The dark side of the trans movement was absent from CNN’s LGBT town hall for Democratic candidates this month. But Americans can now catch a glimpse of that underbelly in the alarming case of James Younger — a 7-year-old boy who may soon not be a boy.

This week, a Dallas, Texas, jury awarded sole custody of James to his mother, Anne Georgulas, who claims he is a girl named “Luna.” She has marked her son as “female” on medical records, begun to “socially” transition him and consulted with therapists about eventually chemically castrating him, according to his father, Jeffrey.

The senior Younger sees this program as “child abuse and the sexual mutilation of children.” Since his marriage with Georgulas was annulled several years ago, the two have been joint managing conservators of their twin boys, James and Jude.

But when Georgulas sued to limit the father’s access to James and mandate that Younger call him “Luna,” Younger fought her in court. This week, he lost his case for sole custody. James’ social transition, and Georgulas’ plans for puberty blockers, can continue apace, though on Thursday the judge in the case ruled that his father will have equal say in the matter — while also slapping a gag order against him.

Georgulas’ original petition to remove Younger’s parental rights declared the father had “engaged in emotionally abusive behavior,” which involved such atrocities as cutting James’ hair and other “non-affirming actions.” It added: “Although unclear if this behavior rises to the level of family violence at this time, the father’s aggression is becoming more common and more intense.”

Aggression? Family violence? The only violence here is the trans movement’s war on the English language, biology and reason, perfectly reflected in the mother’s filing — and unchallenged by the mainstream media.

You won’t read in The New York Times about the safety risks posed to James by his own mother — or hear about it on CNN. His father filmed him at age 3 wearing a kitchen towel fastened to his head, an attempt to imitate a girl’s flowing locks. “Who told you you were a girl?” Younger asks in the video. “Mommy,” the boy replies. “She buys my headbands, and she gives me hair clips. . . . She paints my nails. . . . She tells me I’m a girl.”

In court, Younger pointed out that James didn’t fit the medical criteria for gender dysphoria. For one thing, he shows no signs of depression, per Younger. But an admission from Georgulas herself unwittingly revealed a larger hole in her argument.

A court appointed amicus ­attorney, Stacy Dunlop, stated that “Luna” wasn’t the first name that James requested. It was “Starfire,” the name of a character from the show “Teen Titans Go!,” which Georgulas considered ridiculous and encouraged him not to adopt.

Dr. Rebekka Ouer — a counselor recommended by the GENECIS clinic that first recommended James undergo “social transition” — said this was wise. Her reasoning, described in The Texan: “Even though affirmation is good, there were still some reasonable limits. No clear method of determining those reasonable efforts was suggested.”

If even two trans advocates can admit that some limits are necessary, then we must ask: Why draw the line at Starfire but not at Luna? That Georgulas balked at Starfire indicates that the trans agenda rests on fluctuating standards and vague line-drawing.

And it all involves a 7-year-old kid. The trans movement has already won concession after legal concession when it comes to the right of adults who subjectively identify with the opposite sex: They can choose to go as far as they please medically, and nearly all public ­institutions must bend to their demands for recognition.

But now activists and ideologues — including some parents — are bent on having children medically transition at ever-younger ages, including by subjecting them to processes that are irreversible.

If James is eventually chemically castrated, he will remain sterile for the rest of his life — even if he later decides that he is a male after all. Numerous studies have shown that the vast majority of children who say they’re trans ­desist as they grow older.

Jeffrey Younger often wears a “Save James” T-shirt with a verse from Proverbs 31 printed on the back: “Speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves.” But perhaps what we need today is the slightly more urgent admonition from Jude, James’ biblical kinsman: “Save others by snatching them out of the fire.”

Ramona Tausz is associate editor of First Things.

Twitter: @RVTausz