The debate about gender equality is a heated one, and it’s something a lot of people are talking about. The focus of the debate seems to be on females for the most part. Everyone is worried about how people are talking to women, what’s acceptable for women and what isn’t, and how women feel about the way the world looks at them.
These are all good things to talk about, but how is the world treating boys?
Are boys not also being held up to ridiculous standards? Are they not stereotyped? Boys are constantly told that they need to be big, strong, and athletic. They’re told to do whatever it takes to support their families. One mom says that this isn’t fair, and she wants people to open their eyes.
Marya Markovich posted on Motherwell about her sons and how the world sees them.
She explained how she has noticed a trend in the hobbies that boys should have, and she isn’t happy about it. She explained that her boys have a lot of different interests other than sports and hunting, and she wants everyone to know that it’s OK.
Marya said:
“If I showed you a list of my sons’ collective interests and you had to guess their gender, you’d waver a bit, but then choose girl. They include baking, reading, drawing, holidays, films, volleyball, cute mammals, video games, babies and toddlers, reading, travel, writing letters. I imagine many of you are thinking at this point: That’s awesome that your boys are interested in those things! There’s more. One loves comics and graphic novels but gravitates to stories with strong female protagonists, like Ms. Marvel and The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl.”
Marya says that most people don’t openly say that it’s not right for boys to like things that are considered feminine, but they almost always think about it.
Marya went on to talk about how one of the first questions that people ask young boys is what sport they play. When a boy doesn’t play a sport, these people seemed shocked. This implies that all boys should like sports. She also added that one of her sons enjoys figure skating with her daughter. When people find out her daughter skates, they think it is great, but when she tells them her son does, as well, she gets a different reaction.
Marya wants everyone to realize that boys have the right to do and love anything they want, just like girls.
We empower girls and tell them they can do things that are traditionally considered to be for boys. But when boys do things that are traditionally considered to be for girls, we put them down for it and tell them they are not manly.
Marya said:
“The interdependent yin and yang of gender is a fundamental part of who we are, individually and collectively. We need people who like to fix cars and people who like to fix dinner. We need people who are willing and able to fight if needed and people who are exquisitely tuned into a baby’s needs. But for millennia, we have forced these traits to align with biological sex, causing countless individuals to be dissatisfied and diminished. For the most part, we’ve recognized this with girls. But we have a long way to go when it comes to boys. As Gloria Steinem observed, ‘We’ve begun to raise daughters more like sons … but few have the courage to raise our sons more like our daughters.’”
In the end, we all want our kids to be happy.
The best way to do that is to let them be themselves. The world is changing, and gender roles are becoming a thing of the past. That has to go for both genders. We support that women can be construction workers, athletes, and even president, so isn’t it time that we accept that men can be loving parents, great cooks, and ballet dancers? We need to change the way we talk to boys, so that they can learn to be confident in themselves as men.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
