I watched this programme with great interest as I believe that gender stereotyping does have an adverse effect on women in society. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b09202lp/no-more-boys-and-girls-can-our-kids-go-gender-free-series-1-episode-1
There has been a lot of comment about John Lewis removing the gender identity from clothes - no more boys or girls sections - and it was striking the messages that items as simple as a t shirt can give to a child. In the programme the presenter shows parents t shirts with messages on that become progressively more extreme in their message but it is really just a continuation on the theme by reinforcing gender these are the messages that they are subliminally giving their children.
From a young age it is rammed home that boys and girls are different and things as simple as toys can either inhibit or enhance their ability in later life. Boys toys help develop spacial awareness whereas girls don't. This give boys an advantage in jobs such as engineering and architecture. Why does society assume boys are better at maths and girls at english?
Boys have to be tough. They don't cry. Girls are soft and sensitive. No wonder men grow up finding it hard to express emotion, bottling everything up.
Thinking back to my childhood I remember being jealous of my sister. My mum used to make pretty clothes for her dancing and spend far more time with her going to show. Maybe my experimenting with girls clothes was me subconsciously thinking that if I dressed as a girl I'd get the same attention. Obviously this was before any sexual motivation but maybe the die was set. bottled up emotions - I guess that's why so many crossdressers talk about the stress relief gained from dressing.
Thinking back to my childhood I remember being jealous of my sister. My mum used to make pretty clothes for her dancing and spend far more time with her going to shoew. Maybe my experimenting with girls clothes was me subconsiously thinking that if I dressed as a girl I'd get the same attention. Obvioulsly this was before any sexual motivation but maybe the die was set.
As I've said before I was told that dressing in girls clothes was wrong which drove it to being a secret. Had my early years been gender neutral then maybe the need to crossdress may never have surfaced.
I guess we'll never know but treating boys and girls equally and not putting them into gender boxes must help them become more rounded individuals.
Katie
I can understand how dressing as a woman can reinforce these gender sterotypes. Making clothing gender neutral gives everyone more choice and doesn't put everyone in boxes. It doesn't mean boys should wear dressess but why shoudln't they wear pink?
Some interesting reads.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/oct/23/descent-of-man-masculinity-grayson-perry-review-a-mans-man-is-yesterdays-hero-gender-role
http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/feminism/2017/09/why-are-social-conservatives-so-triggered-john-lewiss-gender-neutral-kids
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/sep/06/men-joining-feminist-conversation-toxic-masculinity-chris-hemmings-robert-webb
I know you mentioned crossdressers.com in a previous post and one thing that I read on there that really annoys me is the men who say they're happy to do the housework if their wife lets them dress up to do it!
Being a woman is seen as being subserviant by many men even to the extent that being called a woman or girl is considered an insult. How often do you hear a boy being told he 'kicks/throws like a girl'? I watched our women footballer and cricket players over the summer and if I could kick and throw a ball as well as some of them I'd be happy.
Katie
I resent gender and the limits it places on us all. I actually think my dislike if it is partly why I hate my husbands dressing. I feel like he's reinforcing these inane stereotypes.
But that said, I also believe he too was jealous of his sister. His father was s bit of s loser and never around, so the parent who gave all the love and attention was his mother, and while she doted on them both he was basically raised in a female environment and yet not really a part of it, and his sister was. He craved to be part of it and have the same attention and I know this played a part in why he now crossdresses, but my husband isn't really a deep thinker about this stuff so he'd be like 'whatever, I just like it.' He's really not very introspective lol.
I prefer to know more about myself.
Anyway, I see a definite connection, Katie. I think you're definitely onto something.