In my column on the Hilltown Families blog, Off the Mat: Free to Be, I tell the story of my son’s rainbow sundress.  Like clouds have their silver linings, rainbows have their dark side.

It was my son, the night of the festival, who raised the dark side.

Mama? The peopew who fink boys can’t weaw dwesses, do dey ever huwt da boys? Do dey shoot dem?

Yes. Yes honey, sometimes they do.

Giwls too? Giwls who don’t dwess like giwls?

Yes, girls get hurt too. Sometimes very badly. Sometimes they get killed.

What do da powice say?

Sometimes the police agree, sadly.

But what about da powice who fink it’s ok. Do dey take da bad guy to jaiw?

Without waiting for an answer, he continued.

And what do der Mama’s say?

My answer. They cry. Their mamas cry. 

I wish I ‘d answered – they fight.