Why do we gender inanimate objects?

"Oh, that bag is for men."
"Didn't you know that makeup was for women?"

I mean really, there are pens and lotions and tissues out there that have the words "For Men" or "For Women" plastered across them, warning all those who approach that if they are the opposite sex and pick up this product, their penis/vagina will fall off and they will become some form of weird, anthropomorphic being that's definitely probably a monster. (Please don't be offended, I'm just stating opinions).

What, exactly, is the point?

Other than to say "Hey, we're trying to pander to two different demographics"?

For example, yesterday afternoon I was sitting on the bed with my mom, idly talking to her as I scrolled through Amazon to look for a bag that I could use to carry around from place to place. Now, I'm not the type of girl that carries around purses and handbags for stuff that she doesn't need, and I would much rather carry around a full backpack rather than something that could barely hold a pencil or a notebook. Well, eventually I found a nice leather messenger bag that had a few pouches and places to put a multitude of things, plus I would be able to wear it slung across my hips which would help my never-ending back problems that I've been having. It was nice and kind of rustic looking, which made me happy (I've always liked stuff like that, ever since I was a young kid. I always loved antique shops, but I digress). With Christmas coming up soon and my mom's extensive knowledge of how to order things online (I'm looking at you, dad), I figured that I would show it to her so that she would know which one would be on my list.

"But that's for boys!"

I've heard this same phrase or variations thereof pretty much all of my life, but for some reason this time it rubbed me in a way that ensured I wouldn't be able to keep my mouth shut.

"What does it matter? Why does it matter that it's for boys?"

And really, what does it matter? Who is to stop me or anyone else from shopping in the men's section of Wal-Mart, or Target, or K-Mart? In what way does it affect the people around me if I'm wearing a t-shirt or a pair of shorts that I dug out of the men's section?

I am just so tired of seeing little boys pick up Barbie dolls, or watching little girls pick up footballs, and then having to hear their parents tell them to "put it back and get something that a boy/girl would get". What does it matter if your son wants to play with dolls, or your daughter wants to play football? Either way, they are going to be living, breathing human beings, and the bias needs to end. What you are telling your children is that they should conform to the standards set forth by society and that they shouldn't be who they want to be. It's a depressing, oppressive form of bias, and I won't stand for it because once you start teaching your child one thing, it will carry on with them for the rest of their lives.

So yes, if I ever eventually have children, they can have or do whatever they want, even if it's not "normal". I'm not going to force my kids into changing their views and opinions just because it doesn't suit my own tastes.