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Parents allow their five year old daughter Ryland to dress and act like a boy. Such a shame that those kinds of... "desires" would ever cross "his" mind at such a young age. Now Ryland is a trans gendered boy.
#StillSoYoung #WhatAWaste #TrapsAreGay

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Jeff and Hillary Whittington welcomed a daughter named Ryland who was born deaf

By the time Ryland turned one and learned how to speak thanks to cochlear implants, the child was telling his parents, 'I am a boy'

A year ago, the San Diego family embraced Ryland's transgender identity by cutting the child's hair and using male pronouns

Family received Inspiration Award during 6th annual Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast last week

When Jeff and Hillary Whittington, of San Diego, got the news in 2007 that they were having a daughter, the couple had no idea that in a few years' time they will be raising a son instead.

Last Thursday, the family were honored at the 6th annual Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast, accepting the Inspiration Award after presenting a stirring video showing their daughter Ryland's female-to-male transition.

The six-year-old dressed in a smart suit and tie, his hair cut short, stood next to a podium and read his prepared remarks from a sheet of paper, declaring to the audience: 'My name is Ryland Whittington. I am transgender kid.'

The family's beautifully produced video, which so far has been viewed on YouTube nearly 100,000 times, details how little Ryland and his parents came to embrace his true gender identity.

For the Whittingtons, the first curveball came when they discovered that Ryland, then aged one, was born with a severe hearing impairment.

The parents were heartbroken, but thanks to cochlear implants their child was able to communicate.

Not long after learning to speak, Ryland declared to his parents: 'I am a boy.'

Even though the toddler lived in a room painted pink, sported long blonde hair and was dressed by his parents in girly outfits, he naturally gravitated toward everything masculine.

At first, Jeff Whittington, a former firefighter-turned-real estate agent, and his wife, ignored the signs, thinking that Ryland was just a tomboy, or that it was a phase that soon will pass.

But by the time Ryland turned five, he started actively rejecting everything feminine and soon was overwhelmed with a sense of shame.

'When the family dies, I will cut my hair so I could be a boy,' Ryland had told his parents on one occasion.

Another time, the child exclaimed in anguish: 'Why did god make me like this?'

The Whittingtons sought professional help and began researching the topic of childhood gender identity on their own.

There was only one obvious answer: their child was transgender.

Jeff and Hillary, who also have a younger daughter, were frightened to learn from a recently study that 41 per cent of transgender people have attempted suicide due to lack of societal acceptance.

Determined to prevent their child from becoming a statistic, the Whittingtons decided to wholeheartedly embrace Ryland's true identity.

The parents cut the toddler's blonde locks, bought a new masculine wardrobe and started using the male pronounces 'he' and 'him' when referring to Ryland.

They also redecorated his room, doing away with pink furniture and bedding to make Ryland feel more comfortable.

As they continued acquainting themselves with their new reality, the Whittingtons learned from experts that children's gender identity emerges between the ages of 3 and 5.

'Ryland's gender identity was not caused by our parenting style, family structure or environmental factors,' the couple stated in a slide featured in their family video.

The seven-minute clip celebrating the family's incredible, and at times difficult journey, shows Ryland happily playing baseball and soccer, wearing ties and even dancing with a little flower girl at a wedding reception.

'Relative to the horrific things that people have to endure with their children all over the world, this is nothing,' his parents wrote.

Many members of the audience at the Harvey Milk Breakfast who watched the touching clip had tears in their eyes following the Whittingtons' emotional presentation, LGBT Weekly reported.

'One of the most inspiring things that Harvey Milk had done as far as our family is concerned,' said Jeff Whittington, 'was to encourage people to come out; to let their voices be heard; break down the walls, break down the barriers and start allowing people to see them for their authentic selves and be true to themselves.

He added, 'This is our coming out ... this is us making our voices heard.'

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Parents share story of having a transgender child, aged5

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Jeff and Hillary Whittington welcomed a daughter named Ryland who was born deaf By the time Ryland turned one and learned how to speak thanks to cochlear implants, the child was telling his parents, 'I am a boy' A year ago, the San Diego family embraced Ryland's transgender identity by

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If you haven't started binge watching this incredible series on Netflix yet, then you need to reconsider what you do with your free time. I love this so much, I have watched the every episode in order 7 times!
#13ReasonsWhy #NetflixLife #CouchPotatoOnlySometimes

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Watch 13 Reasons Why | Netflix Official Site

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High school student Clay Jensen lands in the center of a series of heartbreaking mysteries set in motion by a friend's tragic suicide. Watch trailers & learn more.

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Listen up! I'm not sponsored or anything, and I'm not being bribed to tell you this, but all of you need to get your tushies over to Feminist.com because they have all of your everything from activist meets to clothing.
#ShareTheWorld #WomenFTW #Feminism #DoItNow

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Feminist.com is an online community and nonprofit organization fostering awareness, education and activism.

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Hey people, just a random thought I was having. I hate men. Anyways, I thought I might try being lesbian, because there is no way on earth I am ever getting near a man intimately. I have never been in a relationship before, so it might be worth a try :)
#Lesbianism #NoMoreMen #PussyPower

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Ladies, don't forget to carry around your to-go pack of Wet Ones. These little things are necessary for getting rid of all those male cooties, sweat, and grime on public seating, do not forget to carry these with you in your purse.
#KeepItClean #BoysAreGross #WetOnes

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Sooo jealous! If I had roots like those I'd be so confident when walking into any situation, too bad I'm already super confident in everything I do! #PrideInWhatYouDo #WantSoBad #WomenFTW

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Today I had to take the dirty old subway home because my car was at the repair shop. I was at the back of the crowd to get on the subway, and from the looks of it I wasn't going to make it. I did fortunately, and was standing right in front of the doors. Then a young man ran up and wanted to get on, so I outstretched my arms so that he couldn't. Moral of the story, the doors closed and he wasn't on the train, what a loser!
#BeABitch #Don'tLet'EmWin #WomenFTW

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So glad to be taking classes here and majoring in Economics. This place is one of the leading colleges to send women off to become civil rights activists. Thank you so much mom and dad for paying for all of my tuitions!
#MHCLife #FemCollege #NeverWannaLeave

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1. Lead with curiosity

2. Discover your purpose

3. Build a lasting community

4. Engage with the world

Wherever new ideas, important causes and bold action meet, you will find Mount Holyoke students. With keen curiosity and a collaborative spirit, we always seek a better way - from the classroom, laboratory and art studio to the leading edge of industry, innovation and impact. And we use what we've learned to make positive, lasting change for ourselves and our communities. Because at Mount Holyoke, we're inspired to envision and build a better world - together.

Why Mount Holyoke?

advanced degrees and career outcomes

Within 10 years, nearly 80% of our graduates pursue an advanced degree at a top-level institution. Mount Holyoke alums across the decades pursue rewarding careers in fields ranging from medicine, law and business to communications, finance and consulting.

Here, you will be challenged. To follow your interests and forge your own academic pathway. To think critically, communicate clearly and grow intellectually. To break through barriers and engage across disciplines. To work closely with award-winning faculty - researching, discussing and advancing whole fields of knowledge. And when it's time to take the next step, you'll have the resources and support you need to begin your career and make a difference right away.

At Mount Holyoke, we are ourselves, together. We champion every individual for who they are, while coming together as a unified community. We collaborate, we cooperate and we always celebrate each other's successes. The bonds we build and the friendships we forge at Mount Holyoke last a lifetime - opening opportunities and amplifying the impact we make in the world.

Alums leading the way

Alums of women's colleges arguably constitute the most influential professional women's networks on the globe.

Pass through our Gates and you'll enter an energizing campus filled with beautiful spaces and beloved traditions that foster lifelong connections. Students come from across the globe to build a welcoming, diverse and inclusive community that's always evolving and expanding. And with a strong network of schools throughout the region and around the world, you'll have access to incredible opportunities for international learning.

study abroad opportunities

Programs that give you a powerful personal and intellectual experience

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At Mount Holyoke, a liberal arts education isn't just about knowledge across diverse disciplines. It's a way of intentionally connecting people, ideas and solutions to make the world work better. Here, we see the world through a different lens to discover new pathways and find new answers. Through an exploration of the arts, sciences, languages and humanities, we create an understanding of ourselves, our peers and the world around us.

Find Your Program

Undergraduate

Students discuss opportunities to get involved with faculty research

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Hear from some of our recent graduate students about the flexibility of our graduate programs.

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across 3 graduate programs and 10 professional development institutes

The Mount Holyoke Experience

Why Mount Holyoke?

Here, our diverse and inclusive environment empowers you to build bonds and break through barriers like nowhere else.

Meet some of the incredible people who call our community home.

Hear from our students why they chose a women's college that is gender-diverse.

Our alums, who form a large network around the world, share their time, insights and connections.

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What stories will you tell?

Awards and Honors
In my four years at MHC, I've found joy in every corner of campus as professors, students and staff share in the excitement of learning in community.

Elena Frogameni '22

she/her/hers

Grace (Gus) Ecklund Gustavson '23

they/she

Get to know us

For over 180 years, Mount Holyoke has been an extraordinary, collaborative community of people opening new pathways of discovery and forging deep connections with each other.

From Convocation to milk and cookies and the Laurel Parade, traditions and annual events bring the community closer together and create memorable moments to last a lifetime.

Happening at Mount Holyoke

Campus news

Mount Holyoke professor Naomi Darling discussed using reclaimed building materials with the Christian Science Monitor.

To gain perspective on the rise of AI-generated art, Mount Holyoke College Art History Professor Anthony Lee looked back on the impact photography had on painting in the nineteenth century in a recent Wired Magazine essay.

The final Launching Leadership conversation for 2022 was with Addison Beaux '99, the founder and CEO of Beaux & Arrow. The wide-ranging conversation touched on student activism, gender affirmations and self-love.

Wherever new ideas, important causes and bold action meet, you will find Mount Holyoke students. With keen curiosity and a collaborative spirit, we always seek a better way - from the classroom, laboratory and art studio to the leading edge of industry, innovation and impact. And we use what we've learned to make positive, lasting change for ourselves and our communities. Because at Mount Holyoke, we're inspired to envision and build a better world - together.

Why Mount Holyoke?

advanced degrees and career outcomes

Within 10 years, nearly 80% of our graduates pursue an advanced degree at a top-level institution. Mount Holyoke alums across the decades pursue rewarding careers in fields ranging from medicine, law and business to communications, finance and consulting.

Here, you will be challenged. To follow your interests and forge your own academic pathway. To think critically, communicate clearly and grow intellectually. To break through barriers and engage across disciplines. To work closely with award-winning faculty - researching, discussing and advancing whole fields of knowledge. And when it's time to take the next step, you'll have the resources and support you need to begin your career and make a difference right away.

At Mount Holyoke, we are ourselves, together. We champion every individual for who they are, while coming together as a unified community. We collaborate, we cooperate and we always celebrate each other's successes. The bonds we build and the friendships we forge at Mount Holyoke last a lifetime - opening opportunities and amplifying the impact we make in the world.

Alums leading the way

Alums of women's colleges arguably constitute the most influential professional women's networks on the globe.

Pass through our Gates and you'll enter an energizing campus filled with beautiful spaces and beloved traditions that foster lifelong connections. Students come from across the globe to build a welcoming, diverse and inclusive community that's always evolving and expanding. And with a strong network of schools throughout the region and around the world, you'll have access to incredible opportunities for international learning.

study abroad opportunities

Programs that give you a powerful personal and intellectual experience

Meet some of the incredible people who call our community home.

Hear from our students why they chose a women's college that is gender-diverse.

Our alums, who form a large network around the world, share their time, insights and connections.

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Lead with curiosity Discover your purpose Build a lasting community Engage with the world Wherever new ideas, important causes and bold action meet, you will find Mount Holyoke students. With keen curiosity and a collaborative spirit, we always seek a better way - from the classroom, laboratory and art studio to the leading edge of industry, innovation and impact.

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I love cats and dogs, don't get me wrong, but this kitten deserves everything in the world.
#YouGoGirl #KittyWitty #CuteAndAdorable

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I was sick today, so instead of staying indoors and getting well, I decided to go outside, risk getting more sick than I already was, and spit on men that I passed on the street. What a wonderful way to spend the day home sick.
#IfI'mGoingDownYou'reComingDownWithMe

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How dare this boy throw his basketball at that girl on the bike. She obviously did nothing wrong. If I were there, I'd grind his prepubescent body down into a pulp! These are the kind of actions we need to stop at a young age!
#EndTheMen #YouKnowYou'reBetterBecauseYouJustKnow

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Dennis throws a basketball at a girl riding her bike