Whether you were born a girl or are transitioning to become one, the world will always be different for you. People will look at you differently if you aren’t what they typically expect. People will expect various things from you because you are a girl. People will also assume things about you because you are a girl. What is up with all these assumptions and misconceptions that are based solely on the fact that I am a girl?

Anywhere you go, no matter what you are doing, people will see you differently because you are a girl. The crazy thing is shopping (and I don’t just mean like clothing and shoe shopping). If I go to the store and pick up ice cream, fried chicken, oranges, lemons, a new $9 razor, shampoo, and box of 18 tampons (for $6.79), the first thought that runs through my mind at check out is “will this cashier think that I’m having period cravings or that I’m on my period?” I really shouldn’t have to worry about this, but I still do - everywhere and anywhere that I go. Now if I go clothes shopping and want to buy a new dress (just as a “treat yo'self), the lady helping me might ask “oh, cute date tonight?” When in reality, I’m picking up a new dress to wear for a really important interview. If you are hanging out with a guy friend, people think that you’re dating just because you’re spending one on one time with each other, but really you’re just hanging out, watching a movie, and eating pizza.

Expectations between sexes are also completely different. By the time woman reach a certain age, we are expected to “have it all.” But what does that even mean? What if by the time I am 26, I honestly don’t “have it all” and haven’t done what I’ve wanted to do by that age? As a society we need to start redefining what we want our woman to have. We are expected to get a college degree, have a successful career, get married once, and have lots of kids. Well what if I get my college degree, have to switch my career choices a few times, get married and see that the guy isn’t for me, get a divorce, and then am stuck with raising three kids on my own? What would society think of me then, even if all of my life choices have made me who I am and make me truly happy?

Assumptions are very real in this 21st century with everything that is on social media. If a girl posts a picture with multiple guys surrounding her, she is again labeled as a slut - just because she has lots of “guy” friends. If a girl wears a lot of make up, others assume that she is doing it to please someone else, when in reality, she just really likes make up. If a girl wears too little clothing and shows too much cleavage, she is still considered a slut because people think that she just wants attention - well maybe she is really confident in her own skin and wants to show off what she can. Did you know that most guys think that all girls do during sleep overs is have pillow fights in our underwear? Well, newsflash to guys who still think, expect, and assume that: girls really just share period/sex stories, watch movies, and eat a lot of ice cream and popcorn.

Now here is something major to think about:

The other night my best friend brought up the issue of woman and sex. This stood out to me because sex is a natural thing for someone to want, so why would the combination of the two things be such a bad thing. In today’s world, numbers matter - and by numbers I mean the number of men (or women) that someone has dated. I would automatically be labeled as a slut or a whore if I have been with ten (or less or more) guys. But for boys/men/guys if they are with that same number of people, they are just “getting experience.” But where would they get that experience if young woman are still expected to be virgins when they get married?

When I say that it’s different for girls, it really is different for girls. If you’re a guy who is reading this, just ask your closest girl friend if it’s true and she probably will say that it is. If you’re a girl who is reading this, I hope that you can agree with me on this because it’s sure as hell how I see being a girl who is growing up in today’s world. Just because you are a girl, does not mean that you need to let the world treat you in a way that you don’t want to be treated. So what if you want to go buy just a box a condoms? Buy them, you may be the one who’s actually prepared. So what if you’re winged eye liner is on point? Don’t let anyone stop you, rock that look! So what?! Just be the girl and woman that you want to be and don’t let anyone or anything get in your way.