Six-Year-Old Transgender Child Sparks Controversy at Texas Daycare

The private owners of Children's Lighthouse daycare in Katy, Texas have found themselves in the public eye after firing two employees who voiced concern that the school was allowing a 6-year-old transgender student to express their gender identity, reports Fox 26.

The controversy began when the parents of the transgender student asked that their child, who had been assigned female gender at birth, now be treated as a male and referred to with a new name.

The school immediately moved to accommodate the request of the parents - who happen to be a same-sex couple - and removed two employees who disagreed. However, the daycare's actions are now being questioned by some who struggle to understand how a 6-year-old can identify as trans, and fear the gay couple somehow influenced their child's gender identity.

"I understand the fears that they have, but I want to tell you in my clinical experience working with same-sex partners, because I do a lot of work with foster-hood and adoption, I think these families are very well adjusted," child psychologist Dr. Andrew Brams told Fox 26. "I think they are even sometimes more psychologically mindful, or even more aware of, making sure their child is brought up in a healthy environment, with good self-esteem and a good feeling about themselves."

He adds, "I think there's a strong indication that a lot of this is biological."

Transgender National Alliance founder Nikki Araguz Lloyd also addressed the controversy, hoping to use the discussion around the daycare's actions to educate others about the experiences of transgender people. "At the time I was six, I began to exhibit all female personality traits," Lloyd told Fox 26."It's very sad that what has become a personal private matter in relation to a transgender person, is now again a very public discussion."

Watch the full segment in the video below.