A couple who appeared on This Morning explained how they’re raising their four-year-old child as a ‘person’ rather than a boy.
Star Cloud’s parents Nikki and Louise Draven said they want him be able to explore ‘both sides’ of the spectrum and to decide his gender by himself when he is older.
The boy’s biological mother, Nikki, identifies as both male and female, and Star refers to her as ‘dad’, although Louise, who is transitioning to female is Star’s biological father.
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Speaking on This Morning, Nikki said:
Basically he knows biologically he’s a boy but we don’t want him to have the constrains of a gender yet. We want him to explore both sides of the spectrum and then decide when he’s older.
Eamonn Holmes, who was interviewing the couple, alongside Ruth Langsford, asked if they’re creating problems for him, by referring to him as a boy.
Louise answered:
I think it’s a case of allowing him to express himself. It’s very common these days for men to walk around in salmon shirts, or some like to call it pink. By wearing that salmon shirt it doesn’t mean ‘oh I’m feeling very feminine today’, no, it’s just a case of, you’ve picked out a shirt that matches your outfit.
Ruth asked the couple how everything would work when their son starts school later this year and asked if they were ‘concerned’ it could set him up for a ‘little bit of interest’ from the other kids.
Nikki said:
He can say if he’s a boy or a girl, we don’t say ‘you can’t say that’, he can say that whenever he wants.
What we say is, ‘do what you want’, basically, as long as you’re safe. We know when he goes to reception that it could form interest. We’ve sat down with his school and said ‘look he’s going to come in a boys’ uniform’, obviously because he needs particular support in particular areas but we’ve compromised with him, rather than traditionally boys’ socks, he’s having pink socks.
Viewers were quick to take to Twitter to share their thoughts, some believed the Nikki and Louise were being unfair, others said they were simply giving their child freedom.
Finally, and most importantly, Louise said:
We’re happy as long as he’s happy, healthy and safe.
Afterall, that’s what matters.
