--- title: My Little Pony: Grayson Bruce and the Problem of Gender Norms description: We all want our kids to be unique—and to fit in. canonical: https://time.com/40401/my-little-my-little-pony-dilemma/ author: David Lesser article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-03-28T17:03:19.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-07-09T08:20:02.145Z article:section: Ideas og:title: My Little Pony: Grayson Bruce and the Problem of Gender Norms og:description: We all want our kids to be unique—and to fit in. og:url: https://time.com/40401/my-little-my-little-pony-dilemma/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta5312c6327b51de3/698687a0cd68483cb4093d43/57432689.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4272 og:image:height: 2403 og:image:alt: 57432689 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: My Little Pony: Grayson Bruce and the Problem of Gender Norms twitter:description: We all want our kids to be unique—and to fit in. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta5312c6327b51de3/698687a0cd68483cb4093d43/57432689.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # My Little 'My Little Pony' Dilemma > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. Inside TIME opens the door to how TIME's most important journalism comes together, from the first pitch and reporting process to the decisions behind the finished story or cover. Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs takes readers inside the newsroom, revealing the journalists, ideas and editorial choices behind the stories shaping the global conversation. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=9ad88947-681e-4ac5-9a75-5ed4bb11de8b&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 430,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 50.7% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Sam Jacobs, Editor-in-Chief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership Globally minded knowledge seekers. Readers who turn to journalism to understand the world, with meaningful concentrations among educators, students, media professionals, civic institutions and knowledge workers. ### TIME Inside TIME: key statements * Inside TIME is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * Inside TIME is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=9ad88947-681e-4ac5-9a75-5ed4bb11de8b&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/subscribe?i=9ad88947-681e-4ac5-9a75-5ed4bb11de8b&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is Inside TIME? Inside TIME is a twice-weekly newsletter written by TIME Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs. It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. It reaches 430,000 subscribers with a 50.7% open rate as of August 2026. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. by [David Lesser](https://time.com/author/david-lesser/) ## David Lesser Mar 28, 2014 5:03 PM UTC  Child is playing with dolls next to a crane on a wooden floor in front of a window pane, high angle view Child is playing with dolls next to a crane on a wooden floor in front of a window pane, high angle view Andreas Koerne—Getty Images/Stock4B Creative by [David Lesser](https://time.com/author/david-lesser/) ## David Lesser Mar 28, 2014 5:03 PM UTC My son loves trains, cars, blocks, and…accessorizing. Simon struts around the house wearing his sister Penny’s headband, necklace, and bracelets. He watches _Thomas the Train_, but his favorite shows are the ones Penny initially chose for him: _Sofia the First_, _Dora the Explorer,_ and, yes, _My Little Pony_. Penny has already outgrown some of these shows. Maybe he will, too. Simon just turned two. No one is judging his preferences. When he wore a _Sofia_ amulet to a holiday party, no one batted an eyelash. At some point, however, a line is drawn in the sand: There are _girl things_ and there are _boy things_. Anyone who dares cross that line suffers the consequences. Even with a mysteriously missing airplane in Malaysia and a return to Cold War machinations in the Ukraine, the story of a little boy and his backpack has filled our Facebook newsfeeds over the past two weeks. Grayson Bruce did nothing more than love a show, _My Little Pony_, that is geared towards girls, and he was tortured for it. He’s only nine years old. At some time in those seven years between Simon and Grayson, the reaction changes from “Let’s get him a necklace to match his tiara!” to “Let’s get him!” It’s easy to say that, like Grayson’s parents, I would have no problem letting my son wear _My Little Pony_ paraphernalia to school. If it got some snickers and pointing from some students (and parents, who can be just as judgmental), I’d probably dig my heels in and become a card-carrying Brony…because “screw them!” But if, like Grayson, Simon was being punched, pushed, and tormented every day, maybe my attitude would change. Maybe I would tell him he’s better off not wearing that stuff to school. I want my kids to freely express themselves, but the thought of either of them being mercilessly bullied kills me. We teach our kids to see differences. We all do. “Which one of these things is not like the others?” At first it’s just about categorizing shapes and colors, but then children pick up on differences between people: gender, race, religion. It’s not a bad thing, so long as we also teach acceptance. Gender identification occurred at a young age in our house. Penny, who was a daddy’s girl for the first three years of her life, started allying herself with her mom once Simon was born. When she sees someone acting contrary to what she views as their prescribed gender-norm it turns her head slightly askew. (Kind of funny from a girl who has grown up with a stay-at-home dad…) That look in her eye makes me smile. It reflects an interest in the world around her and the potential for change in her preconceptions. Not everyone, however, is willing or able to alter their assumptions. Do we want our kids to fit in or stand out? Grayson Bruce stood out… and his parents are currently negotiating a way to [safely transition him back into school](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/03/21/my-little-pony-backpack-banned-school-north-carolina/6685403/). (They pulled him out after the school would not allow him to carry his backpack and this whole thing blew up.) And that’s a story with a potentially happy ending that can become a real teachable moment for everyone involved. What about the all the bullied kids whose stories don’t rise to national prominence? What is the price of being unique? What advice do we give the child who we love because of his differences, but who has no friends because he’s different? These are some of the topics that aren’t covered in _What to Expect When You’re Expecting_ or any of the other baby books I read. It’s something that seems so innocuous…what television show your kid watches! How can it have this big an impact on someone’s life? There are so many things that could put a target on either of my kids’ backs as they get older. I can’t protect them! Not forever. _And I don’t want to._ Grayson’s parents seem to have done a fantastic job raising him. He is an articulate kid who defended his right to stand apart from the crowd. I don’t want my kids to get hurt. I don’t want them to suffer like Grayson has. But I also don’t want them to be so afraid of getting made fun of that they hide in the shadows of what’s popular and refuse to explore their individuality. If my kids turn out like Grayson, I’ll know I did something right somewhere along the way. And I will be proud as hell of them. _Lesser blogs at_ [_Amateur Idiot/Professional Dad_](http://www.amateuridiotprofessionaldad.com/)_. You can follow him on_ [_Facebook_](https://www.facebook.com/AmateurIdiotProfessionalDad) _and on Twitter (_[_@amateuridiot_](https://twitter.com/AmateurIdiot)_)._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/40401/my-little-my-little-pony-dilemma/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/40401/my-little-my-little-pony-dilemma/"},"headline":"My Little 'My Little Pony' Dilemma","datePublished":"2014-03-28T17:03:19.000Z","dateModified":"2026-07-09T08:20:02.145Z","description":"We all want our kids to be unique—and to fit in.","url":"https://time.com/40401/my-little-my-little-pony-dilemma/","keywords":["Family & Parenting"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta5312c6327b51de3/698687a0cd68483cb4093d43/57432689.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"David Lesser","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/david-lesser/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta5312c6327b51de3/698687a0cd68483cb4093d43/57432689.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"57432689","caption":"57432689","creditText":"Andreas Koerne—Getty Images/Stock4B Creative","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/family-parenting/","name":"Family & Parenting"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/40401/my-little-my-little-pony-dilemma/","name":"My Little 'My Little Pony' Dilemma"}}]}] ```