Battle of the Sexes

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Battle of the Sexes

Tiny pink nipples peeked out from our pasty chests and our protruding ribs gave way to our sun-starved tummies. Alex and I ran free, our shirts flapping in the wind as we waved them over our heads like victory flags. Moments later, on that April day in first grade, my best friend and I experienced the injustices of womanhood; our teachers informed us that we were not allowed to go shirtless during recess.

"Why?" Alex whined.

"That's not fair," I protested. "The boys can."

Of course our complaints received the usual response, "It's different for little boys and little girls." An answer that was not only unsatisfactory, but infuriating as well. Indignantly, Alex and I argued our way to topless equality.

By age six, I challenged the double standard set for boys and girls. Instinctively, I knew to speak out against blatant sexism. When I heard a guest at a dinner party remark, "What a shame that beautiful curly hair was wasted on your son. You really should consider cutting it, so the poor thing doesn't get mistaken for a girl." I boldly cut in, "Boys can have long hair just as much as girls. They can be beautiful too, you know."

The adults chuckled over my petulance and my parents shared embarrassed smiles. Then they banished me to the designated "children's table," leaving me with a lingering sense of injustice. My strong desire for equality has been shaped by experiences like these and myriad of other people and standards as well.

For example, I am angered by the emphasis society places on men to become "big, strong protector providers" while women are encouraged to appear docile and meek. When I was young I watched cartoons like Popeye and Superman, noting their bravery in rescuing innocent folks from the arms of danger. Then I wanted to know why there were no women heroes. Why couldn't females be the ones to flex their muscles at monsters and "bad guys" to protect or rescue their helpless male lovers? Early in my life I recognized these implied yet clear-cut roles for men and women and they still exist in many areas of life today. However, I strongly believe that males and females deserve equal opportunities and that expectations based on gender are unfair.

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