the child emphatically and consistently. Jennifer was shocked. She thought it was a phase. That the child was confused. But after two years of Isabella's insistence, refusal to wear girl clothing, and interest in all things boy related, Jennifer sought help. She was determined to do everything she could to help her daughter, even though she didn't understand what was going on.
  • {quote}That's when I was a girl{quote} says Izzy, lying beneath the photo while he plays video games at his home. As Isabella, the child showed signs of depression and was diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder. Jennifer chose to let her then four-year-old child live as a boy, shaving off her long hair, calling the child Izzy, and buying boy's clothing. A single photo remains in the house depicting Izzy before his transformation began.
  • Izzy takes aim with a toy guy while playing at home. One of the first signs that something was different with the child was his insistence on playing with boy toys, rough housing, and the other typical boy-related activities he liked. All the beautiful dolls and dresses loved by his two older sisters were cast aside.
  • Izzy hides behind a tree while playing at home in May. Two years after the child declared 'I boy,' the parents began to socially transition her to living as a boy.
  • Izzy's father, Diego, flips burgers as the family grills at Izzy's home. Children become aware of their gender between 1 and 2 years of age.
  • Izzy rummages through a toy box April 21 at the family's Monona home, searching for Batman. Toys such as the dolls favored by Izzy's older sisters were are cast aside for trucks, guns and superheros.
  • Jennifer plays with Izzy at Winnequah Park in Monona in August. People often question Jennifer about how she can know if Izzy is a boy inside. Her response: When you were 4, did you know you were a girl? Did you know your father was a boy? Well, that's how Izzy knows.
  • Izzy and older sister Angeliah hold hands while exploring a pond in Winnequah Park in Monona in August. Izzy's sisters had difficulty at first, calling Izzy 'she,' and then switching to 'he.'
  • Izzy and a friend walk toward a playground.
  • Izzy practices kicking a soccer ball with other 3- and 4-year-olds during practice this fall.
  • Many family members had a difficult time understanding Izzy's declaration, stating that he was only {quote}confused{quote} and that Jennifer was making a grievous mistake in allowing him to express himself as a boy. Jennifer's research showed that transgender children who are not allowed to express themselves have a high incidence of suicide, suicide attempts, drug and alcohol use and depression. Eventually many of the family members, including Izzy's paternal grandfather, Chris, shown helping him make {quote}muscles{quote}, began to help the child and accept the new gender role.
  • Izzy blows out his birthday candle during his Batman themed birthday party. He has just turned five and will soon be stepping out of the relative safe bubble in terms of dealing with gender.
  • Bathroom issues are obviously a sensitive one for transgendered people. Izzy's father Diego rolls up his pant legs after using the men's bathroom. Because Izzy has a medical diagnosis, when he attends school they are required to make sure there is a facility for him to use, and he cannot be forced to use the girl's restroom.
  • Izzy chooses which Batman adorned underwear to wear to school. The pair have been working very hard on potty-training Izzy in preparation for the pre-Kindergarten program that Izzy would be attending in the fall.
  • Jennifer says she saw a whole different side to her child after Izzy's transition. {quote}I've never seen my child so content to be in these boys clothes with this boy haircut looking as though I imagined he wanted to look,{quote} she said. She's worried about handling the innumerable costs ahead in the future if Izzy continues identifying as a boy around puberty. Doctors use puberty blockers to put puberty development on hold until the child is older, thus giving them more time to solidify a decision before taking other, more permanent steps such as taking hormones or having gender confirmation surgery. But puberty blockers are very expensive and not covered by insurance.
  • Izzy boards a school bus on his first day of school, smiling out the window at his mother. Jennifer has signed the child up as a male, and has been working with the school district to educate them on transgender issues and been very happy with the reception so far.
  • Home
  • Storytelling
    • The Gift of Sight
    • A Love Interrupted
    • Abandoning Our Mentally Ill
    • Inside out: Transgender stories
    • Science of Gender
    • The Soldier's Child
    • Fatal Care: The state of foster care in Milwaukee
    • History in the Making: Obamanomenom
    • Missing
    • Unify
    • Deadly Delays
    • Faces Of The Recession
    • Cashing In On Kids
    • Bringing Courtney Home
    • World Naked Bike Ride
  • Faces
  • Scenes
  • Motion
  • Action
  • Edibles
  • About Kristyna
  • Contact