Advice for Parents: Talking with Boys About the Pros and Cons of Gender (Non-)Conformance

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Tera Reel advises parents to be gender literate and talk openly with their children about the choices they face. They can either be true to themselves and face consequences, or conform and lose themselves. Having a conversation about the ramifications of each choice is important.

Writer Ben James and his wife Oona are raising their sons in a progressive and “queer-friendly” New England town. They actively encourage the boys to be themselves, never mind those traditional gender norms around “masculinity” and “femininity.” All was well. Until the elder son, Huck, went to sixth grade. Story by Ben James, with hosts Celeste Headlee and John Biewen, and psychologist Terrence Real.

Music by Alex Weston, Evgueni and Sacha Galperine, Blue Dot Sessions, and Kevin MacLeod. Music and production help from Joe Augustine at Narrative Music.