“You are asking questions to serve your own agenda.”
During the week this four year old is dressed and treated as a boy. He plays with trucks and sword, he runs and battles and tumbles and laughs. He is a boy. His mother tells him he a is big boy, a good boy, a wonderful boy and that she loves him.
But on the weekends when the four year old is with Dad the little boy is dressed as a little girl and plays with so called “girl’s toys.” She sleeps in a pink bed, with a Hello Kitty bedspread and has a pram with dolls to push around. She is Daddy’s little girl, and he loves her.
The very idea of this gender confusion is difficult to get your head around as an adult, but imagine being the four year old in question. Imagine being Aubrey.
The parents of Aubrey, who are separated and share custody, are now publicly fighting over what gender their four year old should be.
Aubrey was born an intersex baby with ambiguous genitalia, and her parents Michelle and Kyle along with medical experts decided that Aubrey should live as a girl. As a baby Aubrey underwent surgery and on the birth certificate was listed as a female.
When Aubrey was little they never thought any other way until, Michelle says Aubrey began to identify as a little boy.
Aubrey’s mum Michelle says that she is convinced Aubrey now is a little boy, so much so when Aubrey continued to cry over her long hair and pleaded for “boy’s hair” she had it cut short.
This was the catalyst for Aubrey’s father, Kyle to insist that their child was his daughter. He was furious when he saw his “daughter” dressed and looking like a boy.
The couple have appeared on the US show Dr Phil as they battle it out over what gender they want Aubrey to be raised as.
“There is no doubt in my mind that Aubrey is a little boy,” Michelle said.
“It’s heartbreaking to see Aubrey struggle with having to go to his dad’s house to be a girl, and then he gets to come home to my house and be a boy … I just want Kyle to accept Aubrey for who he wants to be.”
The impetus to appear on the show came from Kyle’s new wife Brittany who contacted Dr Phil with fears over the parents’ war on Aubrey’s identity.
Kyle says that when Aubrey is at his house three weekends a month she wears girl’s clothes and plays with dolls, but his new wife disputes that saying on the whole Aubrey prefers toys and clothing that would normally be associated with boys. Brittany says that however at times Aubrey does like clothing that would more often be associated with girls.
Kyle revealed that when Aubrey is at his house the bedroom Aubrey sleeps in contains a ‘Hello Kitty’ blanket that the child loves, but underneath is a blue Mario blanket he says his ex-wife gave their child.
Michelle is adamant that when Aubrey is with her only boy’s toys are played with, and only boy’s clothes are preferred.
In a video made for the program Michelle asked Aubrey bluntly “Do you want to be a little boy or a little girl Aubrey?”
And the response:
“A little boy.”
