Tomboy and Lesbian Stereotypes

          The way our society works, a girl who likes to play with toy cars and play in the mud is looked upon as weird. A girl is taught to cross her legs, have good posture and put on makeup. We’re supposed to be delicate and be lady-like. What has society come to?

            What classifies a girl as a tomboy? A girlwho dresses and sometimes behaves the way boys are expected to, often into moremasculine things like "stronger" sports, computers, or cars.Stereotypically wears jeans, baseball caps, and denim vests/jackets. Oftenbrought up with a lot of brothers or a child of a single father. Most people in this day and age have a consensus on what a tomboy is portrayed as.

            Society has taken things farther now. The next step from being a tomboy is being a lesbian. Many people associate a girl who has the “butch” look to being a lesbian. Girls that like to play rough or dress in a certain type of way does not necessarily mean they can’t be sophisticated and lady-like.

I played basketball in high school and wore baggy shorts right to my knees while most of the other girls would role-up their shorts. I like to dress comfortably which many people will think looks masculine. I also was one of a few girls who would use my high school’s weight room. During my junior year many people in my class thought of me as being a lesbian.

 I’m sorry I like to wear baggy sweatpants and t-shirts for workouts. I’m sorry I like to play basketball with baggy shorts. And I’m sorry for wanting to lift weights to make myself stronger. Just kidding, I’m not.

Everyone expresses themselves differently. If a girl doesn’t wear skin tight pants or likes to wear baseball caps, don’t assume she’s a tomboy or a lesbian. She could be in a relationship with a man who likes her for her unique and comfortable style.

The main lesson here, as cliché as it is, don’t judge a book by its cover. Lesbians shouldn’t be identified by their “look”, but for their sexual orientation. Girls who like some of the same things as boys shouldn’t be thought of as a tomboy, just as a girl because that’s what she is.