This amazing new transgender toy will help teach kids and parents about gender identity
A Kickstarter project has been launched to fund a new toy to help teach children about gender identity.
The toy, named Sam, is being developed by Gender Creative Kids Canada, a non-profit organisation in Montreal, Canada that aims to help children, parents and families deal with gender identity.
The company describes Sam as: “The first educational transgender toy.”
Sam is made up of a series of Russian nesting dolls, each doll representing different stages and emotions when coming to terms with gender identity.
Related: Trans kids ‘never significantly differ’ from cis kids of their gender
Every Sam toy also comes with a small booklet and an e-book with information that will help adults talk to children about gender identity.
“Awareness of variations in gender identity is increasing in many countries but there are still very few tools available that allow parents or teachers to talk to young children about this sensitive, complex subject,” reads Sam’s Kickstarter page.
“Sam helps children empathize with the emotional challenges of being born a transgender or gender-diverse person.”
The Kickstarter page also reminds potential backers that this toy is not representative of every person who has gone through the journey of coming out as trans.
“Sam does not represent the full spectrum of emotions felt by any child,” it says.
“Sam is not a road map for people to follow or a diagnostic tool for parents.”
An animated short film called Sam’s Story was created to promote the toy and had gone viral on Facebook, gaining over 1 million views in two weeks.
The viral video follows the journey of Sam and their twin brother as they grow older, Sam struggles with the same emotions that trans children experience, the same ones represented by the toy.
Sam eventually closes herself off from her family and friends and even their twin.
However, a twist ending reveals that Sam’s was only imaginary and that it was a physical embodiment of how Sam saw themself.
The Sam toy will measure eight inches in height and is intended for children ages three and up.
Gender Creative Kids Canada is looking to raise CA$ 137,500 to put Sam into production.
The toy currently has 186 backers with CA$ 16,355 being raised so far with only 43 days to go.
If the goal is reached Sam will be ready to ship in Spring 2018.
