HER father used to be a radical lesbian, her mother has given birth to four children by sperm donor and they all live under the same roof with two of her parents' friends from university.
Welcome to the world of 11-year-old Eleanor Whittle.
The Stockport schoolgirl yesterday addressed a conference in the Swiss city of Geneva to discuss her experiences of living in a "non-traditional family."
Her 10-minute speech to a panel arranged by the International Service on Human Rights and the International Research Centre on Social Minorities discussed the unusual living arrangements back home in Heaton Mersey.
Her father, Dr Stephen Whittle, is a female-to-male-transsexual who started living as a man in the 1970s and is now raising four children with his long-term partner, Sarah Rutherford.
Eleanor, Gabriel, nine, and seven-year-old twins Lizzie and Pippa, were all conceived by sperm donor. The family of six also lives with two of Dr Whittle's old university friends.
Eleanor said she regarded her speech as an opportunity to challenge prejudice. "We are just an ordinary family but there are no words to describe us", she said.
"There are many different types of families nowadays and they all see themselves as families. I have noticed at school people don't bother standing up for what they think is right.
Short-listed
"It is important to have schools work towards getting rid of all insults using gay and lesbian and transsexuals.
"Many people only laugh to cover up how they are feeling.
"I want the world to recognise all sorts of families that are different as families."
Dr Whittle was born female and set up the Manchester Lesbian Collective as a teenager in 1974 but the following year decided to change sex and begin living as a man.
Now 49, he became an academic after claiming he was forced out of a number of jobs because of his transsexuality.
He is a leading writer on transgender theory and has been short-listed for major human rights awards.
Dr Whittle said he was "immensely proud" of his daughter being invited to give the speech on an international stage.
"She knows my history and my campaigning and has done her own things at school," he said. "She is quite a fiery person and very politically aware. When she was about five she said she wanted to be a diplomat.
"We have told our children from when they were young about the story of them and how they were born and through that, the story of me.
"To other people it might be non-traditional but to her [Eleanor] it is totally ordinary. The only thing she says it that it is an exciting family."
What do you think of Eleanor's family arrangement?
Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
John Pinters, Radcliffe, Manchester (20/04/2004 at 13:45)
Nick Laird, Glasgow (20/04/2004 at 14:59)
Nikki, 24., Lincolnshire (20/04/2004 at 15:02)
E, Manchester (20/04/2004 at 15:15)
Jessica Lauren, Dalston, London (20/04/2004 at 15:18)
Yours,
Jessica Lauren
Mrs Ma........ (please accept lack of full name), Chorlton, Manchester (20/04/2004 at 15:35)
It was very couragous of Dr Whittle and his family to ''come out'' so many years ago. The 2 automatic gender choices that are made at birth are not always matching a person's brain identity and true self from childhood throughout life.
It is a ''normal'' family like his that educates the UK and the world not to be selfishly predujice thinking, ''I'm OK Jack''.
Mrs Ma
Nicki, Bristol (but ex Cheadle) (20/04/2004 at 15:38)
Nicki, Bristol (20/04/2004 at 16:12)
But doesn't this story prove exactly the opposite of 'To offer a hundred and one diverse concepts of marriage and famil life which deviate from the natural law will only lead to a break down of society and moral confusion.' ?
Helen, Salford (20/04/2004 at 16:37)
Contrary to some misconceptions research has demonstrated that being brought up in "unusual" families does not adversely affect children. Indeed, it has shown that children brought up by loving gay couples are actually better balanced than those from some more "normal" families. I have no doubt that similar results would be found from families where one or both parents are TS.
Apart from anything else, such families teach the children to be comfortable with themselves.
Mr Pinter claims that "diverse" families such as the Whittles lead to moral confusion and breakdown of society. That's untrue. The biggest problems in the world are caused by intolerance - and a greater acceptance of diversity will lead to a far better society. Sadly there are those who fear change and see "difference" as threatening their own comfortable lifestyles.
Helen
Chair, Inner Enigma TS Support Group, Manchester
Tina Livingstone, Southampton (20/04/2004 at 17:22)
Mrs Tina Livingstone, Southampton (20/04/2004 at 18:12)
Frances Simister, Hulme, manchester (20/04/2004 at 18:43)
Karen Alletson Mrs, Fleet Hampshire (20/04/2004 at 19:04)
They are not an ordinary family, they are extraordinary in every best way.
If you visit, you will feel the love and joy they hold for each other. you will see a well balanced honest good British family, with real family values.
Look and learn.
helen, Salford (20/04/2004 at 22:22)
I'm saddened that individuals like Mr Pinter take the view that "difference" threatens society and causes moral confusion. The reality is that lack of tolerance of difference is what causes the serious problems in the world, not the diversity itself.
In fact there is evidence that children brought up in "unusual" family settings end up being much more well balanced - rather than having been "damaged" by that process.
As far as a system that "has worked for a thousand years" is concerned, hasn't Mr Pinter looked at the divorce statistics recently? There are plenty of "conventional" families where the partners are at loggerheads that produce maladjusted children. Is that better for the child than a happy, but unconventional, relationship?
Helen
Chair, Inner Enigma TS Support Group, Manchester
Clare Steen, ISLE OF WIGHT (20/04/2004 at 22:30)
Jaime Rook, Palm Springs, California, U.S.A. (20/04/2004 at 22:55)
Mari, Arizona - USA (21/04/2004 at 01:54)
Bless You too Dr. & Mrs. Whittle! You are graced by God ! I miss being in England too ! I love everthing about it !
thank You
Mari
Daisy, Isle of Wight (21/04/2004 at 11:11)
Jane Lancaster, Toxteth, Liverpool (21/04/2004 at 11:58)
Surley a perfectly reasonable point.
Furthermore, I am interested to read that Helen seems to have statistics at her fingertips proving that children are more well balanced when coming from 'unconventional' family units than those from the traditional set up where there is a natural father and mother. What exactly are these statistics and how on earth does she measure such nebulous categories as 'well-balanced' and 'damaged'?
Finally her cheap jibe concerning the divorce statistics cannot go unchallenged. True Britain does have the highest divorce rate in Europe, but that does not prove that marriage itself is wrong. Indeed it is interesting that the failure rate of marriages between couples who have cohabited before marriage is significantly higher than that between couples who do not cohabit. There's a statistic for you, Helen. Chew on that!!
The Reverend Laurence J Roberts, London, ex-Liverpool! (21/04/2004 at 12:38)
Ifelt moved to tears reading of their loving family, which has thrived against the odds, in a bigted society-esoecially in the bad old days, when Stephen first courageously 'took-on' the prejudices.
I know I experienced difficulty around people's reactions to my feminine side, in the 50s, and then later, on realising I am gay. Yet now, of course 'my femininity' is (and is seen as) a great assett in my work !
My partner and I are very lucky, having been together, for over 30 years, and seeing the Uk and a few other countries edging towards becoming more sensitive, caring and diverse.
The creative, human(e) possibilities are tremdous , as we embrace sexual and gender diversity. Here's to all our trans friends bring our communities ! Here's to the diversity, truly within each one of us--whatever our birth certifates say !!
Laurence Roberts
Jungian psychotherapist
Caitriona Collins, Limerick City, Ireland (21/04/2004 at 14:28)
Sarah, Hulme (21/04/2004 at 16:38)
beth, lake forest,ca (22/04/2004 at 08:00)
John Pinter, Radcliffe, Manchester (22/04/2004 at 10:08)
Kate Jones-Davies, cardiff (22/04/2004 at 10:33)