Encountered a rather shocking headline from recent days, in which the Duchess of Sussex (née Meghan Markle) explained that the child (due late April/early May) would be raised with a “fluid approach to gender.” Heavens, how will the Queen manage this? was my first response (sorry, sweet baby!) What will they even call this little one in a world accustomed to “prince” and “princess”? Elizabeth II’s been through a lot over the decades, but this might really throw her for a loop, poor dear. Then I read the article, and it was not quite what the headline suggested. It seems that the child will be raised without stereotypes, which in itself is quite different, and the article acknowledges that there’s quite a range in the application of these nouveau terms:
It’s unclear what exactly the royal may have meant by the term ‘fluid,’ as there are multiple interpretations of what that might look like. As parents, the royal couple may decide to avoid dressing their firstborn in certain colors that are associated with one gender more than the other and encourage their child to play with a variety of toys that are typically associated with specific sexes, for example dolls and trucks. On the other end of the spectrum, there is a small group of parents who are raising ‘theybies’ — children who aren’t identified as male or female.
Ok, while I am a firm opponent of stereotypes (which are substantially different from reasonable cultural norms), we’ll have to see how this pans out in coming years, and pray that this child doesn’t have more than its share those challenges that come with being raised in a fishbowl. We can play games on paper and in brain-storming with friends, but we’ll see how too much silliness sets with the public, who’s financing the royal family and who, in return, hopes for some return on its investment in stability.
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