Nolte: Newsom’s Wife Gives Her Boys Dolls, Gender-Swaps Bedtime Stories

California’s first lady, Jennifer Siebel Newsom—who prefers the title “first partner” to emphasize gender-inclusive language—has spoken publicly about how she approaches parenting and gender roles in her household.

In interviews, Siebel Newsom has said she intentionally gives her sons dolls to encourage them to think about caregiving as a shared responsibility. According to her, the goal is to teach that nurturing and caring for others are not activities limited to women, but important skills for everyone to learn.

She has also described changing pronouns while reading stories to her children. For example, when a book features a male protagonist, she sometimes substitutes “she” for “he.” Siebel Newsom says she does this not only for her daughters but also for her sons so they can see women portrayed as central characters in stories and understand that women can lead narratives and be the focus of adventures.

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Gavin Newsom’s wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom says she has tried to deprogram her boys on traditional sex roles by making them play with dolls and gender-swapping the heroes in books she reads to them pic.twitter.com/T78pyBLfps

— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) April 3, 2026

Siebel Newsom has framed these parenting choices as part of a broader effort to challenge traditional gender expectations. She has said that society is at a moment in history where people are re-examining gender roles and trying to move toward a more human-centered understanding of identity and responsibility.

The couple’s children range from their mid-teens to elementary-school age. Siebel Newsom has occasionally discussed family life and her parenting philosophy publicly, often emphasizing empathy, curiosity, and social awareness.

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In 2023 Gavin Newsom did what he called a “Red State” tour and visited Alabama, Florida and a few other red states.

Newsom’s wife said she brought her children to the red states so they could learn about racism, sexism, and bullying first hand. pic.twitter.com/CBx8gfUBc9

— MAZE (@mazemoore) March 29, 2026

In 2023, she also spoke about taking her children on trips to several conservative-leaning states. She said the goal of those trips was to expose them to different parts of the country and to have conversations about issues such as racism, sexism, and bullying. According to Siebel Newsom, she believes these experiences can help children develop empathy and a broader understanding of the challenges people face.

Her comments and parenting approach have drawn mixed reactions. Supporters say her ideas encourage compassion and equality, while critics argue that her views reflect a particular political or cultural perspective that not everyone shares.

Siebel Newsom has said she will continue focusing on her advocacy work and on raising her children with values she believes promote understanding and fairness.