One night after a playdate, she slipped into a borrowed pink princess nightgown. She twirled, smiled and said, “It’s a little itchy … but I want to sleep in it. It makes me feel beautiful.”
Hearing those last five words — “it makes me feel beautiful” — cracked something open. I saw her — not just my child, but her truth. And I couldn’t unsee it.
She socially transitioned when she was 5. That meant we began using her chosen name and she/her pronouns. She wore the clothes she loved. She introduced herself as a girl.
That’s amazing regardless of what gender she chooses later in life. I’ve never, ever understood the strict forcing of gender presentation on kids. It’s stupid for adults, IMHO, but for kids it’s just ridiculous. Let a boy wear a dress, let a girl wear jeans and get muddy, in fact don’t even bother labeling them at all, much less separating them. Let them play. Let them explore all aspects of life and the world. How else can they make good decisions later in life if they aren’t allowed to learn and experience things.
Fucking hell. Yeah that would have kicked my ass too.
