Mother organises gender reveal party for transgender son: ‘We got it wrong 17 years ago’

‘We just provided him with a happy, healthy home where he feels like he can be true and honest,’ Love Gwaltney writes on Facebook

(Photo by Sarah McBride, courtesy of Love Gwaltney)

A mother has thrown a gender reveal party for her transgender son, saying that she and her partner “got it wrong 17 years ago” when they announced they were having a baby girl.

Love Gwaltney, a portrait photographer from Ohio, US, shared a post on Facebook featuring several photographs from the recent gender reveal party she organised for her son.

Ms Gwaltney, who is currently pregnant, began the post by stating that when people find out they are expecting a child, one of the first things they wonder if whether the baby will be a boy or a girl.

“We get so excited, picking out clothes and nursery decor based on the sex of our babies,” she said. “We throw parties, and pick out names. We assign attributes (like strength or beauty) based on what our child has growing between their legs. And MOST of the time, that works out perfectly fine.

“But sometimes, we force these expected characteristics based off biological sex, and *gasp* we’ve gotten it wrong.”

(Photo by Sarah McBride, courtesy of Love Gwaltney (Photo by Sarah McBride, courtesy of Love Gwaltney)

Ms Gwaltney wrote that sometimes, a child that was “labelled” as a girl “doesn’t actually feel like a girl”, and they may “disassociate who they are with the body they possess”.

“It can come across as body dysphoria or self-esteem issues and that’s as far as it goes (to your knowledge). Other times, that child grows up feeling like a completely different person, and if you’re really lucky, they open up and tell you the truth, no matter how scary or daunting that could be,” she stated.

Following her introduction, the photographer explained that she and her partner wanted to introduce the world to their son, Grey.

“We wanted to announce that we got it wrong 17 years ago when we told the world we were having a little child, and named that child McKenzie. So, we’d like to introduce you to our SON: Grey,” she said, adding that the family will be referring to Grey with he/him pronouns, although the 17-year-old also doesn’t mind being referred to with they/them pronouns.

(Photo by Sarah McBride, courtesy of Love Gwaltney (Photo by Sarah McBride, courtesy of Love Gwaltney)

For the celebratory gender reveal party, Grey was captured by photographer Sarah McBride emerging from a box filled with balloons.

The colours of the balloons were chosen to represent the non-binary Pride flag, Ms Gwaltney explained, as Grey identifies as non-binary.

The family also tucked into a cake at the party with layers of coloured sponge chosen to “represent transgender bodies”, Ms Gwaltney said.

The Facebook post has garnered 60,000 reactions, 52,000 shares and 14,000 comments, many of which include messages of appreciation for Grey and his family.

(Photo by Sarah McBride, courtesy of Love Gwaltney (Photo by Sarah McBride, courtesy of Love Gwaltney)

Following the outpouring of support, Ms Gwaltney added an update on the post expressing gratitude on behalf of the family, stating that “for each LGBTQ person out there who has connected with this or who has in any way felt seen by this post, we are proud to have brought that recognition to you, even briefly”.

She added that Grey approved the post before it was shared on Facebook, including mention of his “dead name”.

Ms Gwaltney added that it is Grey’s decision whether he choosing to start testosterone and that he is “fully capable of making his decision on his pronouns and how he identifies”.

“We in no way influenced him, we just provided him with a happy, healthy home where he feels like he can be true and honest,” she said.

(Photo by Sarah McBride, courtesy of Love Gwaltney (Photo by Sarah McBride, courtesy of Love Gwaltney)

Ms Gwaltney stated that the messages she has received from members of the trans community have “touched her heart”.

“I am responding as quickly as my overly emotional, pregnant, mama bear self will let me,” she said.

“I hate that so many of you in the trans community were not given the love and acceptance you all deserve. I see you. I hear you. I am your new mom now!”