Texas judge overrules jury and let's dad have say in 'gender transition’ of 7-year-old who he claimed identifies as girl due to mom's influence
A judge has ruled that the father fighting to prevent his seven-year-old son from transitioning to a girl will have equal say in any medical decisions pertaining to the child's future.
Jeff Younger is embroiled in a court battle with his ex-wife Dr. Anne Georgulas over whether their child James has gender dysphoria, the New York Post reports.
However, Judge Kim Cooks ruled on Thursday, October 24, that both parents will have joint conservatorship over their child.
This means they will have to agree on medical decisions for James including whether he should undergo hormone replacement therapy or transition to a girl.
Besides, the couple will also have to make joint decisions on haircuts, dental, and psychiatric care for the child.
Earlier this week, a jury ruled in favor of giving sole managing guardianship of their child and twin brother Jude to mother Georgulas, who is determined to transition James into a girl.
Pediatrician Georgulas argued that her son was transgender and that he should be allowed to wear dresses and attend school as a girl named Luna, if he wished to.
That said, her ex-husband Jeff Younger doesn't believe James has gender dysphoria. According to him, his child is just experiencing some confusion with his gender, and that Georgulas is forcing him to transition socially into a girl by manipulating him into wearing dresses and painting his nails.
Younger told Daily Mail he didn't expect the proceedings to go in his favor just moments before the judge's decision was handed down. "I'm not anticipating a good result for my son," he said. "I think I'm not going to be able to stop the social transition of my son, which will probably lead to his medical transition."
Following Younger's comments, Judge Cooks placed a gag order on both parents, meaning neither can speak to the media about the issue henceforth.
Furthermore, the judge also ruled both Younger and Georgulas will have to attend counseling together.
President Trump's eldest son Don Jr. tweeted in support of the embattled father after the jury ruled against him.
The saga began in 2018 when Georgulas filed a court request to modify their joint custody arrangement so that Jeff Younger is required to start calling their child by the name Luna.
In her argument, she claimed three mental health professionals had diagnosed James with gender dysphoria and that they recommended referring to him as Luna.
However, Jeff Younger subsequently filed his own request to obtain sole custody of the twins to stop the gender transition.
Georgulas and Jeff Younger were both members of the Orthodox Church when they tied the knot in 2010. In a bid to have twins, the couple went through IVF. Their marriage fell apart several years later.