One of the first things Thomas Lobel told his parents was that they were wrong. The 3-year-old had learned sign language because he had apraxia, a speech impediment that hindered his ability to talk. The toddler pointed to himself and signed, “I am a girl.” “Oh look, he’s confused,” his parents said. Maybe he mixed up the signs for boy ... Read More »
In almost every way, Jake is a typical 16-year-old boy. He plays drums in a band, he’s learning to drive, and he’s very close to his parents. But there is one thing that differentiates Jake from other teenage boys. He began his life as Julia. “I knew I was different, probably when I was like 5 because a bunch of ... Read More »
Should we introduce children to the concept of transgender people? The answer is yes according to an article published in the December 2010 issue of the peer-reviewed Graduate Journal of Social Science. The article by Natacha Kennedy and Mark Hellen, entitled “Transgender Children: More Than a Theoretical Challenge,” was developed from a paper presented at the November 2009 conference “Transgender ... Read More »
Regardless of what his anatomy, pink bedroom and society told him, Grayson knew for years he really wasn’t a girl. He wore his hair closely cropped since the age of 11, while his heart and his former name did not match up. “He was thrilled when people mistook him for a boy, because he was a boy inside,” said his ... Read More »
My inbox makes it clear that you want a chance to discuss boys and pink nail polish, aka “How a Photo of a Mom Spending Time with Her Son Fed the Culture Wars.” For those who have not been following it, a quick recap by the writer Katie Phillips on the Web site Forbeswoman.com: In an online promotional photo entitled ... Read More »
Yesterday Lady Gaga announced the establishment of her new foundation aimed at ending teen bullying. The Born This Way Foundation will be a collaboration with The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and is scheduled to go live sometime in 2012. Gaga has been a champion in the fight against teen bullying. Earlier this year she performed a tribute ... Read More »
Parents have a new and welcome option this summer for their transgender or gender non-conforming child — a weeklong, overnight summer camp called Camp Aranu’tiq. Its organizers recently held a reception in the Boston area to introduce the program. In attendance were several new-age parents who, instead of rejecting their child’s persistent gender non-conformity, are seeking ways to be understanding ... Read More »
Teaching children tolerance and compassion toward their peers, LGBT or otherwise, starts at home. Here are ways parents can bring the message home. Incidents of bullying are hard to control, but not impossible to handle. When it comes to our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender kids, Steven Petrow, author of the new book Complete Gay & Lesbian Manners: The Definitive ... Read More »
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