Care to elaborate?

They've made a determination that supporting their sociological viewpoints is more important than the high potential of social integration issues that will likely come from having raised their child that way. When you prioritize your opinions on social issues ahead of the welfare of your child, to that child's enduring detriment, that's definitely bad parenting. And, depending on who you ask, could be considered abusive.

"... couple that forces their boy to ..."

Is that sufficient?

"...eat their vegetables"

is that abuse?

Do you really want me to explain to you why those are different scenarios? Would you think that it's child abuse if the parents made their kid wear a gimp suit with a gag ball? Also would you think it was abuse if they made the kid undergo some hormone therapy?

You don't need me to explain to you why your examples are completely different scenarios than letting your (male) child play with dolls or wear dresses, right? Please find some better examples if you are interested in a constructive discussion and you are not on some kind of crusade about your idea of parenting.

We weren't talking about letting but about forcing.

Forcing children to wear clothes is normal, and the style shouldn't matter as long as they are fitting and such.

I don't think you can really 'force' a child to play, so I discount the part about playing with dolls being potentially 'abusive'.

> "the style shouldn't matter"

While I certainly advocate that parents have the right to dress their kids in varied styles, I would highly advise against certain styles. "It doesn't matter" perhaps legally, but it does matter socially. (I work in an inner city school; I'm aware of at least two serious suicide comments by kids whose ages are in the single digits, at least partly due to social status.)

>Do you really want me to explain to you why those are different scenarios?

I basically agree with you. But, please do it anyway. It could be interesting.

Depends on what 'forces' means exactly in this case.