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Mr Stocker and Ms Witterick say the decision to keep Storm's sex a secret was "a tribute to freedom"

A Toronto couple are defending their decision to keep their infant's sex a secret in order to allow the child to develop his or her own gender identity.

Kathy Witterick and David Stocker have been widely criticised for imposing their ideology on four-month-old Storm.

The family were the subject of a recent profile in the Toronto Star newspaper.

In an e-mail, Ms Witterick wrote that the idea that "the whole world must know what is between the baby's legs is unhealthy, unsafe, and voyeuristic".

Ms Witterick, 38, and Mr Stocker, 39, have also been criticised for the manner in which they are raising their two sons Jazz, five, and Kio, two.

The boys are encouraged to choose their own clothing and hairstyles - even if that means wearing girls' clothes - and to challenge gender norms. Jazz wears his hair in long braids, and the boys are "almost exclusively assumed to be girls," Mr Stocker told the Toronto Star.

The child's grandparents do not know Storm's sex, the Toronto Star reported, and have grown weary of explaining the situation, but are supportive.

In an e-mail to the Associated Press news agency, Ms Witterick, a stay-at-home mother, said a four-month-old infant was still learning to recognise him or herself, and said it was inappropriate to impose a gender identity on the child.

I may not know the gender of a baby by just looking at it, but I know an a-hole when I see one - and these two are a pair of a-holes!

Good for them. As long as the kids are being well taken care of and loved, who cares what kind of clothes they wear (as long as they are clean) or how they wear their hair. It is really no ones business.



Cat

Boy

Boy



That's what I think, too

Good for them. As long as the kids are being well taken care of and loved, who cares what kind of clothes they wear (as long as they are clean) or how they wear their hair. It is really no ones business.

Cat


Well at least until the kid grows up into some kind of whacko due to being raised by two whackos.

Imagine the abuse this kid is gonna get in the school yard when one of the playmates asks "are you a boy or a girl" and the kid says "I don't know".

Good for them. As long as the kids are being well taken care of and loved, who cares what kind of clothes they wear (as long as they are clean) or how they wear their hair. It is really no ones business.



Cat


It's so much bigger for these parents than what clothes to put on a child or whether or not to let their boys play with girl toys (which I see no problem with).  IMHO anyone who says "the whole world must know what is between the baby's legs is unhealthy, unsafe, and voyeuristic" has major issues that have ZERO to do with the gender of their children.  There are plenty of ways to use your children to suit your needs, some people put their kids in pagents, they're pulling this crap.

In an e-mail, Ms Witterick wrote that the idea that "the whole world must know what is between the baby's legs is unhealthy, unsafe, and voyeuristic".



Mrs Whitterick, who cares?  There are seven billion of us and we've all got one set of goodies or the other.  If it wasn't for you and your old man going all queer about "what is between the baby's legs" nobody would hear about it...but that is after all what you two loons want!

BTW, the ambiguity of this thread's subject made me think it was something far sicker!
:-X

It's so much bigger for these parents than what clothes to put on a child or whether or not to let their boys play with girl toys (which I see no problem with).  IMHO anyone who says "the whole world must know what is between the baby's legs is unhealthy, unsafe, and voyeuristic" has major issues that have ZERO to do with the gender of their children.  There are plenty of ways to use your children to suit your needs, some people put their kids in pagents, they're pulling this crap.


I agree with this.  Jason has Legos and Barbies and trucks and a Cabbage Patch Doll.  Up until a month ago, he was growing his hair out, but finally said he wanted to cut it (I think he was tired of having to sit still for the washing of it ;D).  There is nothing wrong with that.

It has already been mentioned in another article that one of their boys wanted to ensure that a nature camp (I think that's what it was) knew that he was a boy, so I'm wondering how hard these parents are pushing this stuff on their kids.

Kathy Witterick and David Stocker have been widely criticised for imposing their ideology on four-month-old Storm.


The kid's parents may be certifiably loopy, but it'll figure out its gender just fine on his own.  And as soon as it develops verbal skills, it'll kick its parents asses for being such gibbering morons.

Surely the Birth Certificate is available for public viewing, and all can be read there?

Surely the Birth Certificate is available for public viewing, and all can be read there?


Only required if the child grows up to be America's first female President!!  ;)

Surely the Birth Certificate is available for public viewing, and all can be read there?


Actually I don't think they are, though it is a long time since I had to get a copy of one.  I think until a certain age they are only available to the parents due to issues of identity theft.  Anyone know about this?

Actually I don't think they are, though it is a long time since I had to get a copy of one.  I think until a certain age they are only available to the parents due to issues of identity theft.  Anyone know about this?


Civil Registration
Comprehensive civil registration of births, marriages and deaths in Ontario came into effect on July 1, 1869. The records are open for research after a specified period of time: 96 years for births, 81 years for marriages, and 71 years for deaths.

Civil Registration
Comprehensive civil registration of births, marriages and deaths in Ontario came into effect on July 1, 1869. The records are open for research after a specified period of time: 96 years for births, 81 years for marriages, and 71 years for deaths.
In the UK (when I last purchased a birth certificate around ten years ago), it was if born in the last 40 years, the baby father must be known on application of the required birth certificate.

Tempest in a tea pot.  I really don't see what the fuss is all about.  The kids will figure out their gender in time, but why does the world need to know?