Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Non-Binary 8-Year-Old Perfectly Explains What It Felt Like To Come Out, And We Should All Take Note

Non-Binary 8-Year-Old Perfectly Explains What It Felt Like To Come Out, And We Should All Take Note
Jasmina 007/Getty Images

An 8-year-old in Alleghany County, Pennsylvania illustrated that, indeed, the times they are a-changin'.

The empowered second-grader asserted her non-binary identity with unapologetic grace and simplicity.


In a recent interview with PublicSource, the child, who uses "she/her" pronouns and was identified simply as R for purposes of anonymity, doesn't beat around the bush at all.

"I'm not a girl, not a boy, I'm just me."

Giphy

And although the interview presented a far more public version of R's assertion of who she is, she's known and shared her non-binary personhood already with others in her personal life.

R was on a school field trip to another town when she first identified this way.

Another kid came up to her on the playground and asked if she was a boy or a girl, to which R responded, "I'm non-binary."

R went on to tell PublicSource how liberating the moment felt.

"It felt like you were telling someone about a really cool comic that you like."

R then proceeded to giver her take on the dynamics of how gender works for her.

"I feel like...in the gender section of my heart, there is nothing."

But a child this empowered, and with this kind of nuanced grasp on gender norms, doesn't come from nowhere. R's mother, Kate has made a deliberate effort to establish an open dialogue around gender at home.

Nonetheless, Kate was still impressed with R's courage and ability.

"The fact that she even had the language to use, we were pretty proud of her."
"We need to have these conversations early and often."

Though Kate did share that the experience hasn't been all wine and roses.

As is still quite common with a large, traditional institution like R's school, there are some logistical moments that suggest intolerance.

R mentioned one school form that upset her. On the form, there were two boxes in the gender section: 1 Male, 1 Female.

"It made me feel angry that people don't include people who are both or neither."

R, with her apparently typical resolute approach to things, asked Kate to draw a third box, which says "Neither."

R's school has since updated that form and put out a statement maintaining a commitment to improvement in this area.

"It is our belief that every student and staff member has the right to feel comfortable in our schools, and we will continue to update and improve our policies and procedures."

Although the common first reaction to such a child is to be amazed by such composure at such a young age, kids are a whole lot smarter than we think. And that goes for understanding gender politics as well.

Take these other non-binary kids making a splash on the internet.



Alas, with such understanding brewing and growing in the youngest generation alive, tolerance may be drawing nearer.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Jeff Ross
Mike Coppola/Variety via Getty Images

Comedian Jeff Ross Shares Photos Of Puffed Up Lip After Allergic Reaction To Ice Cream

Insult comic Jeff Ross revealed he had a medical emergency after a show Saturday night that resulted in a trip to the ER. However, he assured fans the show must go on despite "looking like Mickey Rourke at the end of The Wrestler."

Ross recounted the ordeal on Instagram, showing his swollen lip taking over his face from eating burrata ice cream after his Take a Banana for the Ride show in Mill Valley, California, near San Francisco.

Keep ReadingShow less
screenshot of Jesse Watters on Fox News
Fox News

Jesse Watters Offers Mind-Numbing New Claim About Masculinity—And Is Instantly Dragged

Problematic Fox News MAGA pundit Jesse Watters has made another bizarre claim about masculinity.

Having already taken exception with eating ice cream, drinking milkshakes, and taking bubble baths, Watters is now targeting tech jobs.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump with the Dodgers
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Trump Leaves Everyone Confused With Hilariously Bizarre Word Salad Tribute To The Dodgers

President Donald Trump was widely mocked after he welcomed the 2024 World Series-winning Los Angeles Dodgers to the White House on Monday with a bizarre, tangential, and rambling speech.

The team arrived at the White House on Monday morning, where Trump, in his remarks, praised two-way star Shohei Ohtani and infielder Mookie Betts. The Dodgers had defeated the New York Yankees in five games to clinch their second World Series title in five seasons.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Trump Roasted After Giving Clunky New Nickname To People Criticizing His Tariffs

President Donald Trump was criticized after he pushed back against critics of his tariffs, coming up with a new nickname for the "weak and stupid" people who oppose them.

The Trump administration’s newly imposed tariffs on imports from various countries have unsettled consumers, triggered a trade war, disrupted global markets, and sparked widespread fears of a potential recession in the U.S. and beyond.

Keep ReadingShow less

Childhood Experiences People Thought Were 'Normal' But Weren't At All

Content Warning: Child neglect, child abuse, narcissism, gaslighting, people-pleasing, and other traumatic childhood experiences

It's important for us to work on ourselves, to continue bettering ourselves throughout our limited time on this earth, and a key way of doing that is acknowledging what we do not know, and working on that.

Keep ReadingShow less