Is It O.K. To Take A Gender-Non-Conforming Child To North Carolina?

For the past 10 years, my husband’s family has convened for an annual summer reunion at a beach house in North Carolina. It’s great fun for the many young cousins who attend, and our two children spend the year looking forward to it.

Our 6-year-old child, J.G., is gender-nonconforming. We had been in denial about this fact until several months ago, when J.G. articulated to us how scary and demeaning this felt. We are now out in the open about our child’s gender nonconformity, and J.G. has blossomed from a moody, secretive child into a rambunctious and irrepressible little soul. We live in a liberal area in a liberal state, and J.G. has been accepted with love and generosity in our community. My husband’s large Southern family has also surprised us in recent months with their unconditional love and acceptance.