As black and brown people in this country, we are familiar with feeling othered by those around us. Usually it’s based on skin color, ethnicity and race: visibly obvious differences. Another layer to feeling othered happens when queer people of color come out. In these situations, they may go from being othered as people in this country to being othered in their own culture, community and families.

From the very minute a child is born into the world, gender expectations are present all around them in the form of the media, gender cues from their loved ones, clothing, books, etc. Some common outward-facing gender cues can include hair length, clothing, and make-up. Other gender cues can also include speech patterns, pronouns, names, jewelry, and accessories.

For children, safety and trust are the building blocks for any environment where they feel comfortable enough to express themselves. So, as parents how do you go about developing that? Learn about 8 ways parents can set their children up with the foundation for healthy self expression.