A Florida parent has been harshly criticized for raising their children as gender neutral.
Ari Dennis is a 30-year-old who identifies as non-binary. They have two children, Hazel, eight, and Sparrow, one.
Appearing on TV programme Good Morning Britain today (6 March), Dennis explained their decision to raise their children as non-binary and using they/them pronouns.
Forcing gender on children is toxic
The guest also revealed they live in a multi-adult household and raise their children with two other adults, both transgender. Dennis is married to one and is in a relationship with the other.
Journalist Piers Morgan struggled to understand the reasoning behind Dennis’s choice to raise Hazel and Sparrow as theybies. He repeatedly pressed Dennis to explain their decision.
Morgan said: ‘I’m sorry to be a stick in the mud here.’
‘A two-year-old child hasn’t got a Scooby Doo about any of this stuff. The idea that you as a parent would even countenance the idea that a two-year-old child has any ability to form a serious conception of gender is ridiculous and actually damaging to that child.’
Dennis replied deeming ‘toxic’ to raise children with a gender.
‘Well, then, in that case, if a two-year-old child has no ability to conceptualize what gender is, isn’t it toxic that at two you’re telling someone you’re a boy because of their anatomy,’ they said.
‘If a two-year-old as a boy has no conception of what that is, doesn’t it make more sense that if a two-year-old doesn’t have any ability to process what it is, don’t process what gender is, let them be what they are which is a toddler. Which is really more toxic?’
They then went on to accuse Morgan of childism.
‘The idea you as a parent would even countenance the idea that a two-year-old could make their own decision,’ Piers continued.
‘I think frankly, I put it to you respectfully, is utterly ridiculous.’
‘Isn’t it toxic and bizarre that at two we conceptualize what a child’s gender is?’
‘I feel like what you’re expressing is a bit of childism,’ Dennis also told Morgan.
‘You’re against children making their own decisions,’ co-host Susanna Reid clarified.
Twitter had mixed reactions
The conversation continued on social media, where some are criticizing Dennis for their choice.
Never seen quite such a load of nonsense. The woman Ari Dennis is clearly not of sound mind and is a great attention seeker! Why give air time to these people?
— Diana Dabrera (@didabrera) March 6, 2019
Is this Ari Dennis a real thing or a parody?? Like seriously?? This is a joke right? 😅 #GMB
— Vin Nee (@Vinlad84) March 6, 2019
While others are praising them for staying calm despite Morgan’s questions.
Ari Dennis was great. Very calm and articulate. There's plenty of psychology studies to show how gender is "forced" on a baby. Ari has set themselves up for a tough job and I quite admire that.
— JayneSmith (@JayneSmith) March 6, 2019
@GMB well done Ari Dennis for presenting a dignified response all through that interview.
— Carol Metcalfe (@CarolMetcalfe18) March 6, 2019
Well done Ari Dennis for putting up with some small minded TV presenters representing an undereducated British public. Was quite obvious you weren’t going to be able to open their minds at all #gmb #gender
— Danny (@dannygyoung) March 6, 2019