Mom Defends Boys Who Like Pink With Viral #StillABoy Campaign
My 5-year-old son rocked "Pink Out" day at school. He wore pink sweatpants and a hot pink v-neck tee. He loved his outfit so much that pink is now his "new favorite color". I mean, how fun is this shirt?
But being a kid can never be that easy. And the moment we reached the bus stop the morning of Pink Out day, I knew Eli would have a rough day at school. I felt awkward stares from the other parents and kids. One dad said to me, "Oh, he's actually wearing pink?"
I wanted to punch him in the face. Instead I responded the only way I could, passive aggressively: "Yes, Eli loves pink. He's secure with his masculinity."
Eli later told me he was the only boy in his class to wear pink that day.
It's not just the color pink that ostracizes boys. Dolls, cute animals, flowers, and hugs are all considered "girl things", apparently. Last I checked, hugging feels good and puppies are freaking adorable. If you don't agree, you're not human.
In that spirit, mom Martine Zoer launched Quirkie Kids, a super-cool clothing line offering pink t-shirts for both girls and boys. Almost immediately, Zoer's message was criticized, and her shirts were accused of "robbing kids of their gender."
So Zoer responded in the best possible way: She created the now-viral #StillABoy campaign, and launched an adorable Instagram page to accompany it.
Instagram users can submit photos of boys wearing whatever they like, regardless how "girly". Zoer, a mom of two young boys, hopes to redefine masculinity and destroy gender stereotypes.
"No kid should be teased for what they wear!" she told The Huffington Post. "Though tradition tells us boys are made of 'snips, snails, and puppy dog tails,' the mom said, "boys can also be sweet and kind and caring. And yes! A boy who likes pink or plays with dolls is #StillABoy."
The Quirkie Kids Facebook page adds, "Some boys like pink and why not? Pink is just a color and so is green, and blue, and yellow."
And because gender stereotypes aren't exclusive to boys, Zoer created a #StillAGirl Instagram for all the dino-loving, monster-truck smashing, tree-climbing girls out there.
Eli still wears pink shirts to school. I know he gets teased, and the thought of it breaks my heart. But he's way stronger than I am. One day I asked what his friends thought of his pink shirt. His response? "It doesn't matter what they think, mom. It only matters what I think."
Yep, he's going to be fine.
[via HuffPost Parents]
