Celebrity Kids: Gay, Straight, Transgender. It Doesn't Matter to Mom

Tomboys and sissy's: not transgender children. It's a different type of PERSONALITY, not sexuality, you morons!

I think forcing a child into a gender role. (Forcing them into froo-froo dresses because they're a girl, or forcing them to act macho because they're a boy) is more abusive then letting a child dress how they want. If my daughter wants to dress up in cargo shorts and cut her hair, i'll let her. Why should societies ideal on what a girl should be, be forced upon a young child?

at 7 years old a child should be shaped an guided to what and who they are. 7 is too early to be molding a child into something their not. their too young to be themselves they dont even know who that is yet.

Just let children be children and love them for that not anything else.

Why are we so concerend with a child's sexuality?

I grew up as a boy wanting to be a girl, brought on by an early introduction to wearing girl's clothes by female baby-sitters. I found the fabrics, colours and details so wonderfully attractive to be wearing, how I looks so nice as well, and the encouragement by the girls to enjoy my 'specialness' most enduring. In this day and age, I'm sure what they did would be labeled as 'abusive' and certainly does point to letting children develop as they wish, doing the things they choose, rather than 'conditioning' them to dress, act or be a certain way. The results for me became very difficult to deal with.

I began sneaking into my mother's room to borrow things that boys did not normally wear. Eventually my mother found me trying to wear her lingerie to school and was most distraught. At my sneaking around, and what others would do if they knew.

However, she rethought the situation, and some time later asked me if I still had desires to wear girl's clothes. I did, and it felt so natural and right to finally have my own pretty lingerie, nighties, dresses, etc. - but this was to be mostly our secret because she was afraid of what others might say or do.

I knew what I wanted, but the wavering support and the conflicting messages left me so very uncertain of what was appropriate.

It is so fortunate now that we live in an enlightened society where parents and children faced with similar circumstances as I exhibited can find professional counselling and support.

Blake Lively is sort of disturbing... Hopefully nobodys stupid enough to impregnate her...

My problem isn't whether the kids decide they are one thing or another... but whether the parents are pushing it to be "trendy".... I say this because when I was around the age of 5, I thought I was a boy as well... I played with the boys, I got dirty with the boys, I watched boy cartoons, I did "boy" things... Hell, I even tried to pee in the toilet like a boy (I actually remember that)... It didn't work out so well... and I told everyone I was a boy... but I grew out of it. I thought I was a boy because that's what I was around the most... My parents and the adults in my life neither pushed it nor did they hinder it... we were called "TOM BOYS".... and yet here I am 20 some odd years later, a female, a wife, a mother, and mighty proud and happy to be so... I do not believe that children have such a grasp on sexuality or gender issues to know what they really are or feel until much later and even then I have to wonder if it isn't because it was pushed on them... even inadvertantly or subconsciously.

I love my children and I certainly would not shun my kids if they came out to me as being gay, I would love them unconditionally, but what bothers me is that the article makes it seem as if the celebrities are encouraging their kids or setting them up to appear gay just so they can be the poster mom for change and exceptance. I am not trying to offend anyone and my comment is not a slur against gays its about celebrity moms like the ones this article pointed out.

I hated dresses when I was young. I still do not own one dress. I never got into makeup. I never felt overly "girly" but never felt masculine either. I was a tomboy. The girliest thing about me now is my long hair. I could have been labeled due to all of this, but I'm the straightest woman you will ever know. You don't have to analyze everything about your kid, just let them be themselves.

O-M-G...just let them evolve into whatever they are naturally and don't make a big deal out of it...

One of my best friends in elementary school was a tom boy. She refused to wear a dress and she loved playing boys' games. Then she discovered the Beatles and her life changed. All I can say is she enjoyed being a girl.

I think children are being oversexualized and labeled at a young age. Why does a child have to be labeled as gay, straight, bi, whatever. Just leave them alone and let them develop their own identity naturally.

My 4 year old came to me complaining that his 6 year old brother was wearing girl clothes. So I took the 6 year old aside to find out what was going on. He was wearing the old dressup clothes and costumes that we have laying around from his older brothers and sisters. I asked him why he was wearing the girl clothes. He said he was playing "the Girl Game". I asked him what the girl game was. He said it was pretending to be a girl. I then asked if he liked playing this game. He said no. I then asked why he was playing it. He told me that girls were better than boys. I then asked where he got that idea from. His older sister. Well, long story short, we told him how great boys were and why we love boys as much as we love girls. That boys are not better than girls and girls are not better than boys. We also made it very clear that if he didn't want to play a game, he didn't have to. We also made a few other changes to limit some of their interaction. Then we had a long talk with older sister.

Guess what - no more dressing up like a girl and a much happier boy.

All I'm saying is that sometimes kids do things for reasons that are not entirely apparent until you talk to them.

I teach art at a private academy on holidays in LA. I had one parent who was concerned that her 5 y.o. son was too interested in feminine toys. She told me he plays with dolls for several hours and will comment on how people dress and wear make-up, and how they can be better or must be changed.

I told her, her son may be a perfectionist and extremely creative (which he is). He has an artistic-eye and he may be a future fashion designer, make-up artist, or an artist, and that she should encourage his growing artistic talent and inspire his creativity. I don't know what she is doing now, but I know that parents shouldn't be scared about gender roles and gender-oriented standards (meaning what they normally do), but they should find areas where the child is happy, inspired, TALENTED... and encourage that so that their child will have something to look forward to in the future: a career in what they love and are talented in. Working with kids, I find that the hardest for children today... finding an area that they enjoy enough to pursue as a career.

I think it is important for parents to be supportive to their kids no matter what. As some other users below I too was a "tomboy" as a kid. I did not play with dolls and got dirty playing in the dirt with boys. It was normal. Everyone does not fit in the standards set by society of what a boy or a girl should be. Kids needs to be themselves and parents need to be supportive and when they grow up or are ready they can know that in the end their parents were there and will always be there.

Who cares about sexual orientation when these kids are kids? Let kids be kids, not just the celebrities'. Is that why Brooke Shields and Cindy Crawford have there daughters modeling and looking 10 years older than they are? We are so stuck on sex this and sex that in this society! WHO CARES!!! Why don't we all just live life as it is handed to us!

I think the parent should be a parent and not always go with the flow of their child. My sister was the biggest tom-boy and grew up to be a very beautiful woman. My parents kept at her to sit like a lady, keep your legs down, comb your hair and so on. Don't push gay on kids and don't bad mouth gays to your children. Your children should be taught their given gender is natural when they're young. As they mature the signs will definitely show. Pushing it on them when they are so young will be more confusing to them. I've seen little boys wanting to dress like their sister. That did not mean they were gay. They grew up and were not gay at all. The child should not have to be afraid to tell their parents if he or she is gay. The parents should know their children and should be aware who their children are, so there won't be a shock syndrome conflicting through the household. I think schools push sexuality too much too. Some teachers form their own opinions and make wrong choice comments.

Since when did girls who like action figures and romping in the mud change from tomboys to little transvestites? I fear for this world when I see such ignorant garbage. I'd be willing to bet at least 90% of these "accepting" celebrities are only talking about this for some cheap publicity. Accepting is NOT the same as urging your child to choose a transgendered lifestyle, but that's exactly what it seems like everyone's doing nowadays, because it's becoming the "trendy" thing to do. Everyone wants to be a freakin' trailblazer.

My kid went to preschool and tried everything including nail polish and boas. Eventually he gave it up on his own, but no pressure from me. At 4 years old they want to try everything. He is now a healthy well ajusted straight male junior in high school, by his choice.