Doing Gender - my experiences as a tomboy

Persistently having traditional values pressed on me, I felt the need to rebel at a young age. I often went to my neighbours’ house to play with their son and his Ninja Turtle action figures. Trying to avoid becoming the parents of a “tomboy”, my parents entered me into dress fashion shows my babysitter hosted. Eventually, without my consent, I was even placed in to ballet and figure skating lessons. I remember fighting every night with my parents, kicking and screaming, squirming out of my costumes. Even though this revolt of mine was happening, my parents were still persistent on denying me my choice of individuality. Later on my sister, who was in her teen years at the time, simply asked my parents why I couldn’t watch Power Rangers or Ninja Turtles. As you could guess, they didn’t have a real answer. How could they? Society had pushed morals on them through first time parenting books with my sister, to the media depicting values of gender.

Today, I don’t blame my parents for trying to raise me the way they did. Eventually I was allowed to become my own person. An individual they are proud to call their daughter. To me, gender is fluid. Sometimes we feel male, and sometimes female. Often, we're someplace in between... or else we're both or neither. Whatever we choose shouldn’t matter, societies programmed reaction shouldn’t bother us. Becoming a free thinking individual is one of the most liberating emotions anyone can feel. I encourage everyone to at least try putting down the judgmental lens, and accept people for who they are.