Mother who's raising her son, 5, as gender fluid is slammed by Britain's Best Parents viewers for 'forcing him to be a girl' because she didn't want a boy

• Single mother Joana, from Exeter, is raising her son Willow as 'gender fluid' 
• Appeared on Channel 4's Britain's Best Parent to open up about parenting style
• Viewers were critical and some questioned if Willow was being forced to be a girl
• One commented: 'All I'm seeing are clothes and toys associated with girls...'
• Another added: 'This is a bad example...mother is clearly pushing the girl stuff.'

A single mother who is raising her son to be 'gender fluid' has been slammed by Britain's Best Parents viewers who accused her of forcing him to be a girl.

Joana, from Exeter, appeared on the Channel 4 programme last night, where she insisted her son WIllow, five, shouldn't be confined to traditional gender stereotypes.

But many viewers were critical of the parenting style, with some questioning if the over-excess of feminine clothing and toys meant Joana was trying to force her son become a girl. 

One commented: 'This woman is claiming to raise her son as a gender neutral child, but all I'm seeing are clothes and toys associated with girls (e.g. tutus and nail polish). She said herself girls are better than boys. Sorry but this woman is desperate for a trans daughter. Sad.'

Another wrote: 'I think this is a bad example of being gender neutral because the mother is clearly pushing the girl stuff.'

Appearing on the programme, Joana explained: 'My parenting style is a feminist one. The key element of a feminist parenting style would be to promote gender fluidity in your children.

'A child raised through a gender fluid approach will be more confident in themselves, have more awareness of emotions, kinder, more creative, more free-spirited child for sure.'

Joana did not use male pronouns with her son but acknowledged that he is a boy, while Willow also called himself a boy.

But she admitted: 'I personally find many aspects of girls are way more positive than what is traditionally associated with boys and men.'

Willow's father lives nearby and co-parents with Joana, as she explained: 'I am trying to raise a child that is allowed to experiment with their identity.'

When the other children in the experiment come to experience her 'feminist' parenting style, Joana invites all the girls and boys to paint their nails.  

The mother-of-one also asked the children if their fathers ever wore makeup. 

In the studio, she explained: 'The gender fluid approach is since he was born, we don't gender stereotype with clothes, toys...we just want him to explore everything.' 

But the other parents insisted that genders are not limiting and said they were concerned Joana was imposing her beliefs on Willow.

Eastern-influenced father Robin said: 'I don't think genders are evil. I think you can expose them to the range of possibilities within being a boy and girl.'

Lazy parent Kevin explained: 'As long as Willow wants to do it that's fine, for exposure. My concern is you're actually making more of an issue out of it than he is.

'I saw lots of what we'd perceive to be girls toys but I didn't see any action men, any blue. My concern is Willow might have a habit imposed on him.'  

What does gender-fluid mean?

Gender-fluid is a nonbinary gender identity that’s not fixed and is capable of changing over time.

The term first appeared as gender-fluid in the 1980s, coming into use alongside somewhat adjacent terms: transgender evidenced in the 1970s, and genderqueer in the 1990s.

The term spread with the understanding that gender was not binary (only and always male or female) and not necessarily tied to physical sex characteristics

But Joana disagreed, saying: 'I didn't impose anything. I opened up the choices.'

But viewers were highly critical of Joana and her views, with one commenting: 'If Willow is being raised gender neutral then why is he always in girls clothes?'

One added: 'Joanna isn't interested in gender fluid parenting. She's just a feminist who is p***** she gave birth to a boy.' 

Another tweeted: 'The woman clearly wanted a daughter and is now going all gender neutral so she has "a daughter". You're telling me that kid asked to become a girl?'

'That is going to be one seriously messed up kid all thanks to her/his mother.'

'She is NOT raising that child 'gender neutral' she is raising her son as her daughter,' another commented, 'I feel so sorry.' 

Another wrote: 'Claims she's raising her child as gender fluid but to me she is just trying to turn her wee boy into a girl. F***** up.'

Another added: 'This idiot on Britain's Best Parent is not raising a gender fluid child. She is raising a boy dressed as a girl and encouraging him to be a girl. These people are allowed to exist and reproduce. F****** hell.'