Jesse Tyler Ferguson is taking a new approach to child-rearing. He is creating a "Modern Family," if you will.
It involves his and husband Justin Mikita's tactic when it comes to raising their 8-month old baby together.
Ferguson shared photos of their son on Instagram.
During a March 8 interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Ferguson joked:
"We're raising him gay until he decides he's straight."
"On the way back from the hospital, we played Britney Spears because that was what Justin demanded we listen to, his first exposure to music."
You can see the interview here:
In addition to Britney on the radio on the way home from the hospital, the dads also read him books such as The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish.
While DeGeneres' guest was poking fun, the joke made a point about the deluge of heteronormative, gender conforming most children receive from birth. From pink for girls, blue for boys to onesies with messages about boys being promiscuous and girls' virginity being protected by violent fathers to asking toddlers if they have a boyfriend or girlfriend, children are sexualized and indoctrinated with heterosexuality as the human default setting repeatedly before most have a concept of sexuality.
Ferguson said that, if little Beckett does end up straight, he and Mikita won't hold it against him.
"Justin and I were saying, we can just tell he's gonna be such a straight kid...Who knows?"
"He can do whatever he wants. I have a feeling he's gonna wanna play football."
"I can just tell. I'm gonna have to learn how to do all those things."
Beckett Ferguson-Mikita was born in early July and is already getting some fabulous star treatment as he grows up.
Ferguson says it's been a blast.
"It's a new person in your life and just like anyone else … you've gotta figure out if you like him...It takes a little bit of time."
"I really do like him. It's been a lot of fun."
We wish the dads best of luck in their off-the-beaten-path parenting adventure.
@elleuk/Instagram
@elleuk/Instagram
Herman Mehta/Friendly Atheist