Becoming Nicole

Wyatt and Jonas are competitive with each other, as many siblings are, but Wyatt sometimes lashes out at his brother. When he does this, he can’t explain why he’s so angry. According to Nutt, the answer probably has to do with cognitive dissonance. Both Wyatt and his brother look like boys, but only Wyatt feels like a girl. Jonas, on the other hand, gets to be who he is.

Kelly realizes that she must think about Wyatt’s safety because he could be an easy target for harassment, especially as he grows older. As a first step, she enrolls both boys in tae kwon do lessons. She also pays attention to news stories about transgender people, even the ones about violence, because she thinks it’s her responsibility to “know exactly what Wyatt might one day have to face” (43). Kelly also screens people who will likely spend time with her kids, from their teachers to the parents of friends whose houses they might visit. She wants to make sure the adults in particular understand Wyatt’s particular brand of behavior and can accept him for who he is. She also keeps a close watch on her kids in an effort to keep them safe.