1. The scientists called the baby “X” so no one would know if X was a boy or girl. This way, X could grow up without being pushed into “boy” or “girl” rules.
2. The scientists needed parents who wouldn’t treat X as a boy or girl, but most people couldn’t do that, so they weren’t chosen.
3. Some people thought X was strange and felt awkward around X. For example, one parent said, “X is a Problem Child” (Gould 4), and some people would “make faces and giggle behind X’s back” (Gould 3), showing that many didn’t accept X.
4. X’s parents worried about school because they thought kids and teachers might not understand X and might treat X differently because they were used to clear boy or girl roles.
5. Other kids started acting like X because they saw that they could try new things without following “boy” or “girl” rules. For example, “Susie stopped wearing pink dresses” (Gould 3), and “Peggy used the lawn mower, and Joe tried the vacuum cleaner” (Gould 3).
6. A lot of parents were upset because their kids weren’t acting like “normal” boys or girls anymore, which made the parents uncomfortable.
7. X’s parents read X stories like “Sleeping Handsome” to show X that anyone can do anything, no matter if they’re a boy or girl.
8. When the kids say, “by the time it matters which sex X is, it won’t be a secret anymore” (Gould 6), they mean that when X is older, people will know who X really is, and gender won’t be a big deal.