How will this work then?

I think people here are getting"sex" mixed up with "gender". Biological sex is determined by the XX or XY chromosomes ( in most cases) whereas gender is considered to be the social characteristics of masculine and feminine behaviour. A gender neutral upbringing is surely a good thing, and would mean a boy or girl would have the same opportunities to develop their own interests , without the pressure of the pink/ blue stuff which is so prevalent these days. However, I think it would be hard to do beyond the age of about 2, as by then the child becomes aware of the world around and will begin to appreciate the differences between themselves and others, they'd soon learn their biological sex when mixing with other children who hadn't had the same experience. You'd have to keep the child in isolation to really achieve a gender neutral childhood. I'm not sure that would be a good thing.

I watched that programme. He was definitely kidding I think.

Just taken my 3 year old DGD to town and the only shop she wanted to go in was Clare's Accessories - row upon row of pink sparkly things for hair, ears etc. She looked as though she was in heaven! It was a job to tear her away. Not nurture - her Mum is only ever seen in jeans or leggings in black or navy blue.

What will he do if he has a DD who does that?

I saw Russell Brand talking about this on The Jonothan Ross show. I think a lot of what he says is a wind up and he succeeds in that.
Slightly ashamed to admit that I find him quite funny.

I suspect he may be projecting his own gender issues onto the child.

I find nothing wrong in this thought, if it is indeed true. Most children aim to please so if we give them a set of values, good or bad, that is what they live by. I remember my son pre-school saying he'd seen a Barbie on TV and that's what he wanted for Xmas. Few months later, he was at school and early peer pressure meant he never went near a doll again. Which I think is sad. Why shouldn't males embrace their feminine side and vice versa. Girls and women playing football,and rugby was not so long ago considered shocking. Turns out they're rather good at it.

Many parents try to avoid gender stereotyping and encourage their children to explore all kinds of interests /toys/ games/ clothes and not limit these to 'accepted norms'.
If that is what RB meant by gender neutral then all power to his elbow, when and if he becomes a parent.

If he means trying to avoid the child identifying as a boy/girl, he/she then that is a bit more tricky!

When about 7 or 8 my girls wore badges, that they made, saying 'Girls are Powerful' & Girls can do anything'

Don't forget that in the past all babies wore dresses until they were about 5! I used to get hand-me-downs from my male cousin, (clothes were in short supply after the war) but I never had any doubt that I was a girl!

A boy is a boy, and a girl is a girl. If we don't know the difference the human race would die out.

Exactly Ilovegoldfish .

I think it's fashionable to pretend there is no difference

Gilly I don't think anyone is pretending there is no difference.
They just want children to experience life and realise their potential without being constrained by societal expectations which really belong in the last century and the one before that.

And on the whole I don't think that happens any longer jane. But having read the RB interviews (and going on his less than delightful past form) I don't think he just meant that he would be encouraging a positive identity regardless of the childs sex. There is one thing for certain a child of RB ( like all these other so called celebrities) are already 10 steps ahead in life by being born into the celebrity culture and massive amounts of money .

I wonder if he's read "The Wasp Factory" (excuses if this has been mentioned already. The thread has become rather long and repetitive and I haven't read it all through yet)

My DS asked me when I stopped bathing him and his sister together, I said when you first spotted the difference, he was 17. joke

My DGC know what sex they are but equally know they can choose to play with what ever toys/ games they want to, play any sport, music etc. and wear clothes they feel comfortable in and their sex does not determine this. They are of course still influenced by marketing/societal expectations but as a family we have offered a challenge to that. As many families do. However many people still channel children into stereotypical ways of thinking and behaving. Masses of research out there about the language used with boys/girls that guides them to think of themselves in certain ways. Look at the images and word on clothing marketed for boys/girls..it is all contributing to children thinking they should be 'pink' or 'blue' in life!