Free The Boys - by Mab Graves

@mabgraves says: Growing up in a house full of girls, I didn't realize how limiting our society is on little boys- until Ransom was born. Girls can play with anything, wear anything and there's a cute word for it "tomboy". Boys have different rules, and the words used for boys who step over gender lines are not cute or kind. This is outrageously unjust to me, but even more troubling is the message behind it: "being a boy is okay for anybody, but being a girl is shameful and wrong unless you were born that way". When I go to stores with my gentle, rainbow-butterfly loving nephew I am shocked at branding for boys. It seems like EVERY boy shirt is aggressive - like aggression is something we are trying to instill and praise our boys for: snarling dinosaurs, punching superheroes, roaring creatures... Ransom won't wear any of them. The "boys" toy section is much the same. I feel like it's imperative that we change this dialogue. There should be no stark lines - what is acceptable for one child should not be forbidden for another. When @cuddlyrigormortis invited me to be a pat of her @mattel show at @galleries1988 I decided I wanted to pay homage to the creative, passionate boy fans of Mattel's Barbie. You boys make my heart want to pop. "Joys of Toys" opens June 23rd at @galleries1988 in LA - if you can go to the show please take pictures for me!!

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Posted By: Gavriel Discordia