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Let's Put An End To Gender Roles

Live on, and be yourself.

Dominique Ravin

Mar 13, 2016

Centenary College of New Jersey

247

Quinn Dombrowski

Boys cry. Boys hurt. Boys have scars. Boys have pasts. Boys are allowed to express emotion. Boys are allowed to wear pink. Boys are allowed to wear makeup. Boys are allowed to wear nail polish. Boys are allowed to enjoy feminine things. Boys are allowed to have long hair or even dyed hair. Boys are allowed to prefer music over sports. Boys don’t even have to like sports at all. Boys are allowed to pursue careers in fields such as cooking, acting or fashion design. Boys don’t need to have masculine bodies. Boys are allowed to choose not to be sexually active. Boys are allowed to kiss boys. Boys are allowed to prefer personality over appearance.

Girls are allowed to enjoy sports such as wrestling or hockey. Girls are allowed to wear as much or as little makeup as they desire. Girls are allowed to wear absolutely no makeup at all. Girls are allowed to choose not to shave their body hair. Girls are allowed to have short hair or even no hair at all. Girls are allowed to prefer suits over dresses. Girls are allowed to wear baggy clothing. Girls are allowed to have small boobs. Girls are allowed to be masculine. Girls are allowed to curse. Girls are allowed to have tattoos. Girls are allowed to have piercings. Girls are allowed to stand up against their oppressors. Girls are allowed to pleasure themselves. Girls are allowed to openly talk about sex. Girls are allowed to have as many sexual partners as they desire — without feeling ashamed. Girls are allowed to kiss girls. Girls are allowed to say no.

If an individual identifies as a certain gender, then he or she is that gender. Regardless of their behavior or appearance, their identity is valid. Period.

We as a society need to start searching for internal approval rather than external. We are not slaves to society, and we cannot be reduced as such. It would be a complete waste of life to become exact clones of other beings. It is the unfortunate truth that most fall victim to society. We become emotionless robots. We are stripped from our creativity and forced to comply with societal norms. But the truth is, we can rise above it. We are so much more than those meaningless stereotypes which society has placed upon us. We have so much more to offer this world. We must break free from the chains that paralyze us. We have the potential to become such magnificent works of art, but only if we allow ourselves. I refuse to become yet another carbon copy of someone else. I refuse to lose myself.

We are individuals. We are not slaves. We have a voice. It’s time we show the world who we truly are.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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Let's Put An End To Gender Roles

Live on, and be yourself.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

#Adulting is hard.

1. Taking care of yourself when you're sick

2. Making a to-do list

3. Planning your activities around the weather

4. Scheduling your own doctor’s appointments

5. Getting your own toilet paper

6. Making food without needing to ask your mom questions

7. Holding your tongue

8. Saving your paycheck (or your tax refund) to pay your bills

9. Balancing your checkbook

10. Going places alone

11. Packing your own lunches

12. Actually eating your vegetables...on purpose

13. Taking a multivitamin

14. Planning a life after graduation

Sometimes bigger isn't always better.

1. If something happens, everyone knows about it

2. Never getting to be invisible

3. Knowing every single thing about every single person in the town

4. New kids are a big deal

5. It’s hard to make new friends

6. On that note ... the dating pool is even smaller!

7. Teachers are weirdly close to their students

8. It forced you to make friends out of school

"I'm hopeless and awkward and desperate for love"

1. That Time He Tested Out His Flirting Skills and This Happened

2. When He Was Willing to Do Anything to Avoid Confrontation

3. When He Couldn't Handle Awkward, Emotional Situations

4. How He Reacted Whenever His Friends Ignored Him

5. All of the Times He Worried About His Failing Love Life

6. Whenever He Tried to Whip Himself Into Shape

7. How He Handled New People and New Experiences

8. Whenever His Friends Got Annoying, He Was Always the Voice of Reason

9. He Always Knew How to Jam

10. He Finds a Way to Make Any Situation More Fun

No, I can't help you.

1. When a customer wants to return a product, hands you the receipt, where is printed "ALL SALES ARE FINAL" in all caps.

2. Just because you might be having a bad day, and you're in a crappy mood, doesn't make it okay for you to yell at me or be rude to me. I'm a person with feelings, just like you.

3. People refusing to be put on hold when a customer is standing right in front of you. Oh, how I wish I could just hang up on you!

4. Having the same conversations over and over again! To be honest I really don't even want to talk to you right now, or have this fake ass smile on my face!

5. Always having to have a smile on your face. I promise I'm not as happy as I may look!

6. Customers not understanding that sometimes, mistakes happen. I am a human being, we all mess up sometimes!

7. Having the boss from hell, it's their way or the highway! Even though I did my job correctly and efficiently, if I don't do it the exact way you do, I'm a piece of shit.

8. Having coworker who don't help out, who bend the rules just enough to screw you over.

9. Having to be at work after closing because a customer is taking forever and half! Not like I'd like to go home or anything!

10. Having shitty hours and more shifts than you asked for. Just because we don't have enough workers, doesn't mean I want to pick up every shift that you cant cover, oh great boss of mine!

11. Not having time for a social life. It gets old saying, "I can't I have work..." Every day of the week!

12. Having that lazy costumer who can't do anything for themselves... no please I'll get that, it's no problem at all!

It's just my face, I swear.

1. When you meet new people, they automatically assume you hate them or are rude.

2. People are constantly asking you if you're OK.

3. After being friends with someone for a while, they confess to you, "I thought you were so mean when I first met you," or, "I thought you hated me."

4. You get told to smile more, but they don't understand how scary that would be.

5. You're always labeled as seeming "judgy."

6. Passing a friend with your RBF in full force and not realizing you just shot them a death glare.

7. Being sarcastic, but everyone thinks you're outright rude.

8. Not knowing how mean you really look until you see a picture of yourself in resting face.

9. Your apologies never sound sincere because of your emotionless face.

10. Your "mad face" scares you.

11. And, lastly, people are constantly asking you if you are happy or having a good time because you look bored to death.

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