But truthfully, I was once a tomboy, dressing up in cowboy hats and always playing Adventure People. My first hint that I might not be exactly like my friends was when I cried with joy after getting my own tool box for my seventh birthday. I also got a Sabrina Barbie I loved because she had hair you could really curl.

Anybody wanna hazard a guess as to where I fall on the Kinsey Scale?

I really don’t understand the framing that makes it seem like society or children are harmed by letting them do what they want, when what they want is to wear an item of clothing, while when children want to bully other children, that desire is acceptable?

why is the desire to bully more natural or acceptable than the desire for tutus?

Citing the connection with gender expression and homosexuality IS actually relevant, not because they are connected in a subjective way, but in an objective one. One’s own personal gender expression and sexuality are not necessarily connected, but others often conflate the two. The root of homophobia is not actually a fear of homosexuals, but an interpretation that the way an individual represents his or her gender is wrong or not fitting in the norm.

To those of you who believe that encouraging this behavior should be replaced with “properly preparing him for the inevitable,” baffle me. How could a child hearing this “advice” not interpret it as a denouncement of who they are and view their parents as intolerant of them? Yes, bullying and torment from other children is likely if you are representing your gender in a way that most others do, but isn’t it obvious that encouraging your child to stand behind their actions, value who they are and believe in themselves is much better preparation for this than blatant scare-tactics that serve as a selfish expression of a parent’s own ignorance that would lead to depression and potentially even suicide in the future?

There are a lot of people that have a tough time in life of because of their race, income, sexuality, gender, religion, intelligence, size, etc. It is far more useful to encourage self-worth and respect in ALL individuals than accept dangerous social trends as the rule.

Why is this so hard for people to understand?

Again, I direct you to an amazing organization that is helping more and more people do just that : truechild.org

I wondered how Dyson felt when his mom said she was initially embarrassed about seeing him in a dress. And that the book itself says “it hurts us both” when others laugh at Dyson.

The response within the family’s community kind of bothers me for a couple of reasons:
1) Many parents make decisions as to what their children are allowed to and not to wear for a myriad of reasons due to financial reasons, school dress codes, the expectations of a social event (such as weddings and religious services), or the parents ethical objections of the corporations selling the clothes (these clothes are made by abused children in third-world countries). It is a part of what growing up is.

I am not saying that calling your kid a sissy or a homo is the way to go by any stretch of the imagination, but some of the things they let that boy wear, I wouldn’t let a girl of the same age wear. I wouldn’t be particularly keen on letting my daughter wear a skirt while playing basketball, for example.

2) The teacher asked the men at the school not to do a ballet performance that would be interpreted as humorous. Why? It was Halloween. Some costumes are intended to be funny others serious, and sometimes… they are interpreted in ways that are contrary to the wishes of the person wearing the costume. It is life. It is also a part of the fun of Halloween and childhood itself.

I know that Boing Boing has celebrated the Star Wars Kid Video in the past. I have heard in the past that that kid was utterly gutted that he became a source of public ridicule and an internet legend because of his akward, yet graceful Jedi performance was posted on the net by a bunch of bullies. I would like to believe that the Star Wars Kid ultimately got, or ultimately will get the last laugh when the scores of people who saw his performance meet him in the future and have that story to break the ice with just about anyone with. It will probably get him jobs and friends.

I think it is healthy to react to things that fall outside of our norms. It is the incredible people, hopefully little Dyson will be one of them, who have social grace and a healthy amount of humility who can impress people beyond their strange first impressions.

I don’t worry about allowing it, but I do worry about taking it so seriously. Should I cower in anything but mock fear if a 6 year old wearing a toy police uniform points a cap gun at me? Or am I doing him a disservice for not indulging that he is an officer of the law.

Little Dyson is a princess in his imagination, but he is ultimately a child in a dress. Indulging him beyond that is giving him a little too much attention.

The parents are cool for not busting the kid’s balls but i don’t think that they should write a fkin book about it.

it’s kinda breathtaking to watch the military’s rationale for Don’t Ask Don’t Tell crop up spontaneously in a boingboing thread, when nobody’s even mentioned Teh Ghey.

as for everybody who’s so incredibly quick on the trigger that “nobody should assume this kid is gay just because he likes girly things,” –> i think (some of) your hearts are in the right place. but that shit goes both ways. which is to say nobody should assume his older brother’s straight, just because he dressed up as a ninja turtle for halloween.

Because bullying IS normal and the child’s choice IS abnormal. We would be wise to take “reality” into account in this discussion. Pretending a problem doesn’t exist and that a rare choice is commonplace isn’t the greatest way to approach any subject. Unless you’re a politician, i guess.

“To those of you who believe that encouraging this behavior should be replaced with “properly preparing him for the inevitable,” baffle me. How could a child hearing this “advice” not interpret it as a denouncement of who they are and view their parents as intolerant of them?”

This is what I mean. The parents should say,

“Hey, we love you, we’ll always love you, and we’ll always support you, but you should be aware that other people may not. In fact, many of them will judge you for this, because they are not compassionate, tolerant people like we are in this family. It has nothing to do with you, it is their problem and their loss that they are unappetizing of people who are different from them. They will try to upset you or antagonize you and the best thing you can do is give them no reaction whatsoever. People who provoke others are trying to solicit a reaction, they are trying to bring you down to their level, and if you give them a reaction, then they win. If you don’t react to them, you win. The best way to affirm that they have no power over you is to demonstrate their powerlessness by not giving them what they want from you.”

That’s quality advice for any child, pink dress or otherwise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r3CPsVKgxs

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119590/

Richard Metzger is the one who made the unfortunate association and brought up “Teh Ghey” (my bad for saying it was the parents) and even though it isn’t explicitly stated in the video, it is implied. So your comment is moot.

I thought the right thing to do would be to push your personal moral and religious views on your children, rather than let them enjoy the things they find most naturally appealing?