Dr. Phil directed a parent to take away their child’s toys because they are “girl toys,” and called the boy “confused” for wanting to play with them. Is it the child that is confused, or is it Dr. Phil? Read the quote from his website below, and then tell the Dr. Phil online community you think kids should be allowed to express themselves for who they are!
Our society’s binary system of gender policing stifles creativity and gives ammunition to homophobic and sexist bullying. Who is to say what is a “girl toy” or a “boy toy” anyway?
At COLAGE we know how isolating and challenging it can be when people treat us and our families differently. We believe all children and families should be embraced and celebrated for who they are.
From Dr. Phil.com:
Robby’s 5-year-old son loves to play with Barbies and prefers wearing girl’s clothes. She asks Dr. Phil how to deal with this behavior, which she doesn’t think is normal.
“There are developmental stages in kids and it is not unusual, particularly for young boys, to experiment and get stuck on certain stimulus items,” says Dr. Phil. Particularly because the little boy has two older sisters, he says, it’s not unusual.
“This is not a precursor to your son being gay,” explains Dr. Phil. He’ll know that in time, but this is not an indication of his sexual orientation.
Dr. Phil tells Robby that she has a job to do: “Direct your son in an unconfusing way. Don’t buy him Barbie dolls or girl’s clothes. You don’t want to do things that seem to support the confusion at this stage of the game … Take the girl things away, and buy him boy toys.”
Most importantly, he tells Robby, “Support him in what he’s doing, but not in the girl things.”
And here is a parent who does get it, and is embracing their child for who they are!
News via Queerty.