[birdblue]

This article:Parents keep child's gender secret, was posted in Heated Debates. I found the article very interesting so i figured i'd share it here.

"There are questions about which bathroom Storm will use, but that is a couple of years off. Then there is the “tyranny of pronouns,” as they call it. They considered referring to Storm as “Z”. Witterick now calls the baby she, imagining the “s” in brackets."

What are your thoughts about it?

Do you think gender is innate?

[Irish_Wristwatch]

I think that they are actually doing the opposite of what they set out to do, by refusing to say if storm is a he or a she they are actually drawing more attention to gender.

I understand that they are trying to raise their children to be who they want to be and not conform to what society says a boy or girl should do and I have to problem with the idea of raising a child without set gender roles, so the fact that their older sons want to wear a dress or have long hair or ride purple bikes is just fine by me.

[rainbow_brite19]

I saw this a few days ago on FB. In a nutshell, it's a little extreme for me but I would never judge them for their parenting.

I, too, hate when parents try and conform their children into specific gender roles and I do believe that girls and boys should be encouraged to do/wear/have/like whatever they want. I just don't think this extreme of a step is really necessary, but to each their own.

[hilachu]

i think its ridiculous and im going to leave it at that

[Trish36]

I can see how this was on the debates board.

Sorry, they just seem a little bit too extreme. My girls are growing up playing with trucks and doing 'boy' stuff if they chose and my DS has played with dolls and I would never say 'oh you can't do that because you are a boy'. But I would so draw the line if he decided to wear dresses or braid his hair.
The reality is that we live in a stereotype world and it's never going to change. It's cute now, when these children are little, but it won't be fun for them when they have to go out there and mingle with everyone and get jobs, never mind going to school and being teased by other kids. I guess these parents just didn't think of that. IMO they are doing more harm to these children than they think.

[krsnow]

I don't agree with it, I think their kid is going to be confused and will be picked on. If that is the baby in the picture on the article link, then I think it looks like a girl.

[krystal g]

I do judge them. I judge them harshly. I think they are just going to screw up their kid way more than "society" ever could.

[krislati]

I don't agree with it, I think their kids are going to be so confused. In the end I think their children will suffer more because of it. While I wouldn't stop my son from riding a pink bike or daughter playing with trucks, I don't promote it either.

[KMH]

I think it is a great idea to let kids be curious, but these parents sound pretty whackadoodle to me

[noworries]

I understand their reasoning but think they are taking it too far. I think by raising their child genderless they are creating a whole new set of stereotypes. I also think that there is more to it than society's stereotypes. Gender is biological and you can't change that with any social experiments. However, I don't doubt that the parents love their children very much and think they are doing what is best for them and that is more than you can say for some parents.
Someone in my other PR posted this comment and I think it sums it up pretty well. "I am totally for supporting kids to be whoever they want, but part of being a good parent is also teaching kids how to function in society so they can get along and have friends. This family seems to be doing more damage than good."

[Rochelle7]

Hmmm... There IS a reason boys and girls were created with different parts. It's bc we are different than each other. That's not to say that every man has to have short hair or every woman has to wear girly things but what these parents are doing disturbs me a great deal. They are confusing their children.

To me, making the choice or determining that you are homosexual in adulthood is fine. But, these people seem to be pushing their kids into homosexuality. There's a fine line with this stuff. Does my son occasionally do something girly and joke about being a princess.. yes. We laugh it off. He's only being a clown. I know parents who get irate at their sons for even playing with their sister's girlie toys. I think that is wrong.

There's nothing wrong with a boy wearing pink or purple bc they are just colors after all. Just the same as girls wearing blue and brown. However, there are male clothes that though they're done in "girl colors" are still fashioned in a masculine way. We all remember the pink polo shirt trend from a few years ago with the collar popped up. It was a bad fashion statement yes, but I remember being in awe of how men could wear pink and it really didn't make them look feminine.

If a child is going to grow up to be gay, then there is not too much you can do to prevent it. But pushing them towards it is just messed up. That's not giving them a chance to be who they are. Which is what these parents are so called after. Not only that, but the media attention this is getting is sickening. These poor children are being exploited all for their parents' philosophies.

[mommy_2_ava_1109]

I think it's ridiculous. These people are making a mockery of their child, and for what??? The kids isn't genderless; (s)he has a gender. They are just choosing not to disclose it. I think these parents are idiots, to be quite honest. They should choose something else to "make a statement" about other than their newborn. If anything, they should wait til the kid is older and can decide for themselves if that's what they want to do.
Makes me mad!

[Jeanie915]

I think it's silly. I'm very conservative on all of my beliefs so it's extremely out there for me. I do believe a child needs to explore or "figure" out themselves for themselves but I think that should be done whn they are old enough to decide. Not now.

There are 2 genders for a reason. Boys have a different mentality than girls. There is a reason most boys like to play rougher than girls (generally speaking). I do not agree with this whatsoever......