- First-grader Coy Mathis made the transition from boy to girl when she was four years old
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A six-year-old transgender child is fighting alongside her parents for the right to be recognized as a girl at school.
Coy Mathis, who was born male but identifies as female, was barred from using the girl’s restroom at Eagleside Elementary School in Colorado in December.
On a special edition of the Katie show her mother and father told how they are now pursuing legal action because they want their child 'to have the same opportunities as all of the other children.'
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Growing pains: Coy Mathis, pictured with her mother Kathryn, was born male but identifies as female - her school recently banned her from using the girl's bathroom but now her parents are fighting the decision
The Mathis' case is the first to challenge restrictions on a transgender person’s bathroom use under Colorado’s anti-discrimination law.
Kathryn Mathis, who has five children under the age of eight, said that Coy was 18-months old when she started being drawn towards 'everything girl'.
Some of her favorite items included a fairy flower dress with a matching tutu and a Dora the Explorer bathing suit.
'It was starting to be obvious to us that Coy was really uncomfortable being a boy.
Trapped inside the wrong body: Coy Mathis made the transition from boy to girl aged four
Uncomfortable: Coy's parents said before she made the transition from boy to girl she refused to go outside and play with her friends because she didn't want to wear boys' clothing
'He wanted to know when we were going to take him to the doctor so that they would give him girl parts so that his body would be a girl,' Mrs Mathis recalled.
It reached breaking-point when Coy refused to leave the house because she didn't want to change into boys' clothes.
'He wanted to know when we were going to take him to the doctor so that they would give him girl parts'
A psychologist confirmed that Coy was transgender and when she was four-years old her parents let her 'be who she was' and she made the transition from boy to girl.
Today she looks like any other girl her age, dressed in cute dresses with her blonde hair styled in a shoulder-length cut.
She describes her favorite color as pink and her bedroom is littered with dolls and stuffed toys.
Mrs Mathis said the change in Coy after she transitioned 'was just amazing... The anxiety went away, the depression went away... all of a sudden she wanted to go play at parks.'
Early signs: Kathryn and Jeremy Mathis started to realize that their son was drawn towards 'everything girl' when he was just 18-months old
Happy family; The Mathis' have five children under the age of eight
Initially Coy's school was very understanding.
'She would use the girl's restrooms, she would be called a girl, she would go in the girl's lines,' Mrs Mathis said.
But in December, a year after making the transition at school, the Fountain-Fort Carson School District informed Coy's parents that she would be barred from using the girl's restrooms after the winter break.Â
'It came out the Coy was no longer going to be able to use the girl's restroom, we didn't know why'
Explaining the chain of events Coy's father Jeremy said: 'We got a call one evening, it was the principal and he said he wanted to set up a meeting with us to discuss options for Coy's future use of the restroom.
'It came out the Coy was no longer going to be able to use the girl's restroom and they were going to require her to be using the boy's room or the staff bathroom or the bathroom for the sick children.
'We didn't know why... we had no idea where this was coming from.'
After receiving the news the Mathis' took all of their children out of Eagleside Elementary School and filed a complaint with the state's civil rights division.
Life of a little girl: Coy's bedroom is filled with dolls, stuffed toys and lots of pink
Michael Silverman of the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, who is representing the Mathis family said: 'By forcing Coy to use a different bathroom than all the other girls, Coy’s school is targeting her for stigma, bullying and harassment.'
Coy will be home-schooled until the issue is resolved.
Mrs Mathis told the Denver Post: 'It's important for us to talk about this, because a lot of people have been so afraid to be their true selves for so long.
'We want to help create a society where it's OK to be who you are.'
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