This video of Debi Jackson, a self-proclaimed “conservative Southern Baptist Republican from Alabama,” talking about her six-year-old transgender daughter, will bring tears of happiness to your eyes.
From the time he could talk, the Whittington family’s child Ryland insisted he was a boy, even though his parents initially thought he was a girl. Their support of his true identity is a heartwarming and inspiring story for all parents.
Just to mix things up, let’s start with some news from the Commonwealth of Nations: Celia Hannon of the U.K.’s Guardian weighs in on the debate about the merits of lesbian parents vs. straight parents. Her take on the matter is similar to mine, which is that the whole debate about which sexual orientation makes
The New York Times is chock full o’ LGBT family goodness this weekend: Lisa Belkin’s “What’s Good for the Kids” looks at recent research showing that children of lesbian and gay parents tend to be more tolerant and less bound by gender stereotypes and assumptions. She relies heavily on a new book by Abbie Goldberg,
Helen and I share a children’s book about Harvey Milk, though Helen questions my obsession with historical accuracy. We then discuss a must-listen radio piece about transgender children (more details in my post here), and turn to lighter matters with a look at the several parenting storylines on last week’s The L Word, including Max’s
Sure, you’re spending the day re-watching Dustin Lance Black and Sean Penn’s acceptance speeches after winning Oscars for Milk. Take a few moments, however, to listen to the second segment on the Valentine’s Day episode of This American Life. Each of the show’s three vignettes focuses on someone “searching for people who will understand them
Beginning with the vibrant sunburst and smiling child on its cover, Marcus Ewert’s 10,000 Dresses is a joyous book about self-acceptance and identity. It is also the only children’s picture book that features an openly transgender protagonist, and does so with both sensitivity and celebration. Young Bailey dreams of 10,000 beautiful dresses made of crystals,
Some of you may have heard or read NPR’s recent piece (and followup Q & A) on two young boys expressing female “gender preferences.” The boys’ parents each sought the help of a different psychologist. One went to Dr. Diane Ehrensaft, a psychologist and gender specialist in Oakland, CA. She described the boy as transgender,
