Pink = Blue

Preview:

"Your body is here to hold the person you are inside it. It doesn’t matter what changes on your body, whether it’s your hair colour, length, if you have a piercing, get a tattoo, whether you break a bone, lose a limb…. who you are will always be who you are. Your body is always changing anyway. How do you know if you’re a girl or a boy? You don’t need to look down to figure it out.

It’s not just that you would feel awkward, it’s the role you’re expected to play, even the name you’re given. I don’t get why people deny transgender as possible, there are lots of things that go wrong when a baby is being developed, what makes you think something like this can’t happen? It’s another physical birth defect. You can’t tell someone who they are inside. You aren’t them. Just like someone can’t tell you who you are. This jumps into the whole “you can’t help the way you are born” so I don’t understand why people think it’s hilarious to point fun at someone who’s unhappy with their body. Or in any situation. And in this one… it’s not just the life I’m living but myself to the core. Unhappy. Looking into the mirror and seeing a completely different person. My whole life. How does one express themselves when they don’t even see themselves?"

                                   (Read more: here)

I came across this a few months back and have had this just sat here waiting to be completed and well, I just didn’t know how to express why this affected me so much, but here goes.

Firstly, it is beautiful writing that I think accurately describes how so many people (not just teens) feel about themselves and everyone else. Me included.

Now I’m not going to sit here and express how I 'understand' what they are going through or anything like that because it is extremely difficult to do that, and I think only someone who is going through it all can truly empathise with them. But I do relate to this SO much, and I think that I at least partially understand what they feel.

As do most of you.

I mean, growing up, how many of you out there had to hide something pretty big about yourself for fear of ridicule? Whether that be age, things you like, sexuality etc. Come on, raise your hands!

I know I have. I have had a lot to hide over my short lifetime. But don’t worry, this isn’t going to be another of those "all about me" posts, no. This is about how people everywhere should not have to hide who they truly are.

We are all human inside, regardless of our exterior, and yet we base our beliefs and actions on this superficial and easily modifiable surface. We always express our desire to be treated fairly and kindly, to be treated as well another human being, as opposed to being objectified based on one small factor; and yet we are the ones who pass this judgment onto others.

Now I’m not a religious person, but the bible says "judge not, lest ye be judged", and I think that is pretty spot on.

If you want to be treated fairly - as we all do - then treat others just as equally. If we all treated each other how we wanted to be treated, then we in turn would receive kindness and love. Regardless of our exterior.

I personally have always been too self conscious to wear pink in public, because I know that most people around my street would make fun of me for being a "queer" or "fag", and although I am proud to be these things, the ridicule is a difficult thing to live with.

Whoever said, "sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me" was far from the truth!

Ann Oakley did a study on child psychology, where she collected a random sample of adults in a room and showed them a baby dressed in blue. The responses were that the adults gave the child 'masculine' toys like cars and used language like "strong" and "powerful".

And then she brought in the same baby but dressed in pink, and the response was completely different. The baby was given dolls to play with and words like "beautiful" and "precious" were used instead.

  

We as parents socialise and teach these roles to our children, establishing these social boundaries that are then passed through the generations! It is our fault that we base our judgments on people, on their exterior appearance and should take responsibility for that.

But the interesting thing, is that blue has always been a stereotypical colour for boys, and pink for girls ... right?

Wrong.

Back in the renaissance period, boys were dressed in pink and girls wore blue. Blue was a purer colour and that worn by the Virgin Mary, while pink was more masculine due to the warmth and power behind it. And somewhere along the line these two were switched. So we have been basing our discriminative beliefs, based on the wrong thing anyway!

Some of you may be familure with the painting: Blue Boy

But you may be less familure with its accomplice: Pink Boy

It was only until recently with the legalisation of homosexuality and the introduction of punk, were people truly allowed to express themselves freely. Nowadays you have people who can be accepted, despite being born the wrong gender, despite their sexuality, heck I know boys who wear make-up because they just enjoy it.

It is not something that should be ridiculed or hidden from the eyes of society. It should be celebrated for being individual, unique and personal. We should be the ones to change this behaviour by acting how we wish to be treated.

We are all humans and should treat each other that way ... no exceptions. 

My Friend Kurli wrote this and I think its perfect for what I’m trying to say ...

Thoughts become words, so watch what you think
Words become actions, power and strength
Actions grow larger and habits may grow
And through every habit, your character shows
Through what you are, your future is seen
So watch what you're thinking and watch what you'll be.