What do you tell a child when they ask why a "woman" sounds and looks like a man?

Question

We were at a department store today and a sales "lady" was at the counter. This man was in drag.

Answer 1

This is a great opportunity to prevent your child from growing into a judgemental adult. Just tell your child that all people are different, and we are to respect them all. You might even tell your child that some people do not identify as the same gender as their biological sex, and that it is okay that they don't. They are still people just like anyone else.

Answer 2

"Not every woman looks and sounds the same, honey." Simple, direct, to the point. If this person is dressed in drag to work, she probably thinks of herself as a woman, and she'll certainly know plenty about makeup, so just be nice.

If the child persists, tell him/her that some men want to be women, and some women want to be men. You don't need to go into more detail than that.

Answer 3

I would tell the child "I don't know, but you're right. She sounded pretty weird to me too!" Depending on how old the child is, they may be ready for some cross dressing humor...LOL. Just keep it age appropriate.

Answer 4

Tell them that the man forgot to take off his Halloween costume.