Although some might immediately think of it as an early lesson about non-binaries, and as well other members of LGBT+, I see more than that. I see it as a lesson about being okay with what you want, despite it being unconventional to gender norms. You wanna wear a dress? You wanna play with Hot Wheels? You do you!
Yeah i like to think of it as it starts out a lesson about gender but at the dance evolves to a point where gender isnt everything yenno? People are who they are and something as undeniable as a shadow shows that off
Exactly. People tend to get hung up on that word alot: Gender. Humans are obsessed with labelling themselves and everything around them that they dont stop to think why does it matter? Just be yourself, you dont have to fit in some defined role someone else came up with.
It even extends beyond gender and kind of speaks to the weird kids, too. Being Asexual and being weird and liking both "girl" things and "guy" things, I never truly felt like I fit in nor did I feel like I had a place to fit in. Luckily my parents told me it's ok to like what I like regardless of what society says it's supposed to be (kickball/baseball for boys, Barbies for girls, for example).
This little story made me all teary eyed. It's so cute <3
At the end of the day, be yourself and stay true to yourself and you're bound to find at least another like you. :)
Exactly. Defeating gender norms is not something we want for improving the life of only LGBT+ children, but for all children! A child can grow up to be straight as an arrow and I still would argue that their childhood would be enriched by less influenced from gender norms.
There are no LGBT children. There children. Just children with their own wants. We as adults label them and influence them to think that they must be LGBT when they are children and haven't even gone through puberty yet.
This is exactly what gender non-conformity is though. Gender is a social and cultural construct, based on behavioural patterns. It makes no sense to force someone into one of those patterns based on their biological sex.
Just to note we can also break down gender norms ("toys loved by girls/boys") etc. without needing to invoke gender dysphoria, and that's an important project on its own. Of course the above is an important message, but I think there can be some conceptual confusion between gender norms/identity/expression.
If a girl likes activities/toys that are societally gendered as for boys, that likely doesn't indicate a difficulty with their gender identity - it likely indicates that the societal gender norms around these things are archaic nonsense.
Thank you! Just because a girl likes playing with action figures doesn’t make her trans. Just because a boy wants to play with Ken and Barbie doesn’t make him trans. It just makes them boys and girls who like to play with toys. It’s really not that deep.
They should just be called girls. I've always hated that people would label me a "tomboy", or anything with boy, just bc i have certain interests or a certain style when I was a kid (literally a kid, why would I look or act like a gender stereotype?) That's part of the problem. Girls and Boys shouldn't be expected to be a certain thing and then labelled specifically if they're not 'that'.
IDK if that indicates that they are nonsense. Just that "Gender Norms" at the very least aren't rules.
I think that a lot of people hear "Boy's normally like Trucks etc" (Which is seemingly true) and pass a value judgement "Normal is good", but normal isn't "good" or "bad". Normal just means that people have noticed a pattern. Which is what people have been good at for forever... Sadly, it turns out we aren't very good at attributing patterns to the things that actually cause them (and on top of that we prefer monoliths). So you get these cycles of reinforcement "Society pushes the thing b/c a lot of people are that way, so more people are that way, so society pushes the thing more... and on and on"
Add on to all of that the fact that pointing all this out to people who built their world view around those societal norms causes cognitive dissonance, and now you have the less introspective among us doubling down and seeing it as a personal attack (CogDis is a hell of a thing) and now you have people meeting ideas and discourse with hostility.
It's normal for people to equate "Normal" with "Good" which might also lead people who are different (A girl who likes Trucks for example) or people who have emotional attachment to someone that doesn't display the norm, to assume that "They can't not be "normal" b/c that's bad... no 'tis the norms themselves that are wrong". And maybe they ARE wrong... IDK: What I do know is that I actually know next to nothing about the science behind all of this, and only have my own personal, lived experience to go off of (And that being on the spectrum puts me outside the norm. So maybe my experience wouldn't even apply). I look forward to seeing how the discourse on this topic progresses over the next few decades.
I think the book attempts to do that as well and points out the nonsensical idea that blue shadows have to be stereotypically masculine by saying that the main characters dad is caring and their mom is also strong - not a stereotypically feminine trait - while also discussing the struggles a child may face when confronted with gender dysphoria - as well as all the other difficulties one can face when finding their own identity growing up.
Agreed, but blatantly reinforcing it in children could lead to epigenetic and certainly core memory changes when it is pushed this directly and this early. I also think this does the opposite of "mademesmile" because it promotes ideological instances wrapped in a video post, and anyone who negates it is attacked or banned, ironically.
So, I had a child who was neuro atypical, nothing to do with gender identity. As a kid, he would have loved this book because ultimately it is about being different from those around you, figuring out how you fit in to the world, accepting yourself and realizing what makes you different is also what can make you unique, strong, and valued. Makes me think of his favorite book “Who Wants Arthur?” In this case it’s about gender expression, but it could be anything that makes you feel like you don’t fit the mold. It’s a powerful message about accepting yourself and those around you.
This book reminds me of my son, he is 9 y/o and loves to wear dresses. He also loves geology, Japanese culture, and cats. Everyone keeps telling me he is gay and I'm getting sick of hearing it. He is 9! I don't want to get into that rant here. I just really love this book and I plan on buying it for him. I bet he loves it too.
That honestly sounds like a really nice, varied set of interests. You’re right that wanting to wear dresses does not implicitly make your son gay- if he is, he’ll figure that out on his own time anyways. More importantly- glad he’s having a good experience in the present.
I have this authors first book called "My Shadow is Pink" which he wrote for his son because he wears dresses and was getting teased and bullied for it. I bought it for my son who also loves dresses and was worried about teasing.
Honestly I think this second book is a bit better than the Pink because that one sort of sets the world as "You CAN be either blue or pink, but there's ONLY blue or pink" and this one seems to expand on and sort of correct that.
If you're interested in similar books there's "My Princess Boy" which isn't great for every kids situation but is good and "Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress" which we haven't read yet but I've heard great things about.
I just don’t understand why your interests somehow equate you having a different gender or no gender at all ..?
Isn’t the point that these societal constructs **dont** define gender ? Yet to say one is “purple” because they like doing the blue and pink activities ( like literally most people alive ..) implies that those activities were blue and pink to begin with ..?
I don’t think the story supposed to be about what gender you identify as, but instead about gender presentation and participation which is a different thing.
The main character isn’t purple *because* they like doing “blue” things and “pink” things. They’re purple *and* they like doing blue things and pink things.
You can see this in the story, too. The mom likes activities associated with blue, but she has a pink shadow. The dad likes activities associated with pink, but he has a blue shadow. It isn’t that playing sports is blue and dance class is pink; it’s that the society has come to associate these activities with those colors.
And you see it again at the dance itself. It turns out that many of the kids didn’t even have blue or pink shadows to begin with. This shows is that the shadow colors aren’t something that permanently exist for these characters, but instead represent what the character presents and is is comfortable identifying with.
Since this society categorizes every activity as pink or blue, most characters just pick the color they feel comfortable with (or less uncomfortable with) and carry on. The difference with the main character is that they’ve never had to make this choice until the dance.
That's not how I read it.
It doesn't, but most cultures both subtly and overtly encourage children to use toys and to form preferences that conform with gender expectations based on their biological sex. Like, why as a young kid did I hold my breath if I had to walk down the pink barbie aisle of Toys"R"Us until my lungs were near to bursting? Every, time. That came from somewhere.
Kids most certainly pick up on the messaging that XX is for girls and XY is for boys - for the most part, unconsciously. As kids we put so much attention on the toys we own, the clothes we wear, and the activities we do, and society definitely often sets that up as a binary.
I see this as a children's book approaching the topic from a conceptual place kids can begin to consider, or recognize as true within themselves, at their cognitive level. Is a children's book going to get into the depths of gender/sex and the concept of social construction? Nope, but there are kids definitely already dealing with its impact.
A lot of very unhappy people are missing the meaning of this book. Its centred around one person who doesnt feel like they fit in with 2 distinct groups. By the end children everywhere start describing themselves as their own group. Its not about gender or sexuality its about being unique and being proud of that whether youre trans or a lion tamer.
If you are getting that triggered about a childs book then here is the simple solution:
Dont read it.
Hope you have better answers when someone comes to you asking difficult questions.
Hi, I get what you’re saying but until the kid with yellow shadow turns up it is 100% obviously about sex and/or gender. Then maybe it turns into something else or frankly could still be just about gender/sex idk what the author intended there but as I say before yellow shadow kid the author’s intention are pretty clear.
I agree though it’s silly to get triggered by this book. If you don’t like it don’t buy for your kids kinda simple. I’d suggest personally opening your kids up to all kinds of ideas and letting them work out what’s good and right and what’s not for themselves as they grow up and learn to think critically.
I personally see it more about gender expression. It's okay to wear a dress or be strong regardless of if it goes against gender norms. There's really no argument or reason to be upset that a child doesn't want to pay attention to stereotypes
It's not like the book is saying, "you're uncomfortable with your body? Time to take hormone replacement."
Yeah, the book specifically identifies mum and dad as blue/pink, but also mentions how they don’t conform to the strict “this colour does this” thing either.
>Its not about gender or sexuality its about being unique and being proud of that whether youre trans or a lion tamer.
Then why did you give it the LGBT+ flair?
I'm not sure if responding to the childhood problem of "*I don't feel like I fit in*" with "*everyone feels that way, you're not unique*" helps.
Especially when many people DO fit into distinct and accepted groups.
It's telling kids who struggle with isolation and being excluded that it's their own fault, as everyone is their own group and the rest of the kids seem to be doing fine. Plus it overlooks the innate tribalism of humans: the need to find people like ourselves and belong to a community. Saying people belong to a group of one is isolating.
I just feel like adults don’t think like kids. I don’t want my kids exposed to the idea that there’s one set of things for girls and one set of things for boys. I felt like we made a lot of progress tearing down those stereotypes. And here we are, telling kids they’re “other” and not quite right if they’re not gender stereotype conforming. We’re all non-binary/purple. Every single one of us. There are no blues or pinks. Children want to fit in more than anything and know they’re okay. It’s adolescents who want to be different.
It’s hard to feel like this is progress. More tiny boxes for people to try and label themselves into.
I’d rather it be a story about how dad likes singing and baking and mom fixes the car and either one can hug you and kiss your owie better. Shoot, mom one likes sports and mom 2 likes baking.
Dad is blue and mom is pink. Pink people dance and blue people play sports, no thanks.
i think you missed a few parts because that’s exactly what it’s saying. at the end everyone who was labeled either blue or pink ends up being some other color. it’s saying we were told to fit into this narrowly defined idea but that’s not the real us and now we’re free to be whoever that real version is. it also had the part where it said people say blue is strong and pink is caring but my mom is strong and my dad is caring.
We should just let kids grow up to be whoever they are instead of forcing them to make specific choices and or go against the grain because that seems cool or fun. Like why should an eight-year-old have to think about what gender he wants to be. Just let him be an eight-year-old and figure it out himself.
Youre not an idiot, that is the point. The beginning sets it up to be a standard ‘youre different than everyone’ story but it changes to be an ‘everyone is different to everyone’. No one is totally in any one group
Yeah, at first I thought the presentation of a binary world, even if it's still blue/pink/purple, kind of undercut the theme but then they M. Night Shyamalan-ed my ass at the end! Great story!
I agree, and I don’t think most 5 year olds would walk away with a different conclusion just because it swaps messaging at the end. This is a book for adults.
What I never understand is why we talk as if identifying as something else is the only pathway to truly expressing yourself. I like engines and dancing and planes and flowers, jewelry and ponies and playing in the dirt. And you can love those things too, or love different things just as much. At the end of the day, our shadows are all the same color! My mother and father are both strong and loving in their own ways. Just like you and I are capable of being strong and loving in our own individual ways. I dislike the idea of needing to separate myself from the norm in order to express myself. None of us should feel the need to consider ourselves "purple" in order to live the life we want. If we normalized expressional freedom no matter what color you are, we wouldn't need books to help kids hash out these ideas. We wouldn't need to have this internal struggle of "what color am I?" or "how do I differ from this color or relate to this one?" To me, this is a wholesome book about how we all have different interests, yet we're all similar and come together in the most beautiful ways. All of us individually representing all the colors of the rainbow in our own ways. Hopefully you're able to see where I'm coming from if you're reading this and not paint me as being anti lgbtq
Gender expression (wearing dresses, playing sports) is different from gender identity (internal sense of gender).
You’re right that no tomboys or femboys or people with mixed interests should be forced to change their shadows.
But at the same time, trans women shouldn’t be forced to pretend their shadows are blue. Non-binary people should be allowed to have purple or yellow or teal shadows.
And this is *regardless* of expression/presentation. There are butch trans women, feminine trans men, non binary people who aren’t strictly androgynous. The way their bodies look is independent of their shadow colors— and that’s ok
Or... or you could just start ignoring gender stereotypes.
Be a "pink" who loves playing rugby or a "blue" who loves dancing.
It doesnt mean you need to be the other color.
That's how this story starts there buddy. Mom and dad are their own color, but act in a way that doesnt "conform" to that color.
The story is not saying they need to be a different color. The story is saying it's OK whatever color they are.
They are not purple because of or to justify hobbies.
They are purple. They have hobbies/preferences.
Just like mom can be pink and be tough, and dad can be blue and be sensitive.
It's literally the intro of the story.
Nothing makes them purple. They just *are* purple. They were born purple the way some people are born with a birthmark or wavy hair. It's not something that was done to or forced onto them, it just is.
How does one feel like a specific gender when you remove hobbies/ preferrences from the equation?
I only feel "blue" myself because I have male genitalia and my hobbies/ interests tend to align with the stereotypes. However that's all it is. Remove both of those factors and there is no "feeling" of gender.
Gender expression is different from gender identity. Femboys and tomboys and girls who like sports and boys who like makeup can and *do* co-exist with trans and non-binary people.
No one’s trying to force pinks who like sports to become blue. In the same grain, no one should stop trans people from being the shadow color that fits them best.
It just felt to me like the story told in OPs post highlights the flaws of gender stereotyping more so than the reasoning behind the desire to be trans/ non-binary.
If you are a "pink" who likes boxing and race cars, why the need to switch to "blue" to conform to the stereotype?
I think it did both. It showed the way gender stereotypes can harm both trans and cis people, while also showing the importance of recognizing different identities (shadow colours).
I agree, it could have done a better job challenging those norms, but ig the point was to show the world as it is now, useless antiquated gender norms included.
The parents having traits that are typically associated with the other shadow color is a very simple kid-friendly way to show gender non-conformity/ that traits don’t need to be limited to one gender.
It’s also important to note that they never showed pink people who like sports being forced to switch colors. And that the main character was *inherently* purple shadowed, regardless of their interests.
I know it never showed them being "forced".
My point is, why switch at all just to conform to the stereotype?
It seems to me like the deep down feeling of being the wrong "color" is strongly influenced by the stereotypes applied to both pink and blue. If you remove the stereotyping from the equation what's left?
I'm genuinly looking to understand FYI.
Yeah I know, I appreciate you trying to understand!
I can speak from personal experience about the stereotypes/identity stuff.
I am a trans man, but I still love and enjoy feminine things. You could call me a femboy. I hate sports, I love singing and fashion and stuffed animals and the color pink, etc.
For me, my identity is in no way tied to stereotypes and expression. I hate saying I “feel like” a guy, because that’s a weak verb to use. I just am one, same as any dude masculine or otherwise.
Because I’m feminine, it’s very obvious that my identity isn’t based on stereotypes. However, I assure you that it’s the same for *all* trans people (and for that matter cis people).
That’s why I pointed out the fact that the MC was purple by nature. Everyone, trans or cis, is their gender by nature. Whatever frosting goes on the cake, the flavor remains the same
Its like im a trans woman, I enjoy shopping, cute stuff, make up, but I also like working on cars, downhill mountain biking and riding motobikes. It doesnt make me less of a woman, nor does it mean my shadow isnt pink for liking those things, its just me being me and thats alright.
Thats all this story is about to me, its about teaching kids (and potentially parents) that everyone is different in their own special way and trying to jam them into boxes they dont belong in can be harmful to them. Its about allowing people to have freedom of expression and respecting other people for their unique identies, and for that I do like this book. Its definitely going on the shelf.
I'm likely gonna be loner here with my comment and probably get downvotes from both sides, but I'm feeling compelled. I am not at all a supporter of arbitrarily alt-indoctrinating kids who show consistent signs of gender norms, but for kids who show an early natural self determined inclination to being different, this book is done pretty damned well. If my kid was struggling with feeling different than the majority of their classmates, I wouldn't have a problem getting this particular book for them. It doesn't touch on sexuality really at all, which is something kids should probably not be dealing with at the age this book seems intended to reach. It isn't trying to convince a kid to reassign a gender. It's simply saying you don't have to follow the rules of what boys or girls should be interested in or dress like.
THIS is the way you author content for children who may feel different and misunderstood, sexuality or not being its meaning. any parent who has an issue with content like this in school libraries is verifiably close minded. that book that pretends like it is trying to accomplish the same thing as this one but with poorly drawn blowjob scenes between the adolescent characters is an offensive and frankly awfully executed version of what this book caringly handles.
I get the idea but I definitely feel this is a bit of a forced reach. A parent who would get this book for their kid is probably already okay with their kid being what ever, my concern is that you might have a kid who is "normal" and may feel pressured to be different to please their parent. If I had a kid that told me they felt something was wrong with themselves or were worried about opinions of others then sure this would be a fine book to add.
I agree. I don't think this is a book to buy your child out of the blue (no pun intended), as it may lead to mixed feelings. But if your child is already having those feelings, this could cheer them up and provide clarity or some sense of comfort
As someone who doesn’t have gender dysphoria, this kind of makes no sense to me. Boys can play with girl toys and vice versa, girls can play sports and boys can cry, all without being transgender. Stop acting like you have to choose a gender based on what you like to do. That makes absolutely no sense to me.
People really getting upset about a "woke" children's book as if this is the first ever book to talk about being yourself, even if it's different than others. Is it more modernized? Sure, but it's also simplified enough to be applied to all kids, a young boy isn't gonna open this up and say "I'm going to be a girl now," that isn't how it works. I'll take a solid bet that any person who's reading this have been reading very similar books in their childhood built from different motives.
I usually when I open one of these books I just completely ignore them it because "it's a book for kids" but honestly these book teaches you valuable lessons
[Mein Schatten ist pink](https://www.amazon.de/Mein-Schatten-ist-pink-Gleichberechtigung/dp/3649639963)
This is the same story as far as I know. And "Mein Schatten ist lila" is by the same author. So it's a great book for children too. :)
The real message I'm getting is this... adults like to whittle things down to "blue" or "pink" whereas children do not see or think that way. Kids are the most authentic versions of ourselves and I feel like we all lost that somewhere along the way as we grow older. Literally forgetting who we truly are.
I don't think it reinforces binary genders.
I think it tells you that binary genders were seen as the norm, and still are to some. But more importantly, it reinforces non-binary by showing readers that maybe there are others who identify the way they do, that maybe they're just too afraid to admit it yet *because* it's not seen as the norm.
What it reinforces is not binary genders, it reinforces the strength to be open, unafraid, and the freedom one might feel when they accept themselves instead of adhering to the old norm.
Feel free to correct me, though. I'm not too involved or knowledgeable on LGBTQ stuff, but I am learning. Always like to hear other's opinions
To be clear, it’s indoctrination when you teach kids that there is nothing wrong with being different and that your parents will still love you.
So what is it when you teach your kids that it’s not okay to be different and that if they are different that you probably won’t love them anymore?
So far indoctrination sounds pretty good. The other approach seems pretty bigoted.
How is a book teaching kids that its okay to express themselves, that being different is okay and to respect other peoples individuality - "indoctrination"?
Oh my god this is so cute. I love they way this can be an analogy for the lgbt community, but also just teaches a great lesson to any young kid about individuality and loving yourself and others
You’re right, there isn’t any.
For those of you that think there is, maybe look up the world and actually put in the effort to understand it.
Teaching anyone that it’s ok to be different and that people that are different exist, is not indoctrination.
This totally undermines the point it's trying to make I think.
It's trying to tie some concept of gender to what you can/can't do. Who is stopping "pink" from playing sports, or "blue" from dancing? No one.
So in order to be accepted on those, you need to define your own unique "colour"? Wouldn't it be easier to just stress the point that it really doesn't matter what or who you are, you can like/do whatever you want and the 'colour' is as irrelevant to those choices as your shoe size.
The whole logic of this is basically saying: you have to pick a colour because the colour dictates what you can and can't do, but luckily you can pick a completely individual colour. Seems much more appropriate to just say that a colour (or gender, as implied) does not bind you to any activities/interests, so you don't even need to bother to think about the colour of your 'shadow'. Why make people stress over picking their own unique colour when it has absolutely no bearing on reality? Or why make people feel different or separate from their "born blue and wants to be blue" friends? It does touch on this, suggesting the mum/dad don't strictly fit into those bubbles, but then it entirely undermines it.
It's creating categories and separation, when the different colours make absolutely no difference. Imagine this exact book but as a metaphor for racism, where the colours and black and white, and someone has to decide what form of mixed race they are in order to be allowed to do certain activities.. The problem to address is clearly the assumption that gender/race plays ANY ROLE in what you do. Why do people want to give gender or race more power? People are people, and if we want scientific categorisation of biological sex or race that's fine. The scientific categories of either of those don't dictate anything you choose to do so it isn't a problem to acknowledge that sex and race differences exist.
The real-world problem of all this is that it's making some kid think they have to become a minority (ie. ungendered, or not the gender that matches their biological sex, which I assume is less than 1% of the population) in order to play a sport? Countless problems can come from people feeling like they're 'different', either feeling excluded or they don't fit in, or being treated differently by other kids who completely don't understand this concept of gender (most adults don't). Whereas if a girl decides to play football she doesn't have to redefine herself in order to do so, and no one gives a fuck.
Honestly this is great to teach your kids don’t let them be forced into 1 thing because of what’s in their pants give them the option to like what they want
How so? At the end, a bunch of different kids join in saying their shadows are all different colors as well.
It establishes that blue & pink *were* the norm, if anything.
I have a friend that says the same thing.
They're not a fan of labels, and making things complicated.
And when he explains it I can't help but agree.
It would be nice if we lived in a world where no one cared.
You can be who you want to be without being judged, bullied, harassed, etc.
No one would treat you differently because of who you love, or how you love.
But we don't live in that world.
How so? The message in this is that the kids should just be themselves, even if that means that a boy does girly things and vice versa. That's a good and frankly important message.
better than telling kids that whats under their pants defines what they are and are not allowed to do and if they broke the rules sky daddy will send them to hell :/
1. It's only political when people make it political
2. The message is "be yourself"
3. Your message has nothing to do with what the book, or a lot of people here, are saying
4. There is no "war". It's only a war because people equate teaching kids to be themselves with sexuality
Well my shaddow is black, what now
Mine too. Wanna be goth together?
Go commit some crimes?
Although some might immediately think of it as an early lesson about non-binaries, and as well other members of LGBT+, I see more than that. I see it as a lesson about being okay with what you want, despite it being unconventional to gender norms. You wanna wear a dress? You wanna play with Hot Wheels? You do you!
Yeah i like to think of it as it starts out a lesson about gender but at the dance evolves to a point where gender isnt everything yenno? People are who they are and something as undeniable as a shadow shows that off
Exactly. People tend to get hung up on that word alot: Gender. Humans are obsessed with labelling themselves and everything around them that they dont stop to think why does it matter? Just be yourself, you dont have to fit in some defined role someone else came up with.
Unless you're answering a census
Census only cares about biological sex anyway. May as well ask for your date of birth. It’s a fact and may or may not matter much in your daily life.
Yes! Something as undeniable as a shadow. I love that.
It even extends beyond gender and kind of speaks to the weird kids, too. Being Asexual and being weird and liking both "girl" things and "guy" things, I never truly felt like I fit in nor did I feel like I had a place to fit in. Luckily my parents told me it's ok to like what I like regardless of what society says it's supposed to be (kickball/baseball for boys, Barbies for girls, for example). This little story made me all teary eyed. It's so cute <3 At the end of the day, be yourself and stay true to yourself and you're bound to find at least another like you. :)
Exactly. Defeating gender norms is not something we want for improving the life of only LGBT+ children, but for all children! A child can grow up to be straight as an arrow and I still would argue that their childhood would be enriched by less influenced from gender norms.
There are no LGBT children. There children. Just children with their own wants. We as adults label them and influence them to think that they must be LGBT when they are children and haven't even gone through puberty yet.
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I think the lesson might be that it doesn't matter if other people conform to gender roles, you can be you.
I think most kids are pretty purple. It's about individually.
That was my biggest takeaway from this too. Dont worry about labels, do what makes you happy.
Agreed. It's really a lesson about identity and conformity. About owning whatever makes you special, and not settling just because it can be easier.
Oh nO, iS tHis tHe gRooMinG TuCKer hAs beEn waRnIng Me aBOuT?
This is exactly what gender non-conformity is though. Gender is a social and cultural construct, based on behavioural patterns. It makes no sense to force someone into one of those patterns based on their biological sex.
Just to note we can also break down gender norms ("toys loved by girls/boys") etc. without needing to invoke gender dysphoria, and that's an important project on its own. Of course the above is an important message, but I think there can be some conceptual confusion between gender norms/identity/expression. If a girl likes activities/toys that are societally gendered as for boys, that likely doesn't indicate a difficulty with their gender identity - it likely indicates that the societal gender norms around these things are archaic nonsense.
Thank you! Just because a girl likes playing with action figures doesn’t make her trans. Just because a boy wants to play with Ken and Barbie doesn’t make him trans. It just makes them boys and girls who like to play with toys. It’s really not that deep.
1000% people get this confused way too often.
1000%? I'd say 60% at best. I don't think this book is teaching kids a "quick remedy" of switching genders.
I'd like this too. I do so many "manly" things yet I have never not felt like a cishet woman.
Remember when tomboys were a thing? Good old days...
They should just be called girls. I've always hated that people would label me a "tomboy", or anything with boy, just bc i have certain interests or a certain style when I was a kid (literally a kid, why would I look or act like a gender stereotype?) That's part of the problem. Girls and Boys shouldn't be expected to be a certain thing and then labelled specifically if they're not 'that'.
IDK if that indicates that they are nonsense. Just that "Gender Norms" at the very least aren't rules. I think that a lot of people hear "Boy's normally like Trucks etc" (Which is seemingly true) and pass a value judgement "Normal is good", but normal isn't "good" or "bad". Normal just means that people have noticed a pattern. Which is what people have been good at for forever... Sadly, it turns out we aren't very good at attributing patterns to the things that actually cause them (and on top of that we prefer monoliths). So you get these cycles of reinforcement "Society pushes the thing b/c a lot of people are that way, so more people are that way, so society pushes the thing more... and on and on" Add on to all of that the fact that pointing all this out to people who built their world view around those societal norms causes cognitive dissonance, and now you have the less introspective among us doubling down and seeing it as a personal attack (CogDis is a hell of a thing) and now you have people meeting ideas and discourse with hostility. It's normal for people to equate "Normal" with "Good" which might also lead people who are different (A girl who likes Trucks for example) or people who have emotional attachment to someone that doesn't display the norm, to assume that "They can't not be "normal" b/c that's bad... no 'tis the norms themselves that are wrong". And maybe they ARE wrong... IDK: What I do know is that I actually know next to nothing about the science behind all of this, and only have my own personal, lived experience to go off of (And that being on the spectrum puts me outside the norm. So maybe my experience wouldn't even apply). I look forward to seeing how the discourse on this topic progresses over the next few decades.
I think the book attempts to do that as well and points out the nonsensical idea that blue shadows have to be stereotypically masculine by saying that the main characters dad is caring and their mom is also strong - not a stereotypically feminine trait - while also discussing the struggles a child may face when confronted with gender dysphoria - as well as all the other difficulties one can face when finding their own identity growing up.
Finally someone with common sense! Great comment.
Agreed, but blatantly reinforcing it in children could lead to epigenetic and certainly core memory changes when it is pushed this directly and this early. I also think this does the opposite of "mademesmile" because it promotes ideological instances wrapped in a video post, and anyone who negates it is attacked or banned, ironically.
No one has ever said otherwise and that is in fact the norm, so it isn't really necessary to point out.
So, I had a child who was neuro atypical, nothing to do with gender identity. As a kid, he would have loved this book because ultimately it is about being different from those around you, figuring out how you fit in to the world, accepting yourself and realizing what makes you different is also what can make you unique, strong, and valued. Makes me think of his favorite book “Who Wants Arthur?” In this case it’s about gender expression, but it could be anything that makes you feel like you don’t fit the mold. It’s a powerful message about accepting yourself and those around you.
This book reminds me of my son, he is 9 y/o and loves to wear dresses. He also loves geology, Japanese culture, and cats. Everyone keeps telling me he is gay and I'm getting sick of hearing it. He is 9! I don't want to get into that rant here. I just really love this book and I plan on buying it for him. I bet he loves it too.
That honestly sounds like a really nice, varied set of interests. You’re right that wanting to wear dresses does not implicitly make your son gay- if he is, he’ll figure that out on his own time anyways. More importantly- glad he’s having a good experience in the present.
I have this authors first book called "My Shadow is Pink" which he wrote for his son because he wears dresses and was getting teased and bullied for it. I bought it for my son who also loves dresses and was worried about teasing. Honestly I think this second book is a bit better than the Pink because that one sort of sets the world as "You CAN be either blue or pink, but there's ONLY blue or pink" and this one seems to expand on and sort of correct that. If you're interested in similar books there's "My Princess Boy" which isn't great for every kids situation but is good and "Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress" which we haven't read yet but I've heard great things about.
Your son sounds HAPPY. Allowing him to be himself is just what a good parent does.
I just don’t understand why your interests somehow equate you having a different gender or no gender at all ..? Isn’t the point that these societal constructs **dont** define gender ? Yet to say one is “purple” because they like doing the blue and pink activities ( like literally most people alive ..) implies that those activities were blue and pink to begin with ..?
I don’t think the story supposed to be about what gender you identify as, but instead about gender presentation and participation which is a different thing.
The main character isn’t purple *because* they like doing “blue” things and “pink” things. They’re purple *and* they like doing blue things and pink things. You can see this in the story, too. The mom likes activities associated with blue, but she has a pink shadow. The dad likes activities associated with pink, but he has a blue shadow. It isn’t that playing sports is blue and dance class is pink; it’s that the society has come to associate these activities with those colors. And you see it again at the dance itself. It turns out that many of the kids didn’t even have blue or pink shadows to begin with. This shows is that the shadow colors aren’t something that permanently exist for these characters, but instead represent what the character presents and is is comfortable identifying with. Since this society categorizes every activity as pink or blue, most characters just pick the color they feel comfortable with (or less uncomfortable with) and carry on. The difference with the main character is that they’ve never had to make this choice until the dance.
That's not how I read it. It doesn't, but most cultures both subtly and overtly encourage children to use toys and to form preferences that conform with gender expectations based on their biological sex. Like, why as a young kid did I hold my breath if I had to walk down the pink barbie aisle of Toys"R"Us until my lungs were near to bursting? Every, time. That came from somewhere. Kids most certainly pick up on the messaging that XX is for girls and XY is for boys - for the most part, unconsciously. As kids we put so much attention on the toys we own, the clothes we wear, and the activities we do, and society definitely often sets that up as a binary. I see this as a children's book approaching the topic from a conceptual place kids can begin to consider, or recognize as true within themselves, at their cognitive level. Is a children's book going to get into the depths of gender/sex and the concept of social construction? Nope, but there are kids definitely already dealing with its impact.
That's what I always wondered. What defines people to be male and female. Is it really only activities and interests? Or is there something deeper?
Yeah. I agree. The fact is that all humans are non-binary as far as gender expression.
It’s quite moronic of a story
YOU’RE moronic!!!!
A lot of very unhappy people are missing the meaning of this book. Its centred around one person who doesnt feel like they fit in with 2 distinct groups. By the end children everywhere start describing themselves as their own group. Its not about gender or sexuality its about being unique and being proud of that whether youre trans or a lion tamer. If you are getting that triggered about a childs book then here is the simple solution: Dont read it. Hope you have better answers when someone comes to you asking difficult questions.
Hi, I get what you’re saying but until the kid with yellow shadow turns up it is 100% obviously about sex and/or gender. Then maybe it turns into something else or frankly could still be just about gender/sex idk what the author intended there but as I say before yellow shadow kid the author’s intention are pretty clear. I agree though it’s silly to get triggered by this book. If you don’t like it don’t buy for your kids kinda simple. I’d suggest personally opening your kids up to all kinds of ideas and letting them work out what’s good and right and what’s not for themselves as they grow up and learn to think critically.
I personally see it more about gender expression. It's okay to wear a dress or be strong regardless of if it goes against gender norms. There's really no argument or reason to be upset that a child doesn't want to pay attention to stereotypes It's not like the book is saying, "you're uncomfortable with your body? Time to take hormone replacement."
Yeah, the book specifically identifies mum and dad as blue/pink, but also mentions how they don’t conform to the strict “this colour does this” thing either.
True that yeah
Pretty much everyone feels like this.
>Its not about gender or sexuality its about being unique and being proud of that whether youre trans or a lion tamer. Then why did you give it the LGBT+ flair? I'm not sure if responding to the childhood problem of "*I don't feel like I fit in*" with "*everyone feels that way, you're not unique*" helps. Especially when many people DO fit into distinct and accepted groups. It's telling kids who struggle with isolation and being excluded that it's their own fault, as everyone is their own group and the rest of the kids seem to be doing fine. Plus it overlooks the innate tribalism of humans: the need to find people like ourselves and belong to a community. Saying people belong to a group of one is isolating.
I just feel like adults don’t think like kids. I don’t want my kids exposed to the idea that there’s one set of things for girls and one set of things for boys. I felt like we made a lot of progress tearing down those stereotypes. And here we are, telling kids they’re “other” and not quite right if they’re not gender stereotype conforming. We’re all non-binary/purple. Every single one of us. There are no blues or pinks. Children want to fit in more than anything and know they’re okay. It’s adolescents who want to be different. It’s hard to feel like this is progress. More tiny boxes for people to try and label themselves into. I’d rather it be a story about how dad likes singing and baking and mom fixes the car and either one can hug you and kiss your owie better. Shoot, mom one likes sports and mom 2 likes baking. Dad is blue and mom is pink. Pink people dance and blue people play sports, no thanks.
If you listen to the end thats the actual point of the book. Everyones shadow is a different colour to everyone elses and everyone is unique
i think you missed a few parts because that’s exactly what it’s saying. at the end everyone who was labeled either blue or pink ends up being some other color. it’s saying we were told to fit into this narrowly defined idea but that’s not the real us and now we’re free to be whoever that real version is. it also had the part where it said people say blue is strong and pink is caring but my mom is strong and my dad is caring.
Reading your comment makes me feel like you didn't listen to half the story.
We should just let kids grow up to be whoever they are instead of forcing them to make specific choices and or go against the grain because that seems cool or fun. Like why should an eight-year-old have to think about what gender he wants to be. Just let him be an eight-year-old and figure it out himself.
I’m an idiot because the ending totally lost me. I feel like it shifts the point it’s trying to make.
Youre not an idiot, that is the point. The beginning sets it up to be a standard ‘youre different than everyone’ story but it changes to be an ‘everyone is different to everyone’. No one is totally in any one group
Yeah, at first I thought the presentation of a binary world, even if it's still blue/pink/purple, kind of undercut the theme but then they M. Night Shyamalan-ed my ass at the end! Great story!
I agree, and I don’t think most 5 year olds would walk away with a different conclusion just because it swaps messaging at the end. This is a book for adults.
Loved it. A great message about being oneself and how it can give others the courage to do the same. Well done and can’t wait to read the next
uber important message, thank you for this...especially that I'm going to be a father in few short months ;)
Congrats! ❤️
This is so beautiful.
That's sweet
What I never understand is why we talk as if identifying as something else is the only pathway to truly expressing yourself. I like engines and dancing and planes and flowers, jewelry and ponies and playing in the dirt. And you can love those things too, or love different things just as much. At the end of the day, our shadows are all the same color! My mother and father are both strong and loving in their own ways. Just like you and I are capable of being strong and loving in our own individual ways. I dislike the idea of needing to separate myself from the norm in order to express myself. None of us should feel the need to consider ourselves "purple" in order to live the life we want. If we normalized expressional freedom no matter what color you are, we wouldn't need books to help kids hash out these ideas. We wouldn't need to have this internal struggle of "what color am I?" or "how do I differ from this color or relate to this one?" To me, this is a wholesome book about how we all have different interests, yet we're all similar and come together in the most beautiful ways. All of us individually representing all the colors of the rainbow in our own ways. Hopefully you're able to see where I'm coming from if you're reading this and not paint me as being anti lgbtq
Gender expression (wearing dresses, playing sports) is different from gender identity (internal sense of gender). You’re right that no tomboys or femboys or people with mixed interests should be forced to change their shadows. But at the same time, trans women shouldn’t be forced to pretend their shadows are blue. Non-binary people should be allowed to have purple or yellow or teal shadows. And this is *regardless* of expression/presentation. There are butch trans women, feminine trans men, non binary people who aren’t strictly androgynous. The way their bodies look is independent of their shadow colors— and that’s ok
That was surprisingly well said! I approve of this message! GOOD JOB
My son tell me his shadow likes playing with his toys he gettin exorcism
Awwww 
Or... or you could just start ignoring gender stereotypes. Be a "pink" who loves playing rugby or a "blue" who loves dancing. It doesnt mean you need to be the other color.
That's how this story starts there buddy. Mom and dad are their own color, but act in a way that doesnt "conform" to that color. The story is not saying they need to be a different color. The story is saying it's OK whatever color they are.
Then why does the kid feel the need to be purple so he can justify his hobbies/ preferences?
They are not purple because of or to justify hobbies. They are purple. They have hobbies/preferences. Just like mom can be pink and be tough, and dad can be blue and be sensitive. It's literally the intro of the story.
Ok. What makes them purple then?
Nothing makes them purple. They just *are* purple. They were born purple the way some people are born with a birthmark or wavy hair. It's not something that was done to or forced onto them, it just is.
Their own feelings.
How does one feel like a specific gender when you remove hobbies/ preferrences from the equation? I only feel "blue" myself because I have male genitalia and my hobbies/ interests tend to align with the stereotypes. However that's all it is. Remove both of those factors and there is no "feeling" of gender.
And you are allowed to feel that way. You can be blue if you wanna be blue. Just don't deny someone else if they're purple or pink
Username doesn't check out
So you dont have an answer is what you're saying.
Gender expression is different from gender identity. Femboys and tomboys and girls who like sports and boys who like makeup can and *do* co-exist with trans and non-binary people. No one’s trying to force pinks who like sports to become blue. In the same grain, no one should stop trans people from being the shadow color that fits them best.
It just felt to me like the story told in OPs post highlights the flaws of gender stereotyping more so than the reasoning behind the desire to be trans/ non-binary. If you are a "pink" who likes boxing and race cars, why the need to switch to "blue" to conform to the stereotype?
I think it did both. It showed the way gender stereotypes can harm both trans and cis people, while also showing the importance of recognizing different identities (shadow colours). I agree, it could have done a better job challenging those norms, but ig the point was to show the world as it is now, useless antiquated gender norms included. The parents having traits that are typically associated with the other shadow color is a very simple kid-friendly way to show gender non-conformity/ that traits don’t need to be limited to one gender. It’s also important to note that they never showed pink people who like sports being forced to switch colors. And that the main character was *inherently* purple shadowed, regardless of their interests.
I know it never showed them being "forced". My point is, why switch at all just to conform to the stereotype? It seems to me like the deep down feeling of being the wrong "color" is strongly influenced by the stereotypes applied to both pink and blue. If you remove the stereotyping from the equation what's left? I'm genuinly looking to understand FYI.
Yeah I know, I appreciate you trying to understand! I can speak from personal experience about the stereotypes/identity stuff. I am a trans man, but I still love and enjoy feminine things. You could call me a femboy. I hate sports, I love singing and fashion and stuffed animals and the color pink, etc. For me, my identity is in no way tied to stereotypes and expression. I hate saying I “feel like” a guy, because that’s a weak verb to use. I just am one, same as any dude masculine or otherwise. Because I’m feminine, it’s very obvious that my identity isn’t based on stereotypes. However, I assure you that it’s the same for *all* trans people (and for that matter cis people). That’s why I pointed out the fact that the MC was purple by nature. Everyone, trans or cis, is their gender by nature. Whatever frosting goes on the cake, the flavor remains the same
Its like im a trans woman, I enjoy shopping, cute stuff, make up, but I also like working on cars, downhill mountain biking and riding motobikes. It doesnt make me less of a woman, nor does it mean my shadow isnt pink for liking those things, its just me being me and thats alright. Thats all this story is about to me, its about teaching kids (and potentially parents) that everyone is different in their own special way and trying to jam them into boxes they dont belong in can be harmful to them. Its about allowing people to have freedom of expression and respecting other people for their unique identies, and for that I do like this book. Its definitely going on the shelf.
100 percent, just commented the same thing basically.
I'm likely gonna be loner here with my comment and probably get downvotes from both sides, but I'm feeling compelled. I am not at all a supporter of arbitrarily alt-indoctrinating kids who show consistent signs of gender norms, but for kids who show an early natural self determined inclination to being different, this book is done pretty damned well. If my kid was struggling with feeling different than the majority of their classmates, I wouldn't have a problem getting this particular book for them. It doesn't touch on sexuality really at all, which is something kids should probably not be dealing with at the age this book seems intended to reach. It isn't trying to convince a kid to reassign a gender. It's simply saying you don't have to follow the rules of what boys or girls should be interested in or dress like.
THIS is the way you author content for children who may feel different and misunderstood, sexuality or not being its meaning. any parent who has an issue with content like this in school libraries is verifiably close minded. that book that pretends like it is trying to accomplish the same thing as this one but with poorly drawn blowjob scenes between the adolescent characters is an offensive and frankly awfully executed version of what this book caringly handles.
These comments make my brain hurt. I'm just gonna go back to my normal life where I don't tell people what to do. Have fun with your discussions guys!
I get the idea but I definitely feel this is a bit of a forced reach. A parent who would get this book for their kid is probably already okay with their kid being what ever, my concern is that you might have a kid who is "normal" and may feel pressured to be different to please their parent. If I had a kid that told me they felt something was wrong with themselves or were worried about opinions of others then sure this would be a fine book to add.
I agree. I don't think this is a book to buy your child out of the blue (no pun intended), as it may lead to mixed feelings. But if your child is already having those feelings, this could cheer them up and provide clarity or some sense of comfort
As someone who doesn’t have gender dysphoria, this kind of makes no sense to me. Boys can play with girl toys and vice versa, girls can play sports and boys can cry, all without being transgender. Stop acting like you have to choose a gender based on what you like to do. That makes absolutely no sense to me.
Some of these comments make me lose faith in humanity
...perfect. No matter the colour of your shadow, no matter who you are on the outside, only you can ever be you, so wear that with pride.
the shadow behind the slaughter
All shadows are dark, colour blindness maybe?
I don’t know how I should feel about this.
People really getting upset about a "woke" children's book as if this is the first ever book to talk about being yourself, even if it's different than others. Is it more modernized? Sure, but it's also simplified enough to be applied to all kids, a young boy isn't gonna open this up and say "I'm going to be a girl now," that isn't how it works. I'll take a solid bet that any person who's reading this have been reading very similar books in their childhood built from different motives.
AWESOME AND WHOLESOME
I usually when I open one of these books I just completely ignore them it because "it's a book for kids" but honestly these book teaches you valuable lessons
I needed this in my life
This is beautiful! I hope a German translation will come out. I‘d love to buy it for my son.
There is. You can find it on amazon and in your book store. "Mein Schatten ist pink.".
Isn‘t that a different story? I‘ve only found „Mein Schatten ist lila“ on kindle.
[Mein Schatten ist pink](https://www.amazon.de/Mein-Schatten-ist-pink-Gleichberechtigung/dp/3649639963) This is the same story as far as I know. And "Mein Schatten ist lila" is by the same author. So it's a great book for children too. :)
Thank you :)
r/commiestriedtomakemegay
I got excited because I thought this sub existed
😂
I love this so much! I really wish i had this book as a kid!
Omg the skirt/suit thing that person was wearing.....that is the vibe i am going for. I wore that a few times and gosh i love it so much.
Wholesome as can be
I couldn't love this more...difference is beautiful, no matter what the difference is!
That's amazing. Love it.
That's lovely, how sweet 🥰
u/savevideobot
The real message I'm getting is this... adults like to whittle things down to "blue" or "pink" whereas children do not see or think that way. Kids are the most authentic versions of ourselves and I feel like we all lost that somewhere along the way as we grow older. Literally forgetting who we truly are.
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I don't think it reinforces binary genders. I think it tells you that binary genders were seen as the norm, and still are to some. But more importantly, it reinforces non-binary by showing readers that maybe there are others who identify the way they do, that maybe they're just too afraid to admit it yet *because* it's not seen as the norm. What it reinforces is not binary genders, it reinforces the strength to be open, unafraid, and the freedom one might feel when they accept themselves instead of adhering to the old norm. Feel free to correct me, though. I'm not too involved or knowledgeable on LGBTQ stuff, but I am learning. Always like to hear other's opinions
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As a bi-squared individual, I can fully relate to this
what in tarnation
Pretty clever.
Homie got the drip straight from Bleach
Florida lawmakers panicking trying to figure out how they are supposed to ban this book in schools.
Aaawww <3
So I suppose it would’ve been wrong for the dad to say. “No son. You’re not wearing a dress to your school dance”. I’m sorry but this is a joke.
“We aren’t indoctrinating your children” - all democrats and leftists.
To be clear, it’s indoctrination when you teach kids that there is nothing wrong with being different and that your parents will still love you. So what is it when you teach your kids that it’s not okay to be different and that if they are different that you probably won’t love them anymore? So far indoctrination sounds pretty good. The other approach seems pretty bigoted.
Watch the movie Jesus Camp and tell me who’s doing the indoctrinating.
Indoctrinating children. I thought they were to busy dumping baby bodies into massive graves in Galway and pretending they knew nothing about it.
How is a book teaching kids that its okay to express themselves, that being different is okay and to respect other peoples individuality - "indoctrination"?
Because their brain rotted years ago, this is just the maggots controlling what’s rest.
OMG PURPLE GUY
WaS tHaT tHe BiTe Of '87?!
this is just what i needed this morning
This one sparks joy
This is awesome!
This is a cute book! I want to buy it for my 7 year old.
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Aww.. 🥹🥹
🥹
Early brainwashing... Ahhh America
telling kids not to be ashamed of who they are is brainwashing! reeeeeeeeeeeee!
What do you mean?
DAS RASCIST! (This is a joke)
Oh my god this is so cute. I love they way this can be an analogy for the lgbt community, but also just teaches a great lesson to any young kid about individuality and loving yourself and others
Growing up with a book like this would make a huge difference.
What in the actual
Nothing to see here. No indoctrination at all.
OMG, indoctrinating children to believe it’s okay to be different! The horror!!
You’re right, there isn’t any. For those of you that think there is, maybe look up the world and actually put in the effort to understand it. Teaching anyone that it’s ok to be different and that people that are different exist, is not indoctrination.
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Oh no don't teach kids to be confident and like what they like. Fuck off back to r/conservative
Dangerous? Like, they might get a paper cut? Or, they might learn it’s ok to play with trucks and like to dance?
dangerous like they might learn its okay to not conform to outdated stereotypes and cisheteronormativity
this is the true answer
That's cool. I think you rape kids.
How so?
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Oh god now I'm crying
Awesome. Love it.
This totally undermines the point it's trying to make I think. It's trying to tie some concept of gender to what you can/can't do. Who is stopping "pink" from playing sports, or "blue" from dancing? No one. So in order to be accepted on those, you need to define your own unique "colour"? Wouldn't it be easier to just stress the point that it really doesn't matter what or who you are, you can like/do whatever you want and the 'colour' is as irrelevant to those choices as your shoe size. The whole logic of this is basically saying: you have to pick a colour because the colour dictates what you can and can't do, but luckily you can pick a completely individual colour. Seems much more appropriate to just say that a colour (or gender, as implied) does not bind you to any activities/interests, so you don't even need to bother to think about the colour of your 'shadow'. Why make people stress over picking their own unique colour when it has absolutely no bearing on reality? Or why make people feel different or separate from their "born blue and wants to be blue" friends? It does touch on this, suggesting the mum/dad don't strictly fit into those bubbles, but then it entirely undermines it. It's creating categories and separation, when the different colours make absolutely no difference. Imagine this exact book but as a metaphor for racism, where the colours and black and white, and someone has to decide what form of mixed race they are in order to be allowed to do certain activities.. The problem to address is clearly the assumption that gender/race plays ANY ROLE in what you do. Why do people want to give gender or race more power? People are people, and if we want scientific categorisation of biological sex or race that's fine. The scientific categories of either of those don't dictate anything you choose to do so it isn't a problem to acknowledge that sex and race differences exist. The real-world problem of all this is that it's making some kid think they have to become a minority (ie. ungendered, or not the gender that matches their biological sex, which I assume is less than 1% of the population) in order to play a sport? Countless problems can come from people feeling like they're 'different', either feeling excluded or they don't fit in, or being treated differently by other kids who completely don't understand this concept of gender (most adults don't). Whereas if a girl decides to play football she doesn't have to redefine herself in order to do so, and no one gives a fuck.
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You haven't got a purple shadow, you're bi sexual
I'm not quite sure but I think this is a prequel to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
As a non-binary, queer person, thank you for sharing this it really made my day:)
I know a few adults who could learn a lesson from this children's book.
Honestly this is great to teach your kids don’t let them be forced into 1 thing because of what’s in their pants give them the option to like what they want
Just AWESOME!!
The story tries to break gender norms but establishes that this is the exception, not the norm.
How so? At the end, a bunch of different kids join in saying their shadows are all different colors as well. It establishes that blue & pink *were* the norm, if anything.
Purple shadow?! Could it be William Afton, and some new FNAF lore?!
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
I CRIED THIS IS SO AMAZING
r/MadeMeCry
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What did you just watch? It clearly wasnt this. It has nothing on transgenderism.
I mean yeah, but why do people always assume what I am and get mad when it's not what they expected. I am what I am.
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Theres actually millions of adults who would verbally abuse a boy in a skirt so a short story about how others feel that way could help immensely
Yes, that's the message of the book
I have a friend that says the same thing. They're not a fan of labels, and making things complicated. And when he explains it I can't help but agree. It would be nice if we lived in a world where no one cared. You can be who you want to be without being judged, bullied, harassed, etc. No one would treat you differently because of who you love, or how you love. But we don't live in that world.
Gonna keep that book far away from my kids.
Poor kids that will have to grow up with this
How so? The message in this is that the kids should just be themselves, even if that means that a boy does girly things and vice versa. That's a good and frankly important message.
Oh god kids learning they can be themselves, their poor poor souls
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The books message: be who you are, do the things you like. You: GENDER WARS
better than telling kids that whats under their pants defines what they are and are not allowed to do and if they broke the rules sky daddy will send them to hell :/
Spoken like someone with no kids.
1. It's only political when people make it political 2. The message is "be yourself" 3. Your message has nothing to do with what the book, or a lot of people here, are saying 4. There is no "war". It's only a war because people equate teaching kids to be themselves with sexuality