NPR's This American Life Tells a Tale of Two Eight-Year-Old Transgenders

I was listening to a snippet of the radio show This American Life in the car on the local NPR affiliate. It was telling a cute story about two girls named Lily and Thomasina who became fast friends. And then, the twist:

And they were both born boys, although it became clear pretty early on that they'd prefer to be girls. There aren’t all that many kids in the world like them, but recently, at a conference in Seattle on transgender parenting, they met. And they immediately hit it off.

They could talk about things with each other that they'd never been able to share with other friends back home. And that’s comforting, even if they never see each other after the conference ends. Producer Mary Beth Kirchner tells the story, with production help from Rebecca Weiker.

As one might expect on an NPR station, the segment was very heavy on the tolerance, as one father complained that it would be so much easier if his son was homosexual, which society can process, but this is still too much for society.

It sounded like the kind of sensitive segment that will win awards from sensitivity groups like the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. And the easiest way to GLAAD’s heart is to be sensitive enough to make sure no dissent sullies the storyline. I didn’t hear any.