Raising My Rainbow

So I know the other day in class I briefly mentioned that I had recently viewed a news segment on the Today Show that was subject around the issue of gender. The segment is called raising my rainbow, it focuses on a married couple with two children. Their eldest child is by all means what society deems as male, while their youngest child though biologically a boy is not exactly society's male model.

In the segment the married couple discuss their struggles and strives with raising a family, specifically a family that lives a life outside of what society deems "normal". They explain that they raised their two children exactly the same, and suggest that based on their findings gender is not necessarily a result of environmental factors but simply genetic. They explain how they love both their children - their son that loves to throw around the football and their son that loves to dress-up Barbie for the ball. they explain that while they encourage both their sons to follow their passions, they also do not sugarcoat the realities of society. While both of parents state they could careless if their son wears one of his glittery skirts out in public, they have carefully explained to their son that not everyone in society is as hip as him and some people will not understand or accept his choices as okay. Based on this the parents say that while their little ballerina does not hide his identity, that he does at times depending on the situation and setting at hand self-edit himself.

Frankly I find that this is a really admirable way to go about raising a family. No child should ever feel that he or she has to fit society's model. I honestly believe everyone should have the opportunity to be whom they want to be - even if someone's choices aren't your cup of tea that doesn't make it acceptable to make someone feel inferior. I find it admirable that they educate their children about the harsh realities of this world while maintaining to stand by whatever decisions their children make. Gender shoudln't be determined based upon whether one biologically a boy or a girl - people should be saw for their personalities.

Now if only all parents were so understanding...

http://www.today.com/books/raising-my-rainbow-bringing-child-free-gender-parameters-8C11031365
http://raisingmyrainbow.com/