This has been a very crazy week, with C.J. starting first grade and his brother Chase starting fifth grade. I’m in the middle of writing a post about their first week of school. Until I finish that, enjoy this:
My Advice To Parents Of Girly Boys, Parents.com
I welcome a lot of emails into my inbox every day and many of them are from parents or caregivers seeking advice on raising a gender creative child. This column contains my top seven tips.
Lori Duron On Finding Vulnerability And Sincerity Through Writing, Biographile.com
If you’ve followed my blog over the last two and a half years, I’m sure you’ve noticed a change in my writing voice. I had been using wit and sass most of my life to protect myself and appear less vulnerable than I really was. I mistakenly thought that people wouldn’t appreciate the sincere and raw version of me. Most importantly, I didn’t think that I would like that version of myself. I was wrong on both accounts. Learn how a very special book editor helped me find vulnerability and sincerity through writing.
In this 10-minute radio interview, I discuss how public reactions to C.J. make me feel, how bullying led to Chase talking about suicide and C.J.’s future.
Thank you to all of you who have purchased my book and helped me to inspire a conversation that raises awareness of, understanding about and acceptance for gender creative kids. Let’s keep the conversation going – kids like C.J. deserve it.
Xoxo, C.J.’s Mom (a.k.a Lori Duron)
Order the Raising My Rainbow book!
Raising My Rainbow 
CJ’s story is a true gift. Thank you so much for sharing your life with readers! You have made an incredible difference in people’s lives. Your message of love, loving unconditionally, safety of expression, are all qualities of a real family!!
I’m reading and loving your book, as I have been reading and loving your blog. Interestingly, my (gender-skeptical) wife dipped into the book, too, and declared it “not as scary as I’d thought.”
I think she was expecting some kind of foamy-mouthed treatise on how you’re a rubbish parent if you don’t do this, this, this and that. Your honest portrayal of your own qualms and uncertainties, and your declaration that you are here to love your son, not change him are striking exactly the right tone with her. Your book is the moderate voice she’s been looking for, counterpoint to my rather more strident “just buy him the bloody dress”.
I’m hopeful that, thanks to your book, our 6-year-old self-declared “tomgirl” is going to find that home is a little more nurturing in the near future.
Many thanks,
Paul
The radio interview is not loading — I’d really like to hear it!
I Just read your Article in my local paper,having Gay people in my Family I was so inspired by your story in my local paper,Good Luck to you and your Son, Thank You.
I read the book in one sitting; Loved it! Although sometimes I had to stop and connect the real names to the nicknames. “Who’s tha….? Oh! Uncle Uncle! Duh.” =) But that’s just me. =) I loved how you were able to expand and clarify blog posts that had been more “in the moment” when originally written as well as give us more information on how trying to do what’s best for C.J. affects everyone else.
Oh! I read C.J.’s Dad’s article without realizing it was from him at first. I was going to comment and link your blog until I realized it was *your* husband writing. =) Tell Chase and C.J. I hope they have a great school year!
You have been nominated for the Versatile Blogger’s Award. http://littleguysjourney.com/2013/09/12/vba/
I’ve been following your blog for two years now, almost three. I read every guest article that you do as well as every television thing that I can manage, and I have plans to buy the book as soon as I have the money to. It’s nice to see that there really are kind and supportive parents like you. I’ve always questioned why it was okay for me, a girl, to wear boy’s clothes and to play rough like a boy but not okay for a boy to wear dresses and play dolls. My mom has always been supportive of me, but there’s other parents in my town – parents of my friends – that openly hate who their child is. If there ever was a kid like C.J. in my town, their sparkle has been dulled to the point where there’s no way it could ever exist again. Mostly by the parents, any number of which would have easily thrown them out rather than deal with it, let alone embrace it. I just wanted to thank you for giving this teenager proof that parents can be supportive no matter what, and to thank you for not dulling C.J.’s sparkle.
– Anna, seventeen year old tomboy who loves reading about C.J.’s fabulous adventures.