@earz Said
I'm in agreement with you. It's ridiculous.
I was a tomboy when I was growing up, I guess I still am... and I used to worry about looking too lesbian.
I threw out a perfectly good shirt because I was paranoid that people would think I was a lesbian , and what for? I have nothing against homosexuality. I was young and stupid and far too concerned about what other people thought of me, I guess.
Now tomboys are viewed as trans. It infuriates me, honestly. I firmly believe that people should be free to be what makes them happy without fear of being beat up or killed or ridiculed.
Oh my God...!!!! How terrible that would have been..!! Having tomboyish ways might have meant you were (gasp.. shock horror) A LESBIAN. Arrrrgghhhhh...!!
You're quite right, of course. Young girls really did worry about such things and the attitude of the time was that this was the worst possible thing that could happen.
I never was a tomboy. I was always very girly. Still am. And yet....
These misconceptions are ridiculous and they can do so much damage. I guess it's an aspect of female nature that, as girls, we are our own biggest critic and we view ourselves in any negative way we can almost as a default setting. Mine was my eyes. A girl at school once said my eyes were so blue they were almost scary. Immediately, I became incredibly self conscious of the colour of my eyes. Ridiculous of course, but it just goes to show.
There is another side to the tomboy coin and it is that the myth that any girl who wants to wear jeans instead of a dress, or kick a football in the park with the boys, or who doesn't worry about falling off her bike doing stunts and tricks must be gender aberrant is that it can damage her confidence to compete in later life. She might be the brightest button at university or she may be incredibly skilled in the workplace, but the damage done to her self esteem as a child can inhibit her ability, or even her desire, to compete in the workplace.
Perhaps that's why I'm so able to compete now. I love sport and play with freedom. Is that because as a youngster I was such a girly girl that nobody saw me as a threat and therefore I wasn't put down and my confidence destroyed..? The knock on effect of this was that when I started working I could look the male staff in the eye and know I was there on merit.
The destruction of female confidence begins at an early age and it's up to parents to encourage their daughters to develop their own personality, be that what it may and let them run with it.
My little girl is a feisty little madam. I don't know if she'll be a "tomboy" yet, but she mixes with boys and girls at play group and is perfectly comfortable with either. If she does develop tomboyish ways in the future... comes home with her knees skinned from playing rough games, or whatever.... We won't try to get that out of her. Let her nature take her where it will.
Tomboys? Closet trannies..? Bah. Nonsense.