http://m.npr.org/story/137342682?url=/2011/06/23/137342682/the-end-of-gender
And as far as the article goes; my biggest issue are both the whole "oh, it's a boy!" Then people associate baby boy with blue and girls with pink.
Also, toys marketed towards specific genders NEEDS TO STOP. Why cant a boy play with barbies or my little ponies? I grew up with army dolls, dragon ball z, comics , videogames, and xmen. I also like MLP! I feel gender neutral, and feel like a lot of discrimination gaps would close if we stopped with the labels.
MLP = My Little Pony?
I read about this couple a few weeks ago. It seems weird that these individuals are using their children as a tool for cultural perception changes. I don't think it's fair to the children. I feel like parents should be giving their children all the necessary tools to succeed in the social environments that we live in today. I can understand what they are getting at, it's just that I don't think it's fair to use a baby with no ability to make cognitive decisions of their own to support his/her parents social initiatives.
@Stevil: Yes, My little pony.
@23: I agree. Using their baby storm in that way IS WRONG. they should be teaching their child not to put society labels on gender. I also hate when parents use yheir child(ren) as tools.
I heard about this, too.
My husband and I are both very progressive when it comes to our attitude towards gender roles (my husband would consider himself a feminist and he's currently a stay at home Dad while I work full time), but I'm kind conflicted about the couple raising their child "without a gender".
As much as you can argue, on paper, that gender is totally a social construct (and I think it's arguable that it is), you just have to admit that right now, in reality, in western society, it's a pretty concretely rooted dichotomy. Maybe you don't like that, and I can understand where people get frustrated with the way things are, but I think these parents must have known that their actions were going to come across as pretty radical and that their child was going to get caught in the middle of it.
Personally, I don't think I'd be able to do it.
I don't really see it as a bad thing during infancy as I can't imagine it would make much difference and what does it matter to others if its a boy or girl. I think the child will learn its gender soon enough even if the parents do keep it from them as society will place that tag on them.
Maybe there is more to the story such as true hermaphroditism or pseudohermaphroditism, if this is the case then maybe they are just waiting to see what physical characteristics are more present.
I agree with Sweetdeath, western gender roles are (very slowly) becoming out dated and if we brought children up with the old fashioned gender views then they would be ill-equipped for modern society.