A trans couple say they are raising their baby genderless so that the child can choose their own gender when they get older.
In a video posted to Bloomberg's TicToc Twitter page, transgender man Nathan Levitt said he and his partner, also a transgender man, are waiting for their 18-month old baby, Zo, to tell them what gender they identify as.
When people ask them what gender Zo is, they do not disclose it and for now, they refer to the baby using 'they' pronouns.
'That's always the question: 'is it a boy or a girl?' And so often, we will say to people, "We don't know yet. We're waiting for Zo to tell us,"' he said.
Levitt, a nurse, said they are prepared for whatever Zo might say.
'So there might be a time where Zo says, "I don't feel like a 'they.' I feel like a 'she' or I feel like a 'he'."'
Levitt and his partner, also a nurse, have been together for 15 years and currently live in Brooklyn.
He said they decided to raise their child as genderless because they did not want them to be pressured by stereotypes.
'We felt like there are so many gender stereotypes that get put on kids. From the second they're born, the question is, "Is it a boy or a girl?" And then so many decisions are made from that ... Are you going to buy pink clothes or blue clothes? Do they play with trucks or with dolls?,' he said in the video.
'And we felt we really want, as best as we can, to have our child not have those stereotypes put on them. And our child to have the openness to identity as whatever gender they want to whenever they feel that's right for them.'
Many of the comments below the video were critical of their decision.
'How is this not more confusing to them? You should teach your kids that they should be who they want to be. But you're taking what makes them who they are away,' read one comment.
'I think when your child is old enough to understand the concept of their own individuality then they can explore their options, but if they're born a gender, please embrace it naturally and openly. Otherwise it's unfair and confusing for the child,' another Twitter user wrote.
