A US couple, Julia and Nate Sharpe, have decided to raise their twins as theybies – meaning they will not designate gender on their children following research on how stereotyping affects development.

In an interview with NBC, Julia said, “We read about how from when they’re 20-week fetuses, they’re already starting to be gendered, and people are calling the little girls ‘princesses,’ and buying certain things for different children. We wanted to prevent that, so that’s how it started. And then about a couple weeks, before they were born, Nate just said, ‘What if we didn’t tell people ever?”

When the twins were delivered, the couple asked the hospital staff not to announce their sex to friends and family, a fact they still keep to themselves. “We definitely got more pushback from co-workers, who were like, ‘Wait, you’re not going to tell me what you’re having? You’re not going to tell me what your kids are?’” Julia described. “I’m telling you they’re children.’ But they got really, really frustrated that we wouldn’t tell them what their genitalia was, which is kind of a weird thing when you think about it.”

The theybies, named Kaydn and Zyler, do not know their own gender at the moment as the couple believe it is still quite early in their development and they want the kids to decide for themselves. Whatever the twin’s eventual decision is, the Sharpes will support them completely.

When asked if they were worried the children may be bullied over their parent’s choices, Nate replied: “I’d rather have a kid that experiences adversity and deals with it and comes out stronger than a kid who is a bully.”

Closer to home, a recent review of the Gender Recognition Act commissioned by the government recommended access to legal gender recognition should be made available to children of all ages.