Would you ok your son wearing a dress?

[KristinaJup]

Candace Owens recently tweeted (in response to Harry Styles wearing a dress on a magazine cover) "Bring Back Manly Men".. amongst other things.

Who really cares if a guy wears tutus and glittery dresses? Prince was hot af in his heels and Makeup.

Imo I would have no problem with it at all if my son wanted to put on a skirt but the tweet gained a lot of traction and I saw quite a few memes and lots of fingers pointed at feminism for "ruining men"

If we carry on this way the next thing will be....women should not be wearing trousers! What do you think?

Some gingers..

Oh good! Are we talking about biscuits?

Gosh, loads of my family are ginger and never dyed their hair!

Except my aged aunt, who dyes it ginger again these days

But why would you dye a biscuit? Wouldn't you just use coloured icing a.

Have we talked about the fact that a boy/man wearing a dress doesn't make him transgender? There seem to be some posts which assume that would be the case but I might be reading between the lines incorrectly.

Don't get me started on gingerbread ejaculators.

Also - I'm a ginger who never got bullied. Teased perhaps. But doesn't everyone get teased for something when they're junior/secondary age?

@Awarethebear No I'm not missing any point, unless what you're saying is that white people don't wear it, which they don't in general.

Shalwar is a garment worn by people from South Asia and some from Central Asia--- there are many of these people in the UK too.

It's not to do with being Muslim. It's to do with the culture you are from. You may see Muslims wearing a shalwar to mosque but that is cos they are Indian or Pakistani or Bangladeshi, not cos they are muslim.

You'd see Hindus wearing the same thing to mandir or desi Christians wearing it to church. I have loads of British Indian Christian friends who wear it all the time.

Live and let live.
Would you want someone telling you what to wear, what religion you had to be, or who to love?

Embrace individuality, love yourself, love others. Simple x

@ReeseWitherfork

Have we talked about the fact that a boy/man wearing a dress doesn't make him transgender? There seem to be some posts which assume that would be the case but I might be reading between the lines incorrectly.

I don't see any posts suggesting that wearing a dress = transgender, although I have skimmed some of the posts. Actually a transgender person might be less likely to be abused where I live.

@CatsCantCatchCriminals2

Some gingers..

Oh good! Are we talking about biscuits?

Only a ginger can call another ginger, ginger, according to Tim Minchin (a fellow ginger).

I am a ginger. Thus, I can use the term.

[quote CrazyToast]@Awarethebear No I'm not missing any point, unless what you're saying is that white people don't wear it, which they don't in general.

Shalwar is a garment worn by people from South Asia and some from Central Asia--- there are many of these people in the UK too.

It's not to do with being Muslim. It's to do with the culture you are from. You may see Muslims wearing a shalwar to mosque but that is cos they are Indian or Pakistani or Bangladeshi, not cos they are muslim.

You'd see Hindus wearing the same thing to mandir or desi Christians wearing it to church. I have loads of British Indian Christian friends who wear it all the time.[/quote]
Careful, you’ll be accused of being a mentally unwell fantastist.

Yes, I don't like the term myself. Actual ginger is pale brown so it's annoyingly inaccurate too.

Lot of red in a ginger, and my family are more blond ginger than brown

Whereas the ginger root is pale brown

@midgebabe

Gosh, loads of my family are ginger and never dyed their hair!

Except my aged aunt, who dyes it ginger again these days

I was speaking about the gingers in my secondary school, pointing out that these days kids are more progressive and find non-protected characteristics to bully people for, so I disagree with the notion that a boy in a dress would automatically be bullied.... Just read my original post upthread.

Well it's obvious where all these apparent bullies get their attitudes about the clothing choice of others from...

I could do without all this religion stuff. Isn't there a place on this site where they could take that?

The religion board or summat?

I was bullied got being ginger. Tried dying my hair. Sadly any other colour than ginger makes me look like a corpse. So I'm stuck with it. Even at 51, I'm still bright ginger. Thankfully, being 51, and a woman. I'm now invisible so I am merely a stealth ginger.

I realise this adds nothing to the debate, but I thought I'd offer my ginger thoughts anyway!

Candy

"Stealth-ginger"

Priceless 😂

Appols , four rings, I lose track, and this is a bit weird

Yip, children will bully others, and it's hard to predict the excuse.

@CatsCantCatchCriminals2

Yes, I don't like the term myself. Actual ginger is pale brown so it's annoyingly inaccurate too.

I like it. It's what was used to torment me and my peers so I choose to reclaim it. If you don't wish to use it, that is of course your choice.

We had ginger people hung from railings by their underwear in my school, it was an actual issue. The worst I got was name calling and lewd comments, but that was more than enough to cause me considerable upset as a socially anxious teenager.

Anyway, enough of this derail. Suffice it to say, I don't think boys who choose to wear dresses will be automatically bullied in this day and age.

I agree with the people who say that it depends on the age of your child and what they are like as people. I wouldn't buy dresses for my son who was too small to have genuine clothes preferences. I would discourage (not ban) them for a primary aged child who doesn't read peer responses well and is likely to get bullied. Confident child who can fend for themselves, sure. And child old enough to make own decisions also fine.

In the house wear whatever you like. I do agree that the better world would be one where you can wear a dress and be a boy, without having to have big existential questions about the why of it.

Dresses are very socially gendered clothes, even women have existential questions about them. So many women will say "I'm not at all girly, I never wear dresses". I think I never wore them as didn't see myself as the sort of person who worse dresses (subconsciously, I have no conscious judgement of people who do!) Then when I was pregnant and they were the only thing to fit I realised they are just clothes and make no difference. Love to wear dresses now. This is a long winded way of saying that dresses are socially entrenched as not just female, but female in particular ways. This attitude holds us all back from wearing the comfortable, versitile garment we all deserve.

If you don't wish to use it, that is of course your choice.

Cheers.

@CatsCantCatchCriminals2

If you don't wish to use it, that is of course your choice.

Cheers.

👍 Glad that's settled.

@buckeejit

Most of these responses are really depressing. Everyone who thinks their son would get bullied, have you discussed with him that people should be able to wear what they like without ridicule or judgement? Ask him what would happen if his mate turned up in a dress & what he &!others would say?

Be part of the change if you acknowledge that society is the problem.

🙄 yeah I could discuss that till the cows come home, won't make a difference to other peoples attitudes. I certainly don't want my 12 year old having the shit kicked out of him just to prove a point.

@Savourysenorita you asked if I was concerned that my son would be a target for ridicule. Yes of course, because I care deeply about my son's wellbeing. I balanced up the pros and cons of letting him wear something that made him happy. On that particular occasion we were going to soft play where I would be with him the whole time and if he got any comments I could defend and reassure him. As it was, no other children batted an eyelid and he had a great time.