Topic: gender identity

Jimmy Kimmel Video Stars Kids Discussing Differences In Genders

Jimmy Kimmel Video Stars Kids Discussing Differences In Genders

It’s no shocker that little kids think the differences between boys and girls sound like typical sexist reasons, the color pink, being rough versus being gentle, but little kids don’t really understand gender stereotypes unless someone explains it to them. We all know boys can like pink and girls can be rough and all of that good stuff, and I do think that most parents explain this little fact to their kids when they hear them saying things like that. The only creepy part are the You Tube comments, which, of course, are transvestite jokes due to the adam’s apple comments and utter shock and outrage that kids this age know the words “penis” and “vagina.” More »

Amy Poehler’s Son Wants To Know What Happened To Amy Poehler’s Penis, Fair Question

Amy Poehler’s Son Wants To Know What Happened To Amy Poehler’s Penis, Fair Question

Last night on The Late Show with David Letterman, Amy Poehler shared an incredibly precious story about her son Archie Arnett. You know her son Archie, right? We stalked him last week and bestowed him with the title “Underrated Celebrity Child.” Anyway, it sounds like there’s a lot more to him than classic nursery school adorableness. In fact, the story Amy Poehler tells about him makes him sound like quite the inquisitive child. More »

My Daughter Is Dying For Professional Female Role Models

My Daughter Is Dying For Professional Female Role Models

We were driving home from gymnastics class when my daughter and I pulled up alongside a firetruck. She immediately plastered herself against the window with excitement, smiling and waving at the firefighters while we sat at a red light. The gracious men waved back at my little girl, and the driver even honked the horn, causing her to squeal with delight. In that moment, she felt super cool informing me that she was just greeted by what she calls, “real-life superheroes.” However, a couple minutes later she was quiet and upset about the encounter. When I asked what was wrong, she said, “I wish girls could do that.” More »

Gender-Free Preschool Bans ‘Him’ And ‘Her’

Gender-Free Preschool Bans 'Him' And 'Her'

Sweden has one of the highest levels of gender equality in the world and it’s consistently ranked as one of the best countries in which to raise children. Take, for instance, the fact that 85 percent of Swedish fathers take parental leave (those who don’t are considered deadbeat dads – could you imagine?!). Women on maternity leave get almost a full salary for a year (plus a guaranteed job to go back to), preschools are highly subsidized and children get free medical care. It sounds almost too good to be true, but is such is life in Sweden, where everyone from top government officials to single dudes at the coffee shop work hard in creating a gender-neutral world.

A Swedish preschool, however, has taken this quest for equality to soaring new heights. The taxpayer-funded school, called Egalia, has gone so far as to ban the words “him” and “her” on its premises (teachers use the genderless name hen, for example, to refer to any incoming visitors, and all 33 children are referred to as “friends”). The school has also banned fairy tales on its shelves, opting instead for books dealing with heterosexual couples, single parents or adopted children. More »

Gender-Variant Children Aren’t Necessarily LGBTQ Children

Gender-Variant Children Aren't Necessarily LGBTQ Children

Just because your son is asking for nail polish and stealing his sister’s tutu doesn’t mean he’ll grow up to be gay. An article over at The New York Times reveals some of the dialogue that’s taking place with parents of gender-nonconforming children — that is boys who like purple shirts and girls who want mohawks. The parents featured in the article navigate their children’s predelictions and unconventional tastes with blogs and like-minded playgroups, letting their children dress themselves as they like. Many of these parent-launched blogs such as “Raising My Rainbow: Adventures in Raising a Slightly Effeminate, Possibly Gay, Totally Fabulous Son” tack on homosexuality when understanding their child’s behavior — but that might be assuming a bit much for a four-year-old.
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