When parents first find out the gender of their baby, they automatically start to characterize the objects they buy based on that gender. They start to decorate the nursery in certain colors and a common theme they believe matches the sex of the baby. The most common representation for girls is pink and for boys is blue. Even a non-blue and a non-pink theme, such as a jungle, can still reflect the gender identity of the child based on the undertones of femininity or masculinity. This common theme of adults assuming what they believe is appropriate for a girl or boy will continue throughout the child’s life and will affect his or her views on acceptable gender roles and gender behavior.
As a child, I did not fully understand my gender identity or
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Before Mr. Rich, she allowed me a lot of freedom as it relates to what clothes and shoes I wore and what toys I played with. If I wanted to play football or action figures with my cousins or wear “boy” shoes, my mom let me. When I asked her about it while writing this paper, she simply said “You may have a vagina, but you are not just a girl. You are a person who has different interests. If I am going to spend money on clothes and shoes, I will buy the things you will actually wear instead of wasting my money. It will get spent anyway. When it comes to playing and hanging with the guys, you grew up around them, not girls, but don’t let someone change you to fit in their box so that they feel comfortable. Make them adjust to you. If they do not like it, screw them.” While Mr. Rich’s words and actions caused me to be more thoughtful and conscious about what other people thought of me for a season, my mother’s words caused me to be more thoughtful and conscious of my own thoughts and wants for my whole life. Because of her, I feel as if my gender identity can never be