Men in Skirts

When my son was 4, he wanted to be just like his big sister (who was six at the time). I have pictures of the two of them dressed up like Baby Spice in dresses with their hair in pigtails coming out at all angles. Soooo cute!!

When he started Junior Kindergarten, he still loved wearing dresses. I decided that since my daughter has the right to choose pants or a dress, this right should be extended to him also. I'm big on freedom and choices, and not just for women.

Women have made a lot of ground just in the past 50 years, in many ways establishing a greater range of choices for themselves than men have. It's ironic how men's attitude towards women's work, roles, or preferences as inferior is what actually ends up limiting their own options in life. A recently retired woman at my work once got sent home for wearing pants back in the day. Can't imagine that happening now! Now, women have the full range of clothing options available to them. Men don't. Women have made huge strides in "non-traditional" work; I have a male friend who's cautious about telling people he works in a daycare. It's still embarrassing for a man to be doing "women's work," or staying home with the kids, or wearing a skirt.

So, if men can change this still-prevailing attitude that devalues women oh so subtly, the benefits will come right back at them in the form of more choice. Isn't that what we're all fighting for? We want as much freedom as we can have without it harming anybody. Who wouldn't want every option open? What do they think they'll be risking by putting down their prejudices? What are they afraid of?

When I first started to get to know my guy, he used to wear a long skirt from time to time. I can see a few other guys I know, in my head, rolling their eyes at that and restraining themselves from making a homophobic comment right out loud. (I mean to say I imagine them doing this, not that they only exist in my head. They're real people.) With a full beard and long crazy dreads, believe me, he looked hot. Hold me back! Now that he's in construction, a skirt would be impractical at the workplace. Holy digression!

Back to my son. So I let him go to school in a dress. His teacher called me at 11:00 that night:

Teacher: I have some concerns about your son's attire at school.

Me: Oh dear. Are the other boys teasing him or bothering him?

Teacher: (in a haughty tone) No. That's not the issue here. The other boys have been asking if they could wear dresses also. I'm getting calls from other parents complaining. I hope to see your boy in school-appropriate clothing from now on.

Me: Well, fuck you and the horse you rode in on, lady!

No, I didn't say that. I was already in bed when she called (strategy on her part?). I responded with nothing strong or clever or useful or even funny. I just agreed and hung up. I told my kid his liberties are being restricted because his actions are inspiring a revolution (or words to that effect). If all the boys started wearing dresses, who would it hurt? I'll tell ya. It would hurt the pride of their dads or mums, whomever has been sucked into that crap. But this is only because dad and/or mum still thinks there's something wrong or inferior if men do what women usually do.* And isn't that a silly thing to believe.

Thank god I found me a faggoty pansy man! He even took a year-long leave to stay home with his baby daughter. Nobody where he works questioned him on any of this (it's a construction site - remember your stereotypes), because he's so confident that childrearing is for parents, not just mums, and skirts can look hot on either sex. He bagged me, didn't he.


*Edited because the original was sexist. Thanx for keeping me on my toes, Darran. See the comments at Alas (a blog) here for further discussion.