We Should All Play Like Girls

When I was growing up on the other side of the gender fence, if your sporting performance wasn't up to par in the testosterone drenched sporting world, you would be berated and told by oyur male counterparts and coaches 'you played like a girl'.

When the WNBA in 1997 exploded into our consciousnesses at arenas around the nation, there was an ad run which showed two male players engaged in a hard nosed game of one on one basketball.  The brothers are pushing, shoving, grunting, sweating and contesting every point until an off camera voice says to them, "Hey, y'all play like girls."

The two brothers do a double take, are about to get indignant and open up a can of whoop azz on whoever said it until the camera pans over and you see WNBA MVP Cynthia Cooper in her Comets uniform standing there with a sly smile on her face.   The commercial ends with the brothers sheepishly saying, "Why thank you." as it fades out.

For far too long women's sports events have been considered an afterthought not only by the male dominated fans, but the male dominated sports writing establishment as well . 

But with the male end of it embroiled in lockouts, scandals, no shows at the MLB All Star Game and meltdowns at major events, it took the run of the USA women's soccer team through the FIFA Women's World Championship tournament to give us another example of why playing like a girl should be considered a compliment and not a sporting insult.

Contrary to the testosterone drenched opinions of male sports fans and some sportswriters, women's sports are not lesser than events.   Female athletes are just as capable of producing world record performances,  executing buzzer beating game winning shots, executing comeback victories, winning multiple championships at all levels of competition and playing high quality games full of drama that will be talked about for generations.

They unfortunately just don't get the love they deserve. 

Sports teaches you when you play them valuable life lessons.   One of those lessons is that we should all have the never give up, it ain't over until the buzzer sounds mentality.   We should be playing to win with class and dignity not only on the athletic fields, but in our own lives as well.   

So you tell me I play like a girl, I'll just look at you, smile, and say thank you very much as I redouble my efforts to beat you..       

Silly Wingers, Pink Is For Boys and Girls

The Right Wing Noise Machine has got their panties in knots about a J Crew ad in which the company's creative director Jenna Lyons appeared with her son Beckett.  The accompanying caption in the ad reads: "Lucky for me I ended up with a boy whose favorite color is pink. Toenail painting is way more fun in neon."

Of course the Morality Police went apoplectic and used it as an opportunity to attack transpeople once again.

 Cheryl Kilodavis in Seattle knows how Jenna Lyons feels right now.    She's the Seattle mother who wrote about her 5 year old son Dylan in a book called 'My Princess Boy'.    He enjoys traditional girl things such as jewelry, dresses and the color pink and was attacked as well for her 'crime' of violating the gender binary.   .

But let's get real.   The gender binary fence has some serious holes in it.    

Hollywood stars have been more willing to let their children explore gender.  Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's daughter Shiloh adopted a boy's wardrobe while Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale's son Kingston has been photographed wearing his own shade of nail polish.

Once upon a time the gender binary wasn't as rigid.either.

For those of you who are tripping and saying 'this is wrong' or 'not normal', check out this photo from 1884.

Wanna know who this is?   It's our 32nd president of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt at age 2.

Back when he was growing up kids grew up wearing unisex clothing and didn't get their first haircuts until they were 6 or 7.

So if you're worried that letting children explore their gender will turn them into transpeople, chill out.   Unless you're born trans it ain't happening.

I know more than a few peeps who dressed their boys in blue clothing, played little league baseball or football, and are now rocking stylish dresses and heels.   There are also handsome men who started out in life dressed in pink from head to toe, were given Barbie dolls for Christmas and hated every moment of it .

This kerfluffle only points out what we transpeople have been saying for a long time.   Gender is a social construct and has a between the ears component that often doesn't match the body one is born with or the genitalia between their legs.

Silly wingers, pink is for boys and girls.    Now where's my nail polish?    Suddenly I feel the need to rock some pink nail polish  in solidarity with little Beckett and his mom.