All Decked Out and Going Nowhere

Why is it that it is the men in floor length dresses and fabulous headgear who are most vehemently opposed to homosexuals?
Are they feeling territorial?

Come on, lets get the boys in Queer Eye for the Straight Guy to redecorate the Vatican (a little extra spot lighting wouldn't hurt there, it's kind of dark in the corners). Give the new Pope some spiffy ways to combine all that red and gold, instructions on what NOT to say in public, like: "Yah, I whas in Ze Hitlerjugend", "Feminists are Zeer Evil" or "Ze only ones who are going to Heafen are my buddies and me, Ze rest of you are Doomed"- as these are things that just don't go over well in 2005 - and lastly, teach him to use hair product.

Hey, I'm all for men in skirts, but these Vatican guys just don't have the right attitude to go with it.

Fairy Tale

What I really wanted to do was to buy the hideous pink t-shirt that said "I'm a Fairy".
But giving this particular t-shirt to this particular 1 year old boy would have been pointless.
Not only because his parents are really not the kind of people who need my self righteous gender lesson - after all the father is on a six month paternity leave - but because the point, I fear, would have been lost upon just about everyone.
And, really, a birthday present should never be about making a point, a gift should always be joyous and heartfelt.

It is just sad that little boys are not allowed to be fairies, they can only be mythical creatures if they are valiant and kill someone in the process. At the same time, we all know that a boy who is a fairy is gay - oh! The Horror! Personally I would rather my son turn out to be gay than a murderer, but hey that is just me.

The socially constructed gender categorizes children before they can even say their own name. Girls are sweet and soft, boys are rough and tumble and that is the way it should be. Except, are they?
When I was four years old there was a real bully, Benjamin, in my kinder garten who told me that girls could not wear jeans nor watch McCloud. Up until that moment I hadn't really thought about either one of those options. Luckily, I felt that there was something bogus about his statement and decided to ask my mother if he was right.
My mother, having read and re-read Pippi Longstocking out loud to me, was justifiably horrified and, despite our dismal finances, swiftly bought me a pair of jeans. Also, I was allowed to stay up and watch McCloud, but I think I fell asleep.

29 years later, I find myself perfectly capable of handling a power drill, I singlehandedly painted our living room with the 13ft high ceilings and built a functional albeit unsightly desk.
But what if my mother had said: "Yes, Benjamin is right, girls cannot wear jeans."
Would I have grown up thinking that there are things that a girl cannot wear? Would I have thought that there are things that girls cannot do? What are the things we tell little boys they shouldn't do or wear? Why?

Incidentally I ended up knitting a beanie and printing a t-shirt with cuddly little bunnies for the boy. Now, if I could just teach The Husband to knit we could make all the Christmas gifts this year...It may be April but it is never too early to start planning I say...