Pottery Barn Kids is now under financial attack, much like Bud Light, Target, and Kohl’s, thanks to a recent promotional video directed towards children that it aired, in which a transgender activist named Jazz Jennings, read a children’s book about a transgender child. The book, written by Jennings, is about a child who claims to have “a girl brain but a boy body.” The video was posted to Instagram.
As background, Jennings began to “transition” at age three and became one of the first children to undergo such a transition. Jennings had subsequent health issues and had to have three “corrective surgeries” to attempt to rectify those health issues.
The book Jennings is reading in the Instagram video put out by Pottery Barn Kids, “I am Jazz” is described on its Amazon description page as “The story of a transgender child based on the real-life experience of Jazz Jennings, who has become a spokesperson for transkids everywhere.”
Describing the book’s plot, the description states, “From the time she was two years old, Jazz knew that she had a girl’s brain in a boy’s body. She loved pink and dressing up as a mermaid and didn’t feel like herself in boys’ clothing. This confused her family, until they took her to a doctor who said that Jazz was transgender and that she was born that way. Jazz’s story is based on her real-life experience and she tells it in a simple, clear way that will be appreciated by picture book readers, their parents, and teachers.”
The description also quotes Laverne Cox, the actor who plays Sophia in Orange is the New Black, as saying, “This is an essential tool for parents and teachers to share with children whether those kids identify as trans or not. I wish I had had a book like this when I was a kid struggling with gender identity questions. I found it deeply moving in its simplicity and honesty.”
Comments have since been removed from the Instagram post, but, before they were removed, people called for a boycott of Pottery Barn Kids. They said things like, “This is DISGUSTING. I’ll go take my money elsewhere. Such a shame you had to go this route,” “Pulling another bud light lol Who in their right mind would read this to their kids ??,” and “I seriously cannot believe this. Enough is enough. Leave. The. Kids. Alone. We’re all DONE.”
Pottery Barn appears to be committed to the transkids issue, as its website currently has an LGBT-themed mug and a rainbow-themed doormat for sale, and some of the proceeds go to the Trevor Project. The Trevor Project supports children “transitioning,” describing trans surgeries for kids as “gender-affirming care for youth” and saying “Gender-affirming care has been shown to reduce suicide ideation and attempts in transgender individuals, along with social support, familial support, and reduction of discrimination.” Continuing, the Trevor Project’s page says, “Gender-affirming care for TGNB youth may involve social, medical, and legal aspects. Gender-affirming care has been shown to reduce suicide ideation and attempts in transgender individuals, along with social support, familial support, and reduction of discrimination.“
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