PIERS Morgan has slammed a family who have chosen to raise their two children as gender-neutral on Good Morning Britain.
Ari Dennis, from Florida, refers to her one-year-old baby Sparrow as a ‘theyby’ and wants the tot to come to their own decision about gender as they grow up.
However, the GMB host described the notion as “utterly ridiculous” in a heated discussion on the ITV daytime show this morning.
Ari and her partner are the only people to know Sparrow’s true anatomy and even the baby’s birth certificate says ‘sex-unknown’.
She refuses to use the pronouns he, she or the names of ‘mum and dad’ and was inspired to do so after her eight-year-old, Hazel, discovered her gender identity at age four.
Appearing on the show via a live video link, Ari attempted to explain the benefits of raising a child gender-neutral but Piers remained unconvinced.
“I’m sorry to be the stick in the mud here, a two-year-old kid hasn’t got a Scooby Doo,” the host argued.
Ari continued: “Well exactly (not having a) Scooby Doo is a great thing. If my kid said they wanted to be something then I can play along, I follow the child.”
But Piers becomes increasingly infuriated during the discussion, claiming that the idea was ‘damaging.’
Speaking on the show he said: “The idea that you, as a parent, would even countenance the idea that a two year old child has any ability to form any serious perception of gender… is utterly ridiculous and actually damaging to that child.”
But Ari pointed out that Piers’ points actually support her argument.
She continued: “Well in that case if a two-year-old child as you say has genuinely no ability to conceptualise gender isn’t it toxic and bizarre that at two we are telling someone, ‘you are a boy because of your anatomy’ if that two-year-old genuinely can’t conceptualise what a boy is.
“Doesn’t it make more sense if a two-year-old genuinely has no ability to process what a gender is, as you said, that I don’t tell them what their gender is and I don’t emphasise gender constantly, I let them be what they are which is a toddler. Which is really more toxic?”
Ari went on to accuse Piers of being ‘childist’ leaving the host speechless.
The subject divided viewers at home, with some agreeing that gender-neutral parenting was beneficial while others sided with Piers.
Taking to Twitter one wrote: “If a child is born and years down the line feels they are in the wrong body that’s different to it being made a choice .. the option shouldn’t be presented it will just cause confusion for a child .. if they are truly the wrong gender they will know this when they grow up..”
Agreeing, a second added: “The child will discover its own gender anyway without the parents “ridiculous” intervention.
“If a boy wants to play with girls toys let them and if a girl wants to play with cars etc that’s all good..gender neutral even sounds cold and clinical.”
Elsewhere Kirstie Allsopp has caused controversy among parents, after taking to Twitter where she described parenting as a waste of time.
Meanwhile, a mother has asked fellow parents for advice after discovering a photo of her ‘big-chested’ sister on her husband’s computer.
