Gender stereotypes are stacked in girls’ favor, according to celebrity mom Tia Mowry-Hardrict. The actress tells Momtastic readers that boys are bullied more often than girls when they step outside of social cliches pertaining to gender.
“I think boys are affected by gender stereotypes more than girls are,” Tia says. “If a girl is playing with a truck I don’t feel like there will be as big of an uproar as if a little boy is playing with a doll. I grew up dancing and if my son wanted to dance and sing I feel like it’s more accepted for a girl to be a ballerina and start dancing at a young age as opposed to a boy. It really, really bothers me.”
Tia goes on to tell fans that her son, Cree, has been on the receiving end of criticism because of his long hair. “Recently, I posted a photo of Cree and my brother having a beautiful moment together,” she writes. “Instead of people focusing on the love between them, the whole conversation was about Cree’s hair. I ask Cree all the time whether he wants me to cut his hair and he’s like, ‘No, mommy, no!’ So I’m not going to cut it. Why are people so fixated on the gender stereotype of boys having short hair and girls having long hair?”
Her son’s critics are the reason why Tia advocates for gender equality and freedom. “We need to get past gender stereotypes,” she explains. “If we don’t allow children to do certain things because of their gender we’re limiting their ability to express themselves—and that freedom of expression is where joy comes from. If something makes a child happy, he or she should be able to do it, regardless of gender.”
See what else Tia Mowry-Hardrict says about gender and stereotypes here.
