Turned Out Okay

Kino Praxis' Filckr

I've been wanting to address this for some time. Every once and a while in the mainstream progressive blogosphere, someone will write about early manifestations of traditional gender role subversion (boys playing with dolls and wanting princess gear, girls throwing footballs, etc.). Generally, I like these topics, and but there's always, always someone chiming in with:

I am woman who was a total tomboy, hated dolls and frilly dresses -- or my brother (or husband or son) played with dolls, wanted a princess costume and... wait for it... we TURNED OUT OKAY.

In this case, okay meaning: we grew up to abide by those traditional gender roles set by society, the same ones we eschewed as kids.

Can we stop this? Or I just wish someone would add "I was girl who wore boy's clothes, hated dolls, tossed footballs and I grew up to be a woman who wears guys' clothes,  likes football and doesn't a fig about makeup and I TURNED OUT OKAY TOO." Or "I was a boy who played with dolls and makeup and I still like that stuff and I TURNED OUT OKAY TOO."