Let's Put An End To Gender Roles | The Odyssey Online
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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
255
Let's Put An End To Gender Roles
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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