DEAR ABBY: I am a longtime reader but a first-time writer. My problem has been bothering me for some time now.
We have a grandson who is 4 and very much a “princess boy.” He likes girl toys and dresses and doesn’t like any of his boy toys. We’re at a loss about how to handle this.
He’s an adorable little boy and we love him to pieces. His parents don’t accept this behavior, and I’m afraid it will affect him now and in the future. How would you handle this? We don’t say anything to his parents because they are pretty much in denial. — WORRIED GRANDMA
What was Dear Abby’s reply? Read it here.
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The high street pharmacy chain Boots has admitted it was wrong to use separate in-store signs labeling girls’ and boys’ toys after shoppers took to Twitter and Facebook to accuse the retailer of sexist behavior.
In a statement posted on Facebook on Tuesday it said it was taking steps to remove the signs and that it was dismayed by customers’ reaction to the move.
“It was never our intention to stereotype certain toys. It’s clear we have got this signage wrong, and we’re taking immediate steps to remove it from store.”
Read the full Guardian article here.
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Not so long ago, Toni Bias dreamed of playing in the W.N.B.A. But after starring on the girls’ junior varsity basketball team as a high school freshman, Toni came out as transgender last summer, began going by the name Tony and started transitioning to male.
At the time, California had no policy governing transgender high school athletes. Already finding himself the target of bullies, who often taunt him with “he-she,” Tony feared he would have to endure even more abuse if he pushed to try out for the boys’ team.
So he made a wrenching decision: he quit basketball.
Read this New York Times article about the rules and regulations for transgender athletes…and learn if Tony returned to the sport he loves.
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A Pawtucket (Rhode Island) family has organized a first-of-its-kind support group for young transgender children. Using their experiences as a family, they hope to help children navigate the challenges of growing up in the wrong body.
Raising My Rainbow 
I just love that gender differences are getting more exposure. Thank you for sharing these links 🙂
I think that the articles above show some positive steps in reducing the gendering noise affecting families these days. As more people come to embrace the idea of raising CHILDREN, not girls and boys, we will see even more acceptance. It can be frustrating and scary at times to parent a gender creative child, but overwhelmingly, I’ve received support and encouragement from those in my community. Thanks for sharing these stories.
The idea that a boy would pretend he is transgendered and is a girl, just so he could shower in the girl’s locker room, or to take advantage of his height and win big in girl basketball….not going to happen.
No. The person was born female and is transitioning to become male. No advantages in height there–quite the reverse. For goodness sake, you’re so transmysogynistic you can’t even read right.
Chris, if _you_ had been reading right, you’d have seen that the linked article discusses transitions in both directions. In any case, it’s polite to be polite. Please upgrade your manners.
Yes, but the student primarily mentioned in the blog post was assigned female at birth. And regardless, the original commenter was still being transphobic. Trans women are women, not men who dress up as women to spy on them. They’re much, much more likely to be attacked in a bathroom/locker room than to attack anyone there–indeed, I don’t think there’s been more than one or two of the latter, if that.
You want me to be “polite”? As in “shut up and take it”? I’ll be “polite” when people are willing to stop giving other people sh*t because they don’t fit the paradigm of white cishet normativity. Until then, I am going to call out what’s wrong and I don’t care if I offend the wrongdoers. In fact, I hope I do. Excuse my language–they can kiss my flaming a-hole. We’re here, we’re queer, we’re staying.
When are vwe going to stop with this nonsense, that we should conform to some set stereotype.
This should NEVER have been in the first place. people are who they are. as long as no one is being harmed, who cares. the control freaks are the harmful ones.{ be like I say or you`re wrong.} Such a tragidy. Let`s finally recognize that there are a multitude of norms. hey! let`s just try to love each other for who we are. novel idea, yes.!!!