If you don't read my Facebook, then you may have missed the sea of pink story I linked to yesterday. It's activism at its purest and it's inspiring to see people really understanding the meaning of community organizing. And it's kind of wild to see the strong reaction the color pink elicits.
My current Mother Jones has an article about the evolution of pink in American culture and the gender coding of boys and girls. You won't be surprised that in our money motivated society, profit is a large reason for the insistence on dressing boys and girls in distinct colors when they are quite young. Before the early part of the last century, boys and girls wore the same clothes (often dresses) until they were 5 or 6. (I have some yellowing photos of my grandfather in an adorable white and lacy dress when he was around 5 years old.) Once clothing manufacturers realized they could sell families with different gendered children separate wardrobes, there was no turning back. Of course, initially pink was considered the better choice as it was a "more decided and strong colour" while blue was considered "delicate and dainty" and therefore more appropriate for the girl.
So I think my gender color is ... rainbow. What's yours?
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