Father Loses Custody of Autistic Son Amid Dispute Over Gender Transition; Receives Backing from Elon Musk

A heartbroken father from Iceland claims he was stripped of his parental rights after opposing his 11-year-old autistic son’s transition, a story that has captured international attention, including that of billionaire Elon Musk. He accuses the courts of valuing progressive ideology over a parent’s right to safeguard their child.

French national Alexandre Rocha, who has resided in Iceland for 25 years, lost custody to the child’s mother last December. Speaking to Fox News Digital, Rocha asserted that the judge’s decision was influenced by his concerns regarding the long-term effects of puberty blockers and hormone therapies.

“It should be a crime,” Rocha stated about these medical procedures. “You are harming kids, castrating a boy, as happened with my child. This shouldn’t take place. This is an ideology that should not involve children.”

Rocha argued that his then-10-year-old son, whose understanding of the world is shaped by games like Minecraft and Roblox, was not equipped to grasp the permanent implications of undergoing a sex change.

In this undated photo, Alexandre Rocha is seen holding his son. (Photo courtesy of Alexandre Rocha)

“Naturally, every kid [after a separation and autism diagnosis] will have a mental challenge,” Rocha said. “The transition is a happy place. They do feel validated, they like the attention… To me, the concern is the long-term. Will they still be happy in four years from now, or six years, from having blockers and having more hormones? Is it really fixing what is underlying — the mental challenge or difficulty, whatever they’re going through?”

Despite his child being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder just eight months ago, Rocha said the court and medical professionals “slightly passed over” the diagnosis during the trial. 

He noted that children on the autism spectrum often struggle with feeling “right in their skin” or “wanting to be something else,” adding that his child sometimes prefers to be a cat — wearing a tail or cat ears.

Alexandre Rocha is pictured in this undated photo with his son. (Photo courtesy of Alexandre Rocha)

However, when he raised those concerns in court, Rocha said an Icelandic endocrinologist “totally dismissed” him under oath, guaranteeing the hormone drugs posed “no problem” and refusing to examine underlying mental health factors. 

Now cut out of the medical decision-making process, Rocha said he fears what treatment his son may be receiving without his knowledge.

“It could very well be that he is being treated with hormones and I don’t know anything about it,” he said.

Rocha added that the child’s mother is pushing a “stronger ideology than ever,” saying he had to use advanced artificial intelligence (AI) program ChatGPT to understand terms like “deadname,” which refers to a person’s birth name before a sex change.

Alexandre Rocha is pictured in this undated photo with his son. (Photo courtesy of Alexandre Rocha)

“I can’t support this kind of speech. This, to me, is diabolical. It’s beyond love,” he said. “When you talk about a kid, you can’t talk about death. It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

Rocha said he was notified in February that the child’s mother formally changed his son’s name to a female name, “meaning his ID will now clearly state he is a girl.”

The father said he believes the court’s ruling was not about his child’s welfare, but rather a coordinated effort to silence dissent.

“It is to control parents. It is to control me,” he said. “It is to silence me. It is to give all power to this ideology.”

Rocha’s story has garnered international attention and recently caught Musk’s eye. 

Rocha’s story recently caught the attention of Elon Musk. (Getty Images)

The Tesla CEO has been outspoken about transgender issues after revealing his son, Xavier, transitioned to a female and now goes by the name Vivian Jenna Wilson.

Musk said he was “essentially tricked” into giving consent for Wilson to go on puberty blockers, before he had “any understanding of what was going on.”

In response to a post about Rocha’s story on popular X account @libsoftiktok, Musk said, “The woke mind virus even affects Iceland.”

Rocha said he was “very surprised and honored” that Musk shared his story.

“I think we have a common fight going on,” he said. “Because at the end of the day, we’re all parents, no matter the borders or nationalities.”

Musk did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Beyond politics, Rocha said he misses everyday moments with his son, who he said he hasn’t seen since January.

“I miss story time at night and cooking together,” he said, noting how much he enjoyed sharing 1990s Steven Spielberg movies like “Jurassic Park” with his son. 

Rocha recently requested daily fines against the child’s mother for obstructing his court-ordered visitation rights. 

The mother denied intentionally blocking the visits, claiming the child refuses to attend because Rocha rejects his transgender identity and does not use his new name, according to court documents.

Rocha provided a witness affidavit alleging their last visitation went smoothly and that the child appeared happy and secure in his presence.

Alexandre Rocha is pictured in this undated photo with his grandmother and his son. (Photo courtesy of Alexandre Rocha)

He recalled a recent visit where his son said he “missed it, to be with grandma and my sister.”

“When you don’t know what’s happening on the other side, as a parent, you get really worried,” Rocha said. “We are slowly drifting apart, and that’s a very sad outcome of this.”

Despite pressure to stay quiet, Rocha urged other parents to trust their “instincts,” speak up and seek professional guidance.

“I’m here for my kid and for his future,” he said. “That’s the only thing I care about. I am campaigning for him, for his future.”

The child’s mother could not immediately be reached by Fox News Digital for comment.