WellesleyWeston Magazine

SUMMER 2017

Launched in 2005, WellesleyWeston Magazine is a quarterly publication tailored to Wellesley and Weston residents and edited to enrich the experience of living in two of Massachusetts' most desirable communities.

Issue link: https://wellesleywestonmagazine.epubxp.com/i/819093

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As early as age three, John — then Caroline — loved all things boy. Boy clothes, boy toys, and boy names. Merrill and Rob were attuned to John's preferences, but not sure what the significance was. They'd check in regularly with his preschool teachers, ask how he was doing, and with which kids he preferred playing. Like many parents of transgender boys (female to male), they thought Caroline was a tomboy. But several experiences indicated to Merrill that this might be something different when John was about four years old. "One moment that I recall vividly happened in TJ Maxx. We walked in a f a m i l y i n t ra n s i t i o n John Puopolo is 10. And he's got skills. Double dunk in bedroom basket- ball? Check. Scoring touchdowns followed by a signature celebratory dance? Check. He loves sports stars David Ortiz, Rob Gronkowski, and Julian Edelman, to name a few. He wakes up every morning to a life-size decal of Tom Brady on his wall. The second child of Wellesley residents Merrill and Rob Puopolo, John was born a girl. Otherwise stated, his gender assigned at birth was female. He was named Caroline, and joined his sister Sofia, four years older. Helping Transgender Children Find Their True Selves J U L I E S U T H E R L A N D writer P E T E R B A K E R photographer t ra ns i t i on s 88 W e l l e s l e y W e s t o n M a g a z i n e | s u m m e r 2 0 1 7

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