RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – A Raleigh family is fighting a battle to break gender stereotypes. They want to bring awareness to children they call gender creative, like their 10-year-old son.

“They have to say boys do this and girls do that, and that’s the way it has to be but not with me,” said Charles Sirois, 10.

Like most young boys, he enjoys marbles, trading cards and playing ball in the house. But Charles also likes dresses, beads and baby dolls.

He said he’s lost a lot of friends this year because of it.

“Sometimes people can be really mean and tell you you’re so weird because you wear girls stuff and play with girls stuff,” he said.

Charles’ parents say they accepted their son’s uniqueness a long time ago, but kids are not the same. They call him names and have even started calling their son “gay.”

But his parents say the last thing on his mind is sexual identity. Instead, they say he is gender creative.

“We just want a better world for him,” his mother said.

“We want to create awareness of gender equality,” his father said. “He is a ten-year-old boy who likes to wear a dress. Who cares?”

Charles said he’d rather be who he is and deal with the torment than pretend to be something he is not.

“I’m not going to let these people judge me,” he said.

Charles’ parents say they are working with the LGBT Center in Raleigh to build awareness for gender creative children – and trying to create organized play dates for kids in our area who are gender creative.