Raising ‘Theybies’: How Gender-Neutral Parenting Reinforces Stereotypes

Nate and Julia Sharpe of Massachusetts are raising their twins Zyler and Kadyn to be “aware of their own body parts,” but they “are not taught to associate those body parts with being a boy or girl.”

(Annie Crawford – CNS News) At a recent baby shower, Princess Meghan is said to have told a friend that she and Prince Harry will be raising “their child with a fluid approach to gender” and “won’t be imposing any stereotypes.” In keeping with this plan, Princess Meghan has decorated her nursery in gender-neutral white-and-grey color scheme.

While Kensington Palace swiftly denied that the royal couple will raise their child as “gender fluid,” this new royal rumor clearly signals the growing popularity of gender-neutral parenting.

Wanting to leave the gender decisions to the children, a growing number of parents have decided not to reveal the sex of their kids to anyone, including the children themselves. These parents of “th[crneybies” adopt the exclusive use of gender-neutral pronouns (they, their, them) until their child asks to be identified in a gendered way.

Unfortunately, what many proponents of gender-neutral parenting are really doing is aggressively training their children to disassociate their gender from their biological sex – which, ironically, only reinforces the very stereotypes these parents are trying to avoid.    View article →