As a child I was always made fun of. Not because I was shy or socially awkward, but because I played with Barbies. You see, when we were younger, our parents, teachers and the media taught us the differences between genders. Before we even hit puberty, we already classified what was normal and abnormal for our respective genders.
My parents always had high hopes for me; they would buy me action figures, hot wheels, train sets, and what not. I was, on the other hand, introduced to Barbie and spent plenty of time in her Malibu Dream House. My parents always dreamed of having a little soldier or hoped I would have some sort of high socio-economic career, but they got a drag queen who wears six inch pumps instead.
Now, many of us stare at the television and computer screen as if it were connected to our faces, and we all know that we are somewhat influenced by this media. However, we are more influenced by the media than we think, especially when it comes to gender differences.
Just the other day I was in one of my communications courses, and my professor showed us a commercial for "Lady Speed Stick." This commercial came out in the late ‘70s when female empowerment took the attention of a great amount of the population. According to Lady Speed Stick women needed a deodorant that "Protects you like a man. Treats you like a woman." This commercial made claims that women were delicate and that men's deodorant was too harsh for them. We have become so attached to the idea of gender differences that we have even gone as low as differentiating scents to specific genders.
Many things are separated into gender classifications; one that I really want to talk about is fashion. In the United States, a clear gap between male clothing and female clothing is recognized. For example, there is this stigma that women and women only are required to wear heels The last time I checked, I was a male, but I can walk in heels better than some females can.
Another ideal fashion issue that gets to me is the adolescent's idea of attractive wear. From my personal analysis, I've come to realize that the less clothes that a young lady wears is perceived as far more pleasing to look at. This is ridiculous; thanks to this idea, we have people going out to clubs and parties wearing hardly anything.
As for males, the concept of masculinity is prevalent in the fashion industry here in the U.S. In Europe and Asia men, can be seen wearing bags around their shoulders, wearing jewelry or even tighter clothing. Yet we commonly think that loose, baggy clothing is the ideal fashionable style for males, and when someone doesn't dress in this hyper-masculine style, they are deemed homosexual.
I am proud to call myself a "Ladyboy," which means that I possess qualities that encompass both masculinity and femininity, not based solely on the fact that I perform as a drag queen. We should all be comfortable with ourselves and in the skin we're in. So what if I like to wear dresses and pumps? I look beautiful and feel beautiful, so that's all that matters. As long as you feel strong about whom you are, it doesn't matter how people perceive you.
The social stigmas of your specific gender should not matter at all. We should all live in a gender neutral climate where people won't be judged on the manner in which they hold themselves. I know this is a wish that may never come true, but for those of you who are told you can't do something or are made fun of for being different because of your gender, I have one thing to say: You better work because you don't have to fit what society has placed you in; all you have to fit into is what you want to fit into as an individual.
So ladies, if you feel like throwing on a pair of loose-fitting jeans and a baggy shirt, by all means, go for it. I bet you'll still look fierce. Gentlemen, if you feel like carrying a bag due to convenience or even wear more form-fitting clothes, go for it. Don't do what everyone else thinks is right; be unique. Go forth and prosper from being the fantastic person you are.
