Proponents of children questioning and even changing their biological sex have produced a musical compilation dubbed Trans and Nonbinary Kids Mix to benefit a summer camp in New Hampshire that caters to parents who believe young children can choose their gender.

According to the LGBT Foundation, children understand and should be counted in this category: 

Non-binary is used to describe people who feel their gender cannot be defined within the margins of gender binary. Instead, they understand their gender in a way that goes beyond simply identifying as either a man or woman. Some non-binary people may feel comfortable within trans communities and find this is a safe space to be with others who don’t identify as cis, but this isn’t always the case.

Musicians set up a Go Fund Me page to raise money for the project, with proceeds going to Camp Aranu’tig. So far, the site shows they have raised just over $2,800.

Taxpayer-funded National Public Radio (NPR) touted the effort on its Morning Edition program:

Julie Be is a music therapist who has helped run the camp since it was founded in 2009 and also one half of the children’s musical duo Ants on a Log, alongside Anya Rose. So the stuck-at-home campers would feel connected, Be and Rose put out an open call for songs that reflect the trans and nonbinary experience, use gender neutral pronouns or use humor to talk about gender. Together, they curated an album of children’s music called Trans & Nonbinary Kids Mix.

The album hopes to connect with kids across a spectrum of ages: from elementary school up through early high school. Be says that older kids will hear the music in a more nuanced way, but that we need to give kids in the lower age range more credit, too.

Songs like “Be Who You Are” and “Shine Bright” tackle finding love and support in affirming a kid’s identity from their perspective; others, like “Daughter” by Ryan Cassata, tell a story aimed more towards adults. Be says they wanted to show kids and adults what the other might be thinking, but also stressed the importance of parents being open to conversation, even at a young age.

“I think people underestimate the ability for younger kids to know about gender,” they say, NPR reported using a confusing pronoun. “There’s a lot of research that shows that kids know what their gender is, even around age 2.”

“You can’t tell a kid to not think about something,” Be says. “I would say in general, if a parent is uncomfortable with talking about anything big like this, like how a kid identifies, you are missing a big opportunity to connect with your child, to love your child and support your child. That’s a big problem, gender aside.”

The Go Fund Me pages explained what project organizers were looking for:

All youth need music that reflects who they are, and trans/nonbinary youth especially need our support during this challenging time of increased isolation.

We put out a call for songs that:

-reflect the trans/nonbinary experience

-use gender neutral pronouns

-sound like an ally anthem

-use humor to talk about gender

-smash the concept of the gender binary

-talk about intersecting identities

-speak to kids in elementary or middle school

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