“Mr. and Mrs. Smith, congratulations! It’s a boy!”
Our OB-GYN thought I had delivered a baby boy. How exciting! My child was born with a penis, so it makes sense. However, in the three and a half years since, I have come to find out I actually gave birth to a girl. A girl with a penis.
“Mommy, can you give me ponytails and bows?”
“I want to wear a dress today!”
“Can I grow my hair out long like Princess Elsa?”
“Soon I’m going to be a girl!”
These are things one may not expect their 3-year-old son to say.
Recognizing the signs
Hoping for a journey of acceptance and understanding
I knew this would be difficult for me emotionally. I felt like we were cutting the last thread of hope that perhaps our child wasn’t having a gender identity issue. I love Josie more than anything in this world, but no parent wants to see their child on a path to bullying and hatred.
Although I would have never chosen this path for one of my children, I support her 100%. I chose to share her journey with our friends and family to help foster understanding about gender identity. I can only hope — and believe — that Josie’s journey will change the world, one person at a time.
Name has been changed to protect the identity of the child
