Within our families, most especially a generation or two ago, we’ve known some of our male relations who were just, well, strange. Every family. They might not like sports, may not fight very well, and perhaps even played ‘dress-up‘ or ‘tea-time‘. Over time however these ‘strange ones‘ would develop their own unique male character. One thing that didn’t develop over time however was the fact that they were still boys and would always be boys. Being strange wasn’t an option.

And also within our families, most especially a generation or two ago, we’ve known some of our female relations who were also strange. Every family. They might not like dolls, may not wear pretty dresses, and perhaps even played ‘zombies‘ or [trigger warning] ‘cowboys & Indians‘. Over time however these ‘strange ones‘ would develop their own unique female character. One thing that didn’t develop over time however was the fact that they were still girls and would always be girls. Being strange still wasn’t an option.

Alas, the brave, new, little town of Peaksville is here, and the strange ones have indeed progressed. No longer just a source of fun and ridicule for the more aggressive boys and preening girls, they have become their own endangered species with special protections from the no-longer-taunting, all-encompassing society around them.

Leo¹, who perhaps in the past might have been poked fun at by the other kids, gently lectured by her parents and generally avoided, is now hailed as a brand new sentient being capable of deep, dark, independent thoughts. For in this tempestuous world, 10-year old Leo (a girl) can decide, and has decided, that she is both a boy and a girl. And everyone must agree with Leo, because people who have bad thoughts about not agreeing might find themselves wished away to the cornfield…

¹ BBC; ‘I’m a non-binary 10-year-old‘