I don't know the specifics of this particular case, but there are legitimate reasons to prescribe a gender change for a child.
 
Birth defects can include malformed or incompletely-developed genitals, such that the attending physician has to take a guess at the sex of the infant. Sometimes, they guess wrong, and saddle that individual with a lifetime of gender confusion. Male/female psychological differences are profound and begin to show up at a surprisingly young age, long before puberty. 

I think the child should be supported in his decision.  In the immortal words of Sheryl Crow, "if it makes you happy, it can't be that bad."

No one would think to doubt the child's word if they said their stomach, throat, or ears hurt.  Yet somehow, if it has to do with a state of mind, suddenly it couldn't possibly be coming from the kid.
 
My brother-in-law is female to male transgendered.  One day, we somehow we got onto the topic of his growing up.  From when he could first remember, he always knew he was a boy, he just had the wrong gear.  He couldn't understand why his parents made him wear a shirt when all the other boys in the neighborhood were running around without them.
 
Certainly, the plural of anecdote is not data, but I think it is very reasonable to expect that kids that young "know" that they are boys and girls and sometimes what they know doesn't match their bodies.  
 
Given that the suicide rates amongst transgendered people are extremely high and that transgendered people suffer a host of abuses at the hands of the ignorant, perhaps this kid's parents are just trying to make sure that their child knows that they have a safe place where they are loved and accepted.
 

AndyDavis
No one would think to doubt the child's word if they said their stomach, throat, or ears hurt.  Yet somehow, if it has to do with a state of mind, suddenly it couldn't possibly be coming from the kid.
 
My brother-in-law is female to male transgendered.  One day, we somehow we got onto the topic of his growing up.  From when he could first remember, he always knew he was a boy, he just had the wrong gear.  He couldn't understand why his parents made him wear a shirt when all the other boys in the neighborhood were running around without them.
 
Certainly, the plural of anecdote is not data, but I think it is very reasonable to expect that kids that young "know" that they are boys and girls and sometimes what they know doesn't match their bodies.  
 
Given that the suicide rates amongst transgendered people are extremely high and that transgendered people suffer a host of abuses at the hands of the ignorant, perhaps this kid's parents are just trying to make sure that their child knows that they have a safe place where they are loved and accepted.
 

I'm all for supporting the kid. It's the endless thirst for public notoriety that's questionable. 
 
Can't people do that anymore? Show support w/o nominating themselves for awards? Do something nice without publicizing it on Twitter and FB? 

And you know, the more I think about it... 
 
In a way, we're teaching an entire generation that self-acceptance and your relatives and friends support isn't enough, that one needs the whole wide world to "accept" you (no matter how hypocritically).
 
It's absolutely unhealthy, in a sense.
 
I don't know about you, but I've gained confidence by facing adversity - with the support of my relatives - not by avoiding everything.
 
Obviously, there's a balance to be found, somewhere in the middle.

I don't disagree that the video/award has a certain reality show unseemliness about it.  And I have no idea if the goal of the parents is too educate others or to score a reality show for themselves (none of us do).
 
My original comments were mainly directed towards anyone that would think that no child could possibly feel trapped in the wrong kind of body.

Rain
Can't people do that anymore? Show support w/o nominating themselves for awards? Do something nice without publicizing it on Twitter and FB? 

How else am I gonna find all those hidden $100 bills if they don't?

craigb
....
As for the story above, I think this is a better case for child services to get involved than most (except that they're a Government agency which usually means the most illogical path is taken... *Sigh*  )

You need to finish the sentence ... "path is taken to spend the most money and get nothing done."

Mesh
I saw this in the news last night and as a parent, I'm appauled at what these "parents" are putting this little innocent child into................what is this world coming to???
 
 
I agree with this guys Blog: http://themattwalshblog.com/2014/06/03/this-poor-child-is-confused-not-transgendered/
 
 
Of course, the "media" fully supports this type of things.........as seen here: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/san-diego-parents-reveal-story-transgender-daughter-boy-5-article-1.1811066........ makes me sick to my stomach!!

Agree...

From that Matt Walsh blog: 
 

They tell us in one breath that it’s OK for boys to like pink and girls to like blue, and we should stop expecting our sons to play sports and our daughters to play with dolls. These are just social norms, they say. We should not subscribe to such archaic notions. But suddenly they proceed to derail their own narrative when they next inform you that a girl liking blue and a boy playing with dolls might actually be a sign that the girl is a boy and the boy is a girl.

I had to laugh. So true!