Just when I think I've heard it all...
A Swedish couple has decided to keep their child's gender a secret to avoid him, I mean her, I mean "Pop" from being forced into a "specific gender mold from the outset".
The toddler's name is Pop. And so far, the only people who know Pop's gender are the one's who change his/her's diapers. Pop wears dresses, pants, and anything else s/he wants (Pop's parents let him/her pick out his/her clothes everyday). Pop's parents also change his/her hairstyle to avoid giving away any clues.
OK, seriously? I mean, I'm all for equal rights and gender equality, but are you kidding me? This article made me absolutely incredulous, but not in a good way.
First of all, have the parents asked how Pop feels about this little social experiment they have decided to play with their offspring? And that's exactly what this is- a social experiment. These parents aren't concerned about their child's own well-being. They are more concerned about proving a point to the public, because for some reason they have a personal vendetta against being male or female. As one psychologist so rightly pointed out, who gave these parents the right to use their child as an opportunity to make an idealogical point?
It's wrong and it's cruel. Pop has been thrown into this twisted experiment without being allowed to decide for his/her self what he/she wants. Why don't the parents alter their appearances to make themselves unidentifiable gender-wise and then go out and conduct their little social experiment that way? Nope! These selfish individual's are using their CHILD to make their point.
Being male or female is as basic and natural as it gets. Each gender has it's own specific needs. It is NOT a crime to be one or the other, and one should certainly never be ashamed of his or her sex. By denying this child his/her most basic instincts as a male or female, I think these parents are setting this child up for some major psychological damage down the road.
What do you think? Do you think these parents are right in keeping their child's gender a "secret"? Do you think the child will grow up stronger, and without any stereotypes against males or females, or do you think he/she will be psychologically and/or emotionally damaged because of it?
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