Ten-year-old Sam Jones came out to their parents, Rob and Mary, as nonbinary, transmasculine about 18 months ago, after years of just being considered a tomboy. (The family members’ names have been changed to protect their identities.) “She’s been very aware that ‘Hey, this is just me and it doesn’t quite match what you see on the outside, but the person on the inside is who matters.’” “She’s never been confused about who she is,” said Smith, who lives and owns a business in Arizona with her husband. Now 12, Jane has been fully socially transitioned since the age of six, which is when she received a diagnosis of gender dysphoria. At four, her child was adamant about dressing up as Elsa from the movie “Frozen,” even as her mother tried to persuade her to be Olaf. At three, her daughter, Jane, who was assigned male at birth, was drawn to feminine clothing and opted to play with Barbie, not Batman. Joan Smith knew from a young age that her child was different.
A caregiver glances at a pride flag displayed in the window of a local café while on a walk with a child.
