“Pink is for girls and blue is for boys.”
When people think of gender roles, the most general of viewpoints stems from this very ideology.
Did you know? The phrase used to be the opposite: “Blue is for girls and pink is for boys” roughly until the 1940’s.
Starting at young ages, most of us were taught to believe there are strict binaries in which males and females must fall in, lest they face consequences due to living a life of what is seen as non-conformity. Even today, there is still a stigma running rampant in which insists that women must act and present themselves a certain way, as well as men (although, statistically, women get the shorter end of the stick in comparison).
With a relatively recent breakthrough in gender stereotypes (both relating to the LGBT community and otherwise), many people, most apparent in North America and parts of Europe, have broken the barrier. With said barriers being broken, it makes a statement by saying “Dress and act the way that makes you happiest.” and “Don’t let gender roles or stereotypes dictate how you present yourself”.
When one takes the time to think about it, there is nothing inherently wrong with men wearing lipstick, women dressing in a traditionally masculine way, or other situations of a similar nature. By evaluating these situations, it is clear no one is actually being hurt, and if anything, it opens doors to a whole new view of the world and to people themselves. By expanding the horizon in which people can present themselves, people can better understand themselves and potentially learn more about themselves.
Has there ever been a time where you have contemplating buying/using/wearing/etc. something, but were deterred due to that something being viewed as “for men” or “for women”? Chances are, you have, just like millions of other people throughout the world. While gender roles, societal standards, and stereotypes can often play a role in impacting one’s interest towards things, it is basically impossible to condition one to lack interest in things that appeal to them regardless of labels.
It is important to note that, while many people who do not conform to traditional gender roles are part of the LGBT community, one does not necessarily have to fall into any of those categories if they do not conform to those gender roles. In other words, for example, a heterosexual male may wear nail polish, but that does not define or call in to question his sexuality, gender, or romantic orientation.
So next time you go shopping and you see something appealing that may not conform to what is seen as the norm, go purchase it! There’s no harm in trying new things, and you may better understand yourself after opening up to new ideas and experiences.
nbm5100 says
Society’s expectations about how men and women are supposed to look is the worst. I really like that you did a post about this topic, especially because there have been many instances of little kids going against society’s standards recently. Also, I like that you said “no one is actually being hurt”. If only more people got that our society would maybe function a bit better.