Before they even had a baby, Royce and Jessica James had decided the phrase ‘be the change you seek in the world’ would apply to them. Meeting at college, Royce and Jessica would spend late nights exploring their ideas about the world and how it could be better. Ideas about racism (Royce was black and Jessica was white). Oppression. Gender.
Both passionate advocates of social justice and equality, blowing up gender stereotypes was one of the changes they sought in the world and so they decided to be it. To live it.
In an ideal world, a baby girl will be able to wear a blue jumpsuit without people assuming she’s a boy.
A little boy could wear pink and decide he wants to take up ballet and nobody would raise an eyebrow.
In an ideal world, we let our children discover their gender as an identity, rather than have it prescribed to them when they’re born. And so that’s what Royce and Jessica decided to do when they found out they were pregnant.
In a recent podcast episode of the Hidden Brain , we got an incredible insight into how that turned out, as host Shankar Vedantam explored the lives of Royce and Jessica James who decided to raise their daughter gender neutral.
Soon after the couple met, Jessica became pregnant unexpectedly and it was then they decided whether to walk the talk on their beliefs.
Top Comments
Good grief. So, they raise it gender neutral, but only in boys clothing, didn't use the dresses people sent them, cut its hair short, etc. How on earth is that gender neutral?
Then, they named it Isis. Now, it is almost grown up and calls itself a girl, who is bisexual. The world is a mixed up place.
This is what is wrong with our society! It is natural and healthy to have strong men and strong women. We are made equally but differently for a reason. Would you be able to get electricity if both the plug and the outlet had the same design? No. I believe that the differences is the sexes is not only what keeps the population growing, but it is what brings attraction! I love the differences between men and women, both physically, mentally, and emotionally. It is a beautiful plan created by God...whatever God you want to believe in. Appreciate it, embrace it and enjoy it. If it's not broken, don't try to fix it. And....this is not broken!