By Zara
When we are born, it’s usually declared that we are either a boy or girl. As the time goes by and we start to feel and see things according to our own perspective and have our own opinion that’s when we actually get to know our identity. Often we are told to wear certain clothing and colors and styles that people think will look “good” on us. For instance, If a girl starts to dress more in sweats and baggy clothing they are often told to act more lady like and wear dresses. Same thing goes for a guy when he starts to wear certain bright colors or does something which according to the society is very feminine they are often told to change it and be more masculine.
It’s very easy for others to tell us what we should or shouldn’t wear, how we should or shouldn’t behave and etc. People who are overly concerned with the impression they make, or who feel a core aspect of themselves, such as gender or sexuality, is not being expressed, can struggle acutely with their identity.
Zara, I have read your response and I agree with everything that you are saying. The point you made about how if we were to wear certain clothing then people would judge us or even just the way we act. This reminds me of how every time I wear traditional clothing such as a salwar kameez, my mom always tells me to not slouch or to make sure to act like a woman. It’s not a good response to make since it just goes to show how these standards of what would make us a “woman” or a “man” are these guidelines that society thinks we should follow. However, at the end of the day, it is true that people are sometimes scared about what people would say about them if they don’t act a certain way. We shouldn’t allow others words to affect us and should try to live our own lives.