Media to Support Your Kid's Gender Identity

Kids pick up a lot of cues about how they're "supposed" to look and act from the media. So it can be really tough for kids who don't fit into neat and tidy gender boxes. But, thanks partly to celebrities such as Caitlyn Jenner and Jaden Smith, there's a lot more acceptance for kids who break stereotypes. Terms such as "gender-fluid," "non-binary," and "gender-creative" are entering pop culture. And plenty of kids' media is bringing awareness to the idea that it's OK to be whatever you want to be. But you don't have to have a kid who's "non-conforming" to appreciate kids who don't fit the mold. It's actually great for all kids to know that what they can do and become isn't dictated by whether they're a boy or a girl.

Movies, Apps, Games, and More

• Classic Movies with Old-Fashioned Gender Roles
  Turn cringeworthy moments into a chance to talk about sexism.

• Gender-Neutral Apps
  Bridge the gap between blue and pink with apps that offer open-ended gender roles.

• Gender-Fluid Games
  Kids today are comfortable with lots of different pronouns, so try these titles to expand kids' horizons.

• LGBTQ Books, Movies, and TV Shows
  Media picks that positively represent the LGBTQ community.

• Male Stereotype-Busting TV Shows, Tips, and Role Models
  Labeling kids can backfire, but these let kids explore their identities.

Common Sense Media Tips

• Boys, Girls, and Media Messages in a Digital World
  Help kids learn to recognize harmful gender stereotypes -- and not perpetuate them.

• Children, Teens, Media, and Body Image
  Learn how media messages shape kids' ideas about these topics.

More Resources

• The Representation Project
  With documentaries such as Miss Representation and The Mask You Live In, the Representation Project works to "challenge society's limiting representations of gender."

• The Trevor Project
  The Trevor Project provides crisis-intervention and suicide-prevention services to LGBTQ youth.

• Gender Spectrum
  Gender Spectrum offers toolkits and training materials to create gender-sensitive and -inclusive environments.