A father and son from Brazil have shared their gender transition journey online, revealing how they became mother and daughter together.
Raphael and Gustavo Batista, 10, from Sao Paulo, Brazil, were born with female biological traits but now identify as male.
Gustavo was the first to transition at the age of four, which later helped Raphael find the courage to also begin his own journey. Raphael, 38, stopped identifying as female last year and asked to be referred to as male.
In September, Raphael shared a video on Instagram discussing gender identity.
The video caption, translated from Portuguese, said: “Do I have dysphoria with my body? The answer is yes.”
When asked if Gustavo influenced him, Raphael told G1 News: “It didn’t influence me, but he gave me strength and courage.”
The pair now share their story with their 25,000 Instagram followers, receiving support from many people.
They have also spoken out against others using their “dead names”—the names they used before transitioning.
“Even though we have the right to have our chosen names respected, it doesn’t always happen,” one of their posts explained.
Gustavo, a student, also works as an actor and has played both transgender and cisgender roles in films.
He is treated at a specialized clinic in Sao Paulo that provides care for gender identity and hormonal treatment.
Meanwhile, in the UK, puberty blockers were banned for children under 18 in December due to safety concerns.
A government health committee stated there is an “unacceptable safety risk” in prescribing puberty blockers to children.
The UK’s Health Secretary said children’s healthcare must be based on strong evidence.
A review by Dr. Hilary Cass also warned that puberty blockers are powerful drugs with uncertain benefits and risks. She recommended that they should only be given under strict medical supervision.
The British Medical Association (BMA) has opposed the restrictions, arguing that trans children are already facing challenges.
The Cass Report, which took four years to complete, found that some children were being rushed into treatments without enough research.
In Scotland, some hospitals temporarily paused gender-related treatments but later lifted restrictions after reviews.
The Scottish Government stated that not all referred patients proceed with medical treatments after consultation.