NPR

A Mother Tries To Understand Her Daughter's Gender Identity

A mother and daughter talk about what it means for them to come out as lesbian in different eras, and how labels — or a lack thereof — have shaped their coming out stories.
Molly Girton and her mother Lynn have had many conversations about how gender identity, gender roles and sexual orientation are different between their generations.

Lynn Girton, 69, never came out as a lesbian to her parents. She never even heard of the term lesbian growing up in a Christian household in Ohio. She dated men, because that was what she says was supposed to do.

Then at a summer job, she met Pat Freedman.

"We fell in love, and we did not know what that meant," Girton says. "We

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR2 min readCrime & Violence
Luis Rubiales Faces Sexual Assault Trial For Unsolicited Kiss At World Cup
The case against the ex-Spanish soccer federation head who kissed player Jenni Hermoso without consent is going to trial, a judge ruled. Three others will be tried for allegedly pressuring Hermoso.
NPR3 min read
Tornadoes Tear Through The Southeastern U.S. As Storms Leave 3 Dead
Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the U.S. could march through parts of the South early Thursday, after deadly storms a day earlier spawned damaging tornadoes and massive hail.
NPR5 min readCrime & Violence
Migrant Crime Is Politically Charged, But The Reality Is More Complicated
Republicans have raised the alarm about a migrant crime wave. Nationally, crime is down even as immigration has surged, but the concerns are real in some neighborhoods.

Related Books & Audiobooks