When we were children it was pushed on to us what we should be in to. Boy's clothes are blue and girl's are pink, in Toys R Us there was an aisle for boys with dinosaurs, cars and Power Rangers, and in the girl's aisle they had Barbies, toy prams and My Little Pony. I never quite understood why they were so segregated. A child should be allowed to play what with what they want with out our judgement.
In later life we stepped out of Toys R Us and we were still assumed to be playing with our gender ruled choices. As a teen boy I was expected to kick a football around. This isn't me and never was. Sports are completely lost on me. I am happy for someone who succeeds but don't expect me to watch it. Selfish I know but I prefer to spend my time on something I enjoy.
Growing up I gained a love for fashion, I particularly enjoyed women's fashion. I never wore it and probably never will but I would buy Vogue, Elle and Nylon so I could see it. Its like art for me and I appreciate it on a whole other level than whether I could wear it or not. My music taste isn't particularly masculine, I enjoy female singing voices so much more than a man's and 90% of the concerts I have ever been to have been fronted by a woman. When I am watching TV, the shows I am watching are more likely to have a female lead - I don't know why and to be honest why do I need an answer?
So tell me what makes a man? Someone with a thirst for war? Someone who loves nothing more than a pint and football game? Someone who fights? Someone who doesn't show emotion? I am sorry but that isn't me. These stereotypes are ruining people's lives. We all try to fit something in a box; in society we need to be able to label something before we can accept it as it is. I don't know if its just the way I think (or that fact I don't fit in any particular box) but I don't understand why. In this day and age it is a shame that we can't just let things go. You see a boy playing with a Barbie and it is still weird. You see a girl kicking a football around with a bunch of boys and we call her a tomboy.
I have been blessed in my family life, my parents let me be whoever I wanted to be. Nothing shocks them anymore with me. Just today I was watching a drag queen performing and told my Dad my thoughts on it - no he didn't care about it at all but he still listened. My sister is an avid supporter of football and she doesn't care at all that I would prefer to be reading Vogue. My Mum will come to me for fashion advise because she knows I have an opinion on it. We all just get on with things in our house and gender doesn't rule anything. I would be miserable any other way, and they love me just the way I am.
I think it is impossible to describe what a man should be. You call a man strong? Why isn't a woman? You call a woman beautiful? Why can't a man be? A man should provide for his family - why? Can we not get over this caveman mentality of men hunting and women looking after the home.
So right here right now I am taking a stand. I am a man. I have an adams apple and no ovaries. Who cares what my interests are? I am not choosing what I enjoy to piss any one else off. I don't have a definition for a man or a woman that goes any further than a medical dictionary would. At the end of the day that is the only thing we have in common, whatever we have going on inside of us or sticking out of us doesn't mean we should be any which way.
My name is Craig. I study fashion. I never watch sports. I have seen every episode of America's Next Top Model. I have aspirations to work in female fashion. I like to gossip. People like Sandra Bullock, Beyonce and Taylor Swift are some of my favourite people. I will go clothes shopping with my Mum. I cry at every episode of Grey's Anatomy. I am a man.
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