Transitioning
Through
TRANSPHOBIA
By Chelsea Lucero
Gender Creative and Gender-Nonconforming Children
​Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are two extremely successful members of the film industry. Brad Pitt stars in multiple movies, and appears on talk shows freuquently. Angelina Jolie recently challenged gender roles by directing an Oscar nominated film entitled Unbroken. Together, they defy the typical definition of a "normal" family. Viewing family as an institution, a heteronormative nuclear family typically regulates sexuality and gender stereotypes [1][11]. A family can consist of a married man and woman, and their children [1][11]. The Jolie-Pitt family defies this working definition in a variety of ways, including their late marriage, having their own children as well as adopting, and by recognizing one of their child's wishes to be identified as a boy instead of his female birth gender. This progressive family challenges the social norms of society, despite the deep analysis that follows each choice they make while being in the public eye.
​The
Jolie-Pitt
Family
*
What is a gender creative and gender-nonconforming child?
Diane Ehrensaft, cited by Lori Duron, explains that "gender creative is a developmental position in which the child transcends the culture's normative definitions of male/female to creatively interweave a sense of gender that come neither totally from the inside the body, or psyche), nor totally from the outside (culture, others' perceptions), but resides somewhere in between."[12]
John Jolie-Pitt (formly
recognized as Shiloh Jolie-Pitt)
The Jolie-Pitt family has been known to challenge the stereotype of the heteronormative nuclear family. One of the most interesting areas that the Jolie-Pitts family has challenged the stereotypes is by recognizing their transgender son's desires to be recognized as a male instead of his birth sex of female. The choice of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's parenting style has recently been under criticism for being progressive and accepting of John's desires. John Jolie-Pitt, who is currently eight years old, has been observed as being a "tomboy" for years [7]. He has asked to wear boy's clothing, and he wore a suit and tie to the Unbroken movie premiere. Although some media sources applaud Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt for their accepting parenting style, some media sources also express transphobia and ridicule them for their choices. In 2010, Jolie spoke about John (at the time Shiloh) and his decisions. She reflected that John simply wants to be like her older brothers, and she wants to fit in [14].
Cherie Corso, a parenting expert interviewed by Fox News, "criticized Jolie and Pitt for exposing their daughter to possible ridicule" [14]. Corso continued to claim that they should not be "trailblazers" in the parenting community because they do not live a traditional lifestyle [14]. Although most people in society agree that Jolie and Pitt are accepting for letting "kids be kids," a lot of people doubt that John has any idea about what his sexuality is. In addition, there is not as much acceptance for adults who are gender-nonconforming, just like in Bruce Jenner's case, for example. The tolerance that does not surround lives of the adult Trans* community is bothersome, and it goes back to the roots of being fearful of anything unknown and different. The media has been closely following the story surrounding John's wishes to be recognized as a boy. It is only a hope that the negative reviews, and the hateful tweets on social media are hidden from John so he can continue to discover his sexuality.