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Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie Announce Support as their 8 Year Old Self-identifies as Male

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Congratulations to Jolie Pitt family, as they announce their support for their child’s decision to self-identify as male, and use the name John.

Last week there was plenty of attention given to John Jolie Pitt, when the family appeared on the red carpet for Jolie’s film ‘Unbroken’, wearing a tuxedo and with cropped hair.

John-Jolie-Pitt-02

The family has always shown full support for John’s right to explore their self-identification.

“She wants to be a boy.. So we had to cut her hair. She likes to wear boys’ everything. She thinks she’s one of the brothers.”

Angelina Jolie

The family have been praised for their handling of the situation, and have been held up as a good example of how to handle a child’s exploration of their gender identity.

104 thoughts on “Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie Announce Support as their 8 Year Old Self-identifies as Male

  1. Sonya G

    More power to her BUT>>>>maybe Mommy could give her more girl time. Not so sure this is what SHE REALLY wants, truly confused and her parents should look at it this way. So many people think liberal and she may just be crying attention, know the difference,

    1. Dreamsoffire

      Their other two daughters are very girly and want to be that way. They support all their children in their own choices. Jolie-Pitt has spoken of how much Zahara enjoys all the super girly things that Shiloh/John didn’t like. John has always emulated the older boys.

  2. Wilson

    Sonya I am pretty sure two parents like brad and Angelina would have explored the issues behind it to find out if there was more to it. They should be applauded for supporting their child in their decision to be a boy. I have worked with children who are not supported in being themselves and it ends up messy them up… Open your mind to the possibility that John wants to be a boy and that he’s parents love them regardless of who they are

  3. Cb

    I always wanted to be a boy when I was a child. Played boy games, only had male friends at school, never wore dresses only boy clothes. 35 years later I still am nit a girly girl and prefer doing boy things , sports etc. never once did that mean I wanted it actually be a boy and my parents wouldn’t have even known anything about identifying me as a boy . Just give the child a happy child hood and let her play how and with whatever she likes at this stage of her life

      1. Melanie Brumfield

        Your world is obviously so small. It is too bad that others have to share it with you. Ignorant, angry person you are.

    1. TmC

      I was also like that as a child! I was always hanging out with the boys until I became a pre-teen. That’s when I came into my own, but I don’t think I personally would be happy if my parents let me decide to be a boy only at 8 years old. To each their own, though…

  4. Jo (@Duckie590)

    CB, just because you have one piece of anecdotal evidence, and it’s about you, does not mean all little girls who are more boyish don’t feel like they are males. I agree that the Jolie Pitts should provide JOHN with a happy, supportive childhood.

    1. aaron

      So question is, what is the source of gender disatisfaction?
      Maybe there is a chemical imbalance that causes people to actually feel like a woman or man?
      Other times a cry for attention?
      Or effects of Sexual abuse?
      No matter the cause it almost seems like the only correct way to handle it as a parent or friend is let that individual figure it out, they’ll seek answers on their own.
      society makes it too hard for people to come to a conclusion on one’s own terms.

  5. Faith

    I think it’s really good of them. If he changes his mind in the future, then he changes his mind. But it’s not as if he’s on hormone therapy already, and I doubt even then they’d let him rush into it. Angelina and Brad would probably take all the stops to make sure it’s the right timing for him, and it’s definitely what he wants.

    All they’ve done right now is let him cut his hair and wear the clothes he wants, and play with what he wants – basically a tom boy. Except he’s identified himself as a male. Again, it might change. But they have definitely done the right thing, giving the love and support needed, that if he changes his mind or not, he has no fears.

    Anyway, it’s not like it affects you (for the lovely people who sometimes like to think, “oh, She’s too young! They’re obviously encouraging it too much! Mommy should give Her more girl time! She doesn’t know what She wants!”).

    1. carol

      I like seeing posts that use the words “he” and “him”. Amazing, however, is to read posts that imply his gender identification needs to be “blamed” on his parents. Wow.

  6. Jacob

    That’s interesting. When I was 8 I wanted to be an archeologist. I changed my mind at least 20 times in the course of 3 decades, but ya let’s make a big deal about this….because it is?

    1. Heather

      Not a great analogy for gender. You use that reference like gender is a dynamic choice. Incidentally, when I was 8 I wanted to be an archaeologist, and today I am a professional archaeologist . Plenty of support from my family all the way. Sometimes you have the desire and passion from the beginning.
      Though I will add, what you want to be when you grow up is not the same as knowing/discovering your true gender.

  7. Jen

    “He wants to be a boy.. So we had to cut his hair. He likes to wear boys’ everything. He thinks he’s one of the brothers.”

    Jolie wants to be supportive, that’s great. Next step is learning how to change the pronouns. She becomes he.

  8. A.R

    Refer to the Lifetime movie , A Girl Like Me (The Gwen Araujo Story). I believe it’s based on true events, and depicts a boy identifying as a girl, and from a young age. Not unlike John…

  9. BenR

    According to the magic of google, that quote is from a 2010 Vanity Fair article. So it’s entirely possible that the Jolie-Pitts have adjusted to the correct pronouns by now.

  10. Eric M

    Or he is actually transgender and they’re doing the right thing by supporting him now instead of telling him that he’s wrong and confused, which could(and usually does) result in a lot of emotional problems later in life. Look at Leelah Alcorn. Her parents refused to accept the fact that she was transgender and tried to change her, which resulted in her suicide.
    Any parent that doesn’t support their child in something like this has no business being a parent.

  11. autumn Young

    The bottom line is that none if the people commenting actually KNOW this family. I know you might feel that you do, seeing as they’ve always been in the news and in our homes via the big screen. But you have no idea what is actually going on behind the closed doors. Suggesting Angelina give her more “girl time” is absurd, seeing as you have no flipping clue how much time she gives her kids. Perhaps instead of projecting your opinions onto a family that you know nothing about, you should take the time to educate yourself about things that you don’t know.

  12. miles

    I support the decision but i find it interesting that its ‘this famous couples’ child that is going through this…… isnt this the same couple that reused to get married until gay marriage was legal? i agree with their point of view but REALLY?

  13. kristina

    I love this and I can’t wait to see society’s positive feedback in the future. This is great!

  14. Kat

    When I was a ittle girl, we were called “Tom Boys” & it wasn’t about a sexual identity. And, we never made the newspapers, magazines and television because we were Tom Boys.

  15. Miranda

    I think at 8 years old a child could very well know how they feel inside about who they are. No different than knowing they are gay that young. My 6 year old loves transformers and the avengers, she was Optimus prime for Halloween. But she is also very into barbies and frozen and being a girl. So why couldn’t an 8 year old know they are different? Just because they’re supporting her doesn’t mean they’ve signed her up for a sex change.

  16. Emily

    Angelina always look like a tom boy to me. Ever notice how sad she looks when she’s dressed like a women. Maybe she can relate to John that’s why she ok with it.

  17. Ivana

    I love that they support their child, but Angelina’s quote should refer to John as a “he.” Otherwise, it’s amazing that John is growing up without fear of having to hide or feel scared of who he really is.

  18. Cathie Cyr

    Could she already know…sure! Could she be looking for attention…yup! Could she just want to be male now and could that all change?? You bet!
    I applaud Angelina and Brad for letting her do what she wants, but making a “big deal” and “announcing” all this to the public at her age, may just be locking her into an eight year old’s decision for the rest of her life. Kids are exploring all types of feelings and experiences at this age especially in her situation of celebrity parents. I was a huge tomboy as a child, and at times wanted to be a boy as well. But in no way have I ever doubted my sexuality once I was of age.:) Let her be just a kid and in time she will know exactly what she wants without having to make this another out cry for the limelight for the Jolie-Pitts.

  19. Casey Murphree

    1. They CAN be supportive in the PRIVACY OF THEIR HOME.
    2. Doing this on NATIONAL TV/EXPOSURE can come back to HAUNT THEM.
    3. This done SO OPENLY can lead to teasing, bullying, derision – – and all sorts of negatives in the REST of their child’s life.
    4. If the child (reserved is the right) changes his/her mind, it could be very difficult.
    5. BUT – – if the child’s decision stays until they are an adult, then so be it – – BEFORE OTHER MAJOR LIFE DECISIONS are made – – like marriage, having children, etc.

    There IS a point at which an individual DOES NOT have that decision – – when OTHER PEOPLE are TOTALLY AFFECTED by it (like in marriage, having kids, kids being teenagers, THEN deciding to have a total change) – – ONCE YOU CROSS SOME BRIDGES, THERE IS NO GOING BACK.

    Then – – there are those parents who think they are smarter than everyone else – – and – – maybe so.

  20. Beth

    The fact their child is admiring her/his brothers and is wanting to be a boy due to admiration is one thing; however, going public is another. This could be a ridiculing factor for the child as they advance in age. Great parenting skills in the home YES….but thinking of the long term effect I feel was lacked. Kids are just plain cruel and this poor child doesn’t need anymore amunition aimed towards her/his from her/his peers by announcing it world wide.

  21. steph

    I have a daughter, a bit younger than this, who refers to herself as a tomboy, prefers jeans and a t shirt to dresses and is happiest playing lego and cars. She has already requested a football themed birthday party next birthday. I also have a son, younger still, who has a meltdown if he isnt allowed to wear pink flowery socks to school (he isnt, they have to wear white!) and who prefers dolls to cars any day. Does this mean they are both having gender crises? Of course not, they are kids and this is a perfectly normal thing for kids to do, if allowed. And most parents i know have no issue with this. So well done to the Joile Pitts for being pretty damn normal. Hardly big news.

  22. Kendra

    Please feel free to read, I am Jazz. A story about a beatuful, gender nonconforming child and HER choice to identify as female. I am a straight ally, and GSA Advisor. This is not unusual, just not usually in the public eye. Children deserve parental support and love.

  23. Joe ann hurst

    What really defines us from male or female? Is it a hair cut or the cloths we ware? I’m a gay women who started with a marriage 45 years ago then decided I like women better. What a messed up person I was? am?. I didn’t know what I wanted but I did found more fulfilled when with a women. Although as I look back I didn’t like to wear dresses. I’m not sure if its because I like the same sex or is because I would always forget my underwear. Anyways we need more parents like Angeline and Brad

  24. T.L. Trinity

    Wow, how about you let them raise their kids, in the toughest position they have possible…being in the spotlight..and you raise your own, and really? Pointing out her mistake on grammar, only because you have nothing better to bitch about, right? If it is one thing I have seen over the years is that she is a loving and excellent mother! Good for you Angelina and Brad! Xoxo

  25. M. F

    Shame on you who judge. You people that are judging are the reason there is so much hate in this would and suicide. Its not your place to decide what someone else feels inside, or how they express who they are. If u dont like it then move along, and go back to your Black and White lives.

  26. Sr

    That’s a rude response, what makes you know anymore than Cb. You, nor anyone else, know how she’ll identify later in life. What you are as an 8 year old is not what you are as an adult. She may still identify male, but also may not.

  27. sarah

    to say that she needs to spend more time with her daughter so that she acts more of a girl is ignorant… at age of 8 you know the difference between boy and girl so if that’s what she wants then awesome support it, don’t show her what girls should be or how she should act due to societies standards.

  28. Sean

    It’s nice that they are being supportive to their child, but can’t these people do ANYTHING without turning it into a “look at us” spectacle? This on the heels of the recent suicide in the Midwest. Yeah, we get it… you are just so much more sophisticated and progressive than the average Ohian. Get over yourselves. Try NOT making a self-promoting photo op out of something for once.

  29. Julie Baetiong

    There’s a big difference in self-identifying as the opposite gender and crying out for attention for more “girl time”. I was a tomboy as a child, but I never once thought I was born into the wrong body. And giving “more girl time” is only gonna show their son that they aren’t behind him 100%

  30. GLBT Directory

    How could they not go public? Hide their child in shame? Of course they had to go public. Further, these comparisons to being a tomboy are ridiculous. This is a completely separate matter. Their child doesn’t just like boy things, he feels like a boy.

  31. Brady

    “In the privacy of their own home…” Sounds like you are the one who feels uncomfortable and has a problem, not them. Their child is photographed constantly. If they had said, “we just like making her look like a boy.” It would have been another debate completely. They ARE, absolutely 100% correct in accepting and supporting their child both at home and publicly.

  32. Amanda

    Regarding making it so public, I think they’re in a tough situation. It wouldn’t send the right message to the child to tell him he can be a boy at home but he has to be a girl in public. I think they made the right decision. I think it’d be easier for him to deal with deciding he actually identifies as a girl later down the line than to fix the psychological damage done by only being allowed to be a boy in private.

    Also, I know children are often seen as not having the sense to know what they want but this isn’t like choosing what you want to be when you grow up or what colour you like best. It’s much deeper than that. Of course children could change their minds on things like gender identity, but accepting any person for who they are at any given moment is more important than putting labels on them. Shaming people is the real problem. We don’t know how a person will feel about their identity in 5 years. All we know is the now and accepting a person in the now is the best way to allow them to develop in a healthy way so regardless of how they feel in the future, they’ll have a better chance of being emotionally equipped to handle it without shame or regret.

    Just my take on the situation. Kudos to Brad and Angelina for accepting their children for who they are. Thats a parenting win in my book.

  33. Armando

    To all the people saying “good on them, but they shouldn’t have made it public”

    Do any of you realize just how FAMOUS this family is? As in, every tabloid reporter who’s born before yesterday is going to ask why their ‘daughter’ showed up to an event in a tuxedo. In that situation, Brad and Angelina have only three options:

    1) Tell the truth about how their child feels (good) (This is what they did)
    2) Lie about it/play it off, and risk invalidating the child’s feelings (bad)
    3) Decline comment and let the celebrity rumor machine carry on full speed (much worse)

    They honestly did the best thing they could. And even if John changes his mind later, hopefully he’ll have grown up to see a world where people don’t crucify you for things like exploring one’s own gender identity…

  34. Sothnkful

    Gender identification can be very complicated for people to understand. However for the individual there is nothing complicated or confusing about it. The only thing complicated for them is what society believes about them!

  35. Teresa

    I so agree with everything you wrote. I pray they don’t make any life altering decisions for this child. Just let her grow up. She could just be going through a phase. She is way too young to be shot into the limelight

  36. kristina

    If John wants to be a boy let him.. if he decides at one point that he wants to be a girl again.. then let him i don’t see what this big deal is…They are handling it the best way they know how which is to accept and love their child for the way that he is.

  37. Claire

    My seven year old daughter lives as a boy had hair cut of and calls her self charlie if only moor people would under stand how hard it is as a parent to allow them do this took me 2 years 2 truly believe it what she /he wanted but then I realised she /he still my child who I will love no matter what

  38. jojo

    You are actually a completely different human being than this child. It must be shocking to find out you are not the universal model of how a human being should live.

  39. Alicia

    No. Gender identity has nothing to do with liberalism OR attention seeking. Children younger than John have already identified their gender. Chances are by 8 years old, you also knew what gender you identify as. One of the most dangerous things we can do to trans children is to dismiss them like this. John doesn’t need more “girl time.” John isn’t confused. You, however, sound very confused on trans identity. I strongly advise you to read up on it before making comments like this.

  40. Nance

    Support the child; forget the rest. She will figure it out with time who she wants to be; and the public should bug off.

  41. George

    My 9 yr old daughter is in the exact same situation and my wife and I also support her living as a boy. She has no issues with her name or the fact that those close recognize her as a female, but she does seem to like being viewed as a boy by strangers. Some things are challenging, like restrooms. We don’t like her using the men’s room due to things like cleanliness and potentially seeing mens body parts that a 9 yr old doesn’t need to see yet. We will continue to support whatever longterm gender identification she is most comfortable with, but I think it needs to be evaluated after puberty. Hopefully all her popularity and boy friends remain and she continues to be as happy as she is now.

  42. Li Shan T

    Laura you don’t have to be so rude. She was just expressing her opinion. sheesh. what’s the point of being all supportive of how empowered and whatever Bragelina is when you are such a rude person to others.

  43. Donna

    I agree with you. I was a ”big time” tomboy too, even played on a male hockey team, wore boy’s clothes and shoes and only had boys for friends.. I grew out of it, never wanted to actually become a boy. It will be interesting to see where ”John” is in a few years.

  44. ZZZB

    Being a tomboy and identifying as male are different things entirely. Also, GENDER identity is not the same as SEXUAL identity.

  45. Toni

    I only find it a shame that the child has to go through all of these tough transitions on the worldwide stage. This is a tough time for Anyone straight, gay, or transgender. It should be explored in the loving environment of those close to the child and not subjected to public speculation. Why even address her gender publically. It’s really not the public’s business. The public has no business in this kind of exploration. As the mother of a gay daughter who started dressing as a boy at the age 5, I’ve been there. I knew for years. She came out in her own time. She still identifies as female but is lesbian or maybe bi. I’m not sure. I don’t ask. I just want her to be happy and find a loving relationship, if thats what she wants. I’m really a little surprised they have placed her gender on the world stage. She? should be allowed to just dress/relate as she wishes and explore gender identity on the personal level, without giving permission for the critique of the masses. Yes the public may have speculated, but to make an announcement allowed an invasion of privacy that the child is too young to authorize on her own. They have put the spotlight on her growth and made the road that much more challenging.

  46. Jenna

    Oh this is so sad to me. She is too young to make such a huge life decision. What is wrong with this world?/?

  47. Taylor

    It is not more mommy time. I spent adequate time with my mom and dad growing up. I was a cheerleader, in dance, and played sports. It isn’t the girl activities or the dresses that make you who you are. The self identification of ones self happens earlier than being born. I wore boyish clothes growing up. I hated dresses. Not that I identified as a non gender specific, but that is what I felt comfortable as. It is amazing that someone that age has the support to do something many at the age of 30 want to do.
    The fact that you thinkthink more mommy time could clear this up is ignorant.

  48. Sherri

    I applaud Brad and Angelina for their support and unconditional acceptance of their child. The privilege (and responsibility) of being so famous is that everything they do is under scrutiny by the whole world. Therefore, they have incredible power to change the world through example. I hope their story brings awareness to the plight of transgendered individuals and the pain they suffer from intolerance. It’s a changing world. And this family is at the forefront of the changes. It’s very exciting. People come in all kinds of flavors, and they are all beautiful. What is needed is more love and acceptance – not hatred and judgment. Imagine a world where people are free to express themselves and be who they are (as long as in doing so they are not hurting others).

  49. corinnamc2013

    The child is 8 years old and has not even gone through puberty yet, which is when so many changes take place for both boys and girls. I venture to say that while a child should be loved and supported through all of their growing phases,there is the risk of over encouraging behaviours that are simply just a phase but with so much attention to the behaviour, the child will be confused. Let her dress as she wishes, but making radical changes like changing her name and referring to her as he/him is purpetuating something that at this point is not definitive and certainly already determining the gender change. Children need love and support and encouragement but they need guidance and direction from their parents as well. This is what gives a child security. When parents have the anything goes attitude, the child will feel insecure because children are not emotionally mature enough to make life long decisions on their own. More emotional trauma comes from insecurity than anything else. Ultra liberal parents feel that by letting their children make decisions they are giving and supporting, but they raise insecure, confused adults who are forever looking for direction and support.

  50. Me

    Does no one else find it odd, that we’re forcing children into identifying as either male or female based on how they want to dress, act.

  51. LadyBirdBerson

    She’s a child. Let her do what she wants and allow her parents to parent the way they see fit. If she is trans, she is trans, and there is nothing about it that has anything to do with you. My 3 year old likes to be called Hamburger. And you know what? I call her Hamburger. Because she is my child and I love her. I do not fear that she will turn into an actual hamburger, but if she does, she’s my baby and I will love her. And if this is not a phase, and Shiloh decides to become John, it seems as if her parents will love their child regardless, and NONE OF IT WILL AFFECT YOU. Get over yourselves, people.

  52. sara

    “tomboy” is completely different from gender identity…I was an ABSOLUTE tomboy and still am…but I have never felt that I am not female and not feminine. This child identifies as a male, therefore, he is one. Plain and simple. I was an LGBT therapist for years and almost every trams client I worked with said they knew by age 3 or 4 (as with my lesbian and gay clients)

    you being a tomboy as a child is completely separate from what this article is focused on. It is important, as a society, to know the difference. Acceptance comes with understanding

  53. Rhonda

    Agree totally with all you say. Going public just put more pressure on this child to always feel this way whether she does down the road or not. In addition, it opened her up to alot of teasing etc. from other bully kids and those adults who don’t agree or understand. Something like this DOES affect others. Even if there are no marriages and/or kids involved, just how confused do you think the other children around John are going to be?? Agreed it should have just been kept private and out of the public eye. Too late now though.

  54. Crush

    It has to do with the part of your brain which controls gender identity. It has been shown that girls can be born with the boy type of brain, and boys born with the girl type brain. Your brain then overrides whatever body parts you may have down below. I’m not explaining it very well but saw a tv program which explained the science behind it.

  55. Jen

    Maybe they should just play it by ear, she/he may change her/his mind again. Eight is after all a young age but puberty is happening younger and younger.

  56. Dena

    Wow, Laura…that is not helpful at all. I hope you are just young and don’t know better…rude.

  57. Dena

    My daughter, when she was about 5, wanted us to call her “Nick.” So, we called her Nick. She said it would be fun to be a boy. It lasted three weeks. She is nearly 24 now, and if she had wanted us to, we would still be calling her Nick. There was no huge meeting of the minds, no great debate…we just called her Nick. I believe that was the same year she decided all she would eat was scrambled eggs…it lasted three weeks, as well. She didn’t suffer from malnutrition….nobody called a pediatrician in a panic…she just ate eggs for three weeks. I know there are times when young children identify themselves as the opposite sex, and there is plenty of scientific data to explain certain cases, and I love that more parents are being supportive- lets just love our babies for who they are…and they ALWAYS know who they are better than we do. Listen and love.

  58. Sadie

    Well Kat, did you identify as female? Obviously John doesn’t and so is not a “Tom Boy” because that term refers to female people.

  59. joeAmerican

    Totally agree, 8 year old self identified as a male, wasn’t that just a tomboy a few years ago? Wait… why am I reading or commenting about some famous couple’s child….. *facepalm* when I was 8 I identified myself as Captain Underpants!

  60. Leah

    A girl just killed herself because her parents violently disagreed with something she knew when she was even younger than John (Google Leelah Alcorn). We as parents must support our children no matter what. Not push our or society’s agenda on them.

  61. matthew1858

    My 9-year old daughter was just treated like COMPLETE GARBAGE by Men’s Warehouse in Maplewood, Minnesota because she asked to be fitted for a tuxedo instead of a dress, to wear in as the ring-bearer in a family members wedding. Gender identity shouldn’t be this big of a deal. It’s clothing. Clothing does not dictate the nature of ones soul & spirit. She’s a girl. She like boy stuff. BFD. Get over it, America. Your notions of gender-identity are completely arbitrary and totally unnecessary. If the kids are jerks or if they are sweethearts, the clothes won’t change a thing.

  62. Loving Life

    This would be even cooler if I thought she was genuinely transgender. There are pictures of Shiloh dressed as a boy when she could barely even walk. There aren’t any pictures of the other girls dressed like that. I highly doubt Shiloh expressed a preference toward being a boy when she was under 2. Angelina Jolie is so obsessed with her own image that I wouldn’t put it past her to condition her child to prefer boys’ things in attempt to be edgy and keep the public’s attention on her family. (I mean, after scary facts about her heroine addict past were made public, she dragged all of her kids on a world tour, shoved them in front of cameras, and spoke incessantly about her own maternal nature and how mothering she is to her kids. This was a stunt to draw attention away from her past.) Any who, if Shiloh had a normal mom, I would believe she’s actually transgender.

  63. Jenny

    Am I the only one who remembers Angelina dressing her as a boy since the little one was like 1 or 2?

  64. racecarbeth

    Whole lot easier for a she/he to explore gender orientation when Mom and Dad have all the resources in the world. Much tougher for other, less fortunate children.

  65. Imma

    they support her decision to identify as a boy at this stage of her life. who’s to say he/she won’t change her/his opinion later in life and that the parents wiuldn’t be equally supportive of that decision?!?

  66. Susan Turk

    They (Shiloh/John) have every right to explore and be exactly who they presently. I applaud Brad & Angelina for respecting and supporting their individualty as in doing so they promote the authenticity and depth of parental unconditional love.

    Change is the one constant in this life. Allowing and supporting natural change in the best interest of their child, rather than forcing compliance to accommodate a social standard for the comfort of a percentage of society who’s business it’s not, is in my opinion, the best form of love any child could ever receive.

    If you recall, when Moses ask the burning bush “Who are you?” The bush (God) replied, “I am WHO I am.” Aren’t we all? I believe “YES.”

    Kudos to you both Mr. & Mrs. Pitt. Beautifully executed love in its purest form.

  67. kerrieann

    I think what they are doing is great and an 8 year old will know how they feel about themselves my sister was 5 when she asked for a willy and came out at a that she was trans gender that she feels like she was born in the wrong body if only we knew how she felt when she was younger it would have helped a lot with the depression and stress it has put her through if she knew how supportive our family is about it and that her thoughts aren’t wrong the way someone feels and who they want to be is completely there choice nobody knows how it feels to them nor should judge someone for being who they want to be no matter the age

  68. Calista

    It’s not sad at all, actually. I find it so empowering and amazing that there is a family that wholeheartedly accepts who their child is. So many teenagers (people my age) complain about how their parents don’t accept them, don’t even let them try to explain themselves, etc.. In my opinion, it’s absolutely ASTOUNDING that there is a family, one that some people say are “corrupted by Hollywood”, that accepts who their son is and who he wants to be. I am sure Jolie and Pitt have thought about it and talked about it with John and it’s not like it’s permanent. What’s a hair cut, name, and some clothes in the long run? John can go back to being a girl at any time and his parents will back him up. The only problem is that people like you go ahead and decide that you can have emotions or feelings about something you’re completely not involved in. If this was your son/daughter, I would totally agree that you could have that opinion, but right now, you begging to the world because a random girl in this world wants to be a boy and is “too young” (which 8 is a completely acceptable age, in my opinion) is YOUR opinion and overall, all of our comments don’t matter. These comments won’t change what Jolie and Pitt think and neither will your ignorance. BTW about the “more mommy time thing” you know nothing about these people’s lives. Who are you to tell them how to raise their child?

  69. Ryann

    This child is too young. I dressed as a boy and hid my hair under a hat until I was 12. I had 2 brothers and I thought being a boy was cooler. Just bc a girl is a tomboy does not mean you go confusing them and changing their name. Besides Shiloh can be a girl or boy namw. A child this age does not yet know what it really means to be a boy or a girl. Let her wear the clothes she wants and cut her hair but dint change her name and pronouns. She is 8. You are just confusing her and shes going to end up committing suicide. She may be a lesbien later in life or decide to have a sex change operation and be a straight male. But shes too young for all this crap!

  70. Dave

    Why would mommy give them “more girl time” if they’re not a girl? They’re not confused. (John prefers the pronoun “they” by the way). THEY are male. They know that. You’re confused.
    There’s nothing wrong with being trans. So many people think like you, as if it’s something to be remedied. John’s male. They know that.

  71. Dave

    Wow. Well, first of all, it’s not a decision.
    I can’t imagine what type of person you are if them deciding to be accepting of their child offends you.
    Especially since Leelah Alcorn just last week committed suicide because her parents didn’t accept her.
    Get over yourself.

  72. Lulu

    Does anyone think this child may be a little young to completely grasp what this all means. I’m a girl, born and raised. I wanted to be a boy when I was little. I would pee standing up, through a toilet paper roll even… I’m a women, I love men. if my parents let me, as an 8 year old, decide I wanted to be a boy for real, opposed to just wearing boys clothes, and having a boy hair cut, and playing with boys toys…where would I be now? let her be a tom boy…not try to change into a real boy…she’s no Pinocchio.

  73. Lulu

    you mean your brother right….ya see how confusing that is. Now you expect a 5 or 8 year old to understand?

  74. Lis

    My daughter was like John. We called her a tomboy. Eight is much too early to start making gender decisions there is still puberty to come. Our daughter dressed like a tomboy, she was just as comfortable around the boys as the girls, she played sport on boys teams. She was well respected by all her peers due to her ability to mix with anyone. She did not wear a dress until she was 14. She is a delight and a girl. She can dress up with the girls and watch football with the boys. When she was eight she too probably would have loved to have worn a tuxe and probably changed her name too. She is now a well adjusted 20 year old who will always, thank goodness, have that tomboy streak in her. Supporting your child is most important though publicly going through the possible gender change of your daughter at 8 may not be in her best interest.

  75. Donna Monson

    My guess is that the people in his life every day since he was born have just a little more insight to “know the diferrence” than some random person commenting on the internet. This isn’t an isolated incident, or even a “phase”…this has been going on since the day John was old enough to choose toys, and then clothing for himself. But, it’s nice to know that you view parents who openly love and support their child UNCONDITIONALLY as “liberal” thinkers. I’ll take that as a compliment.

  76. Kat Harley

    Hi, Sonya. Let me tell you something. Kids are tiny humans, not idiots. If they want something, they claim for it without fear or emotional resistance so, if Shiloh/John wants to be whatever she/he wants to be, i hope she/he´ll be happy for it, and still have all parent’s support for be whatever she/he wanna be.

  77. Deenah Rae StClaire

    Not even funny how everyone is hopping on the trans wagon. This better not be some sort of stunt to get a popularity boost. Spend some quality time with her for heaven’s sake.

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