I felt I had to write something about this subject. Don't get me wrong, I'm not into all that feminism extremist thinking, I've just been getting a bit fed up lately! To start with, a friend of mine told me about her seven year old daughter who recently decided to have her hair cut short and layered all over. She is a very strong character and just decided she wanted a change, and less hassle. She is now the only girl in 4 classes to have short hair but her friends commented on how nice it looks and she is happy with her decision.
However, some children at her school have begun to say that she looks like a boy from behind and that she is "gay". What is all that about then? These kids are six and seven years old, what kind of upbringing have they had that they think it's ok to use such words as an insult? I know kids are kids and can sometimes be cruel without realising how horrible they are being, but how come in this day and age, it is still considered abnormal for a girl to have short hair? I just don't get it!
Also, how come it is so difficult to find baby girls clothes that are blue? Why do people still think blue is only for boys? Some babies just suit blue, even girls, and surely nowadays it should be possible to get whatever colour you want for your baby regardless of their sex. Even when the aforementioned girl previously had short hair, when she was 4, she was mistaken for a boy even though she was wearing a blue dress! Men wear a lot of pink these days, it's the fashion and not every bloke who wears pink is feminine, so why haven't the stereotypes changed for kids?
When I was a teenager I decided to get my hair shaved into a Mohican. It was not the best choice I ever made and I admit, a lot of people thought I was a bloke, but it was my choice. I had had enough of my long, curly hair and wanted something with less maintenance. Unfortunately, all I got was insults from college peers. I was called all sorts of names, mostly "dyke" and "lesbian", which incidentally, I am not. I was called all these names just because I had short hair. Once again, I don't get it. Why do people think these things? And why do people think that to be an attractive woman you have to have long hair?
Surely in today's society women should be able to sport short hair and men long hair if they so wish? How come these stereotypes still exist and that people still use them to direct insults at each other? I wish someone could shed some light.
