by Becky Vieira posted in Parenting

Feminist. To me the word means compassion and equality. To others it?s just feminine. And, if I?m being honest, I?m tired of explaining that the books I read my son will not, can not make him gay.
But I digress. Let me begin at the beginning.
We took my son to Disneyland when he was 8 months-old. He squealed with glee when he saw an Elena of Avalor stuffed doll. It was an adorable reaction, and we bought it for him as a souvenir. We also bought him a car he liked, but that never seems to come up or be acknowledged if someone sees it.
We weren?t looking for what might be described as ?boy? or ?girl? toys. Simply, toys he liked. It seemed irrelevant to us. Like I said, he was 8 months-old. Chewing his feet nonstop at the time. It was a toy that he liked, period -- well, almost as much as he liked his toes. Yet a few weeks later an acquaintance saw him with his Elena doll and snidely laughed.
?Are you trying to make him gay"? she asked.
The mama bear inside me awoke and a guttural snarl began to emerge from my throat. Just then I felt a hand rubbing my back. My husband, in an ?I got this,? gesture.
?Yes,? he said. ?We're trying to make him gay. Gay as in happy. That?s what you meant, right"?
His point was made. Concise and with humor. I wish I could say that?s the first time we?ve been asked that question. I doubt it will be the last.
What we are consciously trying to do is raise a compassionate human being. One who exhibits ki...