Few kids are brave enough to embrace who they want to be when they grow up. Social pressure keeps children from identifying outside of heteronormative lifestyles and identities. However, contemporary media — combined with some high-quality parenting — might relieve some of the oppression and encourage kids to accept themselves.
Take C.J., for example. For Halloween, C.J. doesn’t want to be a fireman, Iron Man or Wolverine — not even Peter Pan, the androgynous go-to for many queer kids. Thanks to his gay uncle (aka guncle), Michael, C.J. is going out purse first and transforming into Bob the Drag Queen for Halloween.
His mother, Lori Duron, should seriously consider running an orphanage for LGBTQ youth and changing her name to Auntie Mame (let me Google that for you). She runs the site Raising My Rainbow, a helpful and intimate blog about raising her children. While C.J. came out at eight years old, Duron has a straight son who actually felt the need to come out as straight.
CAN. YOU. EVEN. IMAGINE.
Duron compiled her experiences into a book by the same name with forewords by Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka.
Guncle Michael regularly texts C.J. while watching RuPaul's Drag Race, and their exchanges are hilarious. The 9-year-old shadestress also recapped an episode of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 2. He drops gems like, "Eyebrows are a lot of work," and, "CoCo deserved to get eliminated, if you ask me. She cannot get her face makeup right."
We're living for your costume, C.J., and we hope your trick-or-treating game is on point.
