We looked through the TODAY Show’s story to find out how old Clark (formerly Claire) is, and it mentions both getting ready for preschool and Clark introducing their new nonbinary identity in front of the kindergarten classroom (and asking to use the gender-neutral restroom).
The TODAY Show shares Jennifer Chen’s nervous reaction to sending out their holiday card with the announcement that Claire was now Clark and preferred they/them/he pronouns.
Why my child wanted me to share their nonbinary identity in our holiday card https://t.co/QwCW8SedJJ
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) December 21, 2021
You know that saying: When someone says their cat’s vegan, you know who’s making the decisions in that relationship. Chen recalls the transformation of Claire into Clark:
Our family’s transition started with the most mundane dilemma — a pile of dirty laundry. It was a summer morning. We forgot to wash the kids’ clothes and it was time to go to preschool. Clark threw a fit that there were only skirts in their dresser while their twin, Chloe, was fully dressed. My husband and I cajoled Clark (then Claire) to “just get dressed.” After crying, Clark finally said, “I don’t feel like me in skirts.” It was the moment I realized that how we reacted would forever be cemented in my child’s mind. I dug a pair of shorts out of the laundry hamper, did a sniff test, and handed them over. Clark’s tears dried. Their smile appeared. I knelt down to my sweet child. “Do you want me to get rid of your skirts and dresses?” They nodded.
By bedtime, mom was already reading “It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity” to Clark.
Another heartwarming story of a family convinced that if a girl doesn’t like skirts, she’s actually a boy ❤️https://t.co/wKpnJmUEo9
— Katie Herzog (@kittypurrzog) December 21, 2021
Reading it now, and cringing at each new paragraph…
"The online world is far more terrifying than my liberal Los Angeles neighborhood where Clark is one of several nonbinary children."
— Jιℓℓ Ɯнαℓєη😱 (@jillwhalen) December 21, 2021
This is a telling line.
In the particular cultural mileiu that this family exists in (as is similar in most other West Coast cities), this is neither brave nor that unusual, but keeping up with the trends; it's a signal for cultural clout among the other adults.
— Local Dog Carpenter (@WatkinsTiger) December 21, 2021
Definitely not a social contagion
— Josh Illes (@JoshIlles) December 21, 2021
"We love attention a lot and will use our children to get it, don't think we won't"
— Meg Bailey ⚡️ (@seaghost78) December 21, 2021
They’re going to get their transkid, dammit. pic.twitter.com/PvhF5vPAr3
— Kyochi Myogo (@Kyochi_Myogo) December 21, 2021
I'm so old, I remember when it was progressive to be against superficial gender stereotypes.
— Robert Tracinski (@Tracinski) December 21, 2021
I hated skirts and wanted short hair too.
— Nicole Miller (@njmiller1088) December 21, 2021
Clark didn't like wearing skirts.
It appears from the holiday card photo that 'their' mother doesn't wear skirts either.
I doubt that the mother here ever associated her own preference for pants with a non-binary gender identity.
— Donnchae (@donncha_e) December 21, 2021
Jesus!
It really does seem to have gone straight from a little girl not wanting to wear skirts to the parent introducing the concept of gender identity.
I knew plenty of girls in the '90s & Noughties who prefered trousers, not all of them even that tomboyish.
— Alex Wright (@koenig_jakob) December 21, 2021
Either this is a very poorly written piece that leaves out pertinent details or these parents were looking for an opportunity to raise and publicize a non-traditional child. My girls both went through phases where they didn't want to wear dresses and are now happy teenage girls.
— go_sox (@Freed_man_J) December 21, 2021
Wow. The day her kid told her they didn’t like skirts, she read them a book about non-binary children. The same damn day.
— Reliant Scimitar (@ScimitarReliant) December 21, 2021
When I was a little kid, I wanted to be a girl. It sucks I was that little kid in a time and environment where a boy couldn’t stray from what was traditional. But I’m glad I wasn’t that little kid with well-meaning “ally” parents in a 2021 liberal Los Angeles bubble.
— Reliant Scimitar (@ScimitarReliant) December 21, 2021
I only got as far as the point where the parent is anxious in anticipation of the suicidal feelings she is predicting her very young child will one day feel. Based, it would seem, on the child's preference for shorts and pixie haircuts.
— Jo – Time for Tea (@joslyoung) December 21, 2021
They look so proud; almost if they won the woke lottery.
— KutwijfAndLul (@kutwijflul) December 21, 2021
"After I posted our holiday photo, I obsessively checked Facebook and Instagram…"
Aaaaaand there it is.
— TNizzle (@TNizzle621) December 21, 2021
"Jennfer Chen is a freelance journalist who has written for several national outlets. Her debut YA rom-com book…"
It becomes clearer and clearer.
— TNizzle (@TNizzle621) December 21, 2021
One of several non binary children in the neighborhood. Madness.
— Mike McD (@MickGMick) December 21, 2021
Beautiful children. Too bad they had such parents. As I see it, Dad exudes weakness and fear.
— MD Dano (@Mikeddel) December 21, 2021
Emergency sex change is absolutely the right thing to do here.
— TweetOfReason (@LogicBomb111) December 21, 2021
Mom certainly seemed excited to get those Facebook likes.
Related:
Parents are so proud of the choice their child made — at age two — that he’s transgender https://t.co/R8M6tdEEUS
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) May 11, 2021
