All these tots are neutral

STOCKHOLM (AP) - June 27, 2011

The staff there avoid using words like "him" or "her." They address the 33 kids as "friends," instead of as girls and boys.

Every detail has been planned to avoid categorizing kids by gender -- everything from the color and placement of toys to the choice of books.

A teacher there says, "Society expects girls to be girlie, nice and pretty, and boys to be manly, rough and outgoing." He says the school "gives them a fantastic opportunity to be whoever they want to be."

Some parents worry that things have gone too far. They say an obsession with wiping out gender roles could make the kids confused.

One woman who's a leading voice against what she calls "gender madness" in Sweden says different gender roles aren't a problem -- "as long as they are equally valued."

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