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Gender Norms

Standing Up For The 'T' Girls

Daniel Browne | Posted 05.06.2013 | Gay Voices
Daniel Browne

I associate with a diverse range of people, and the female-assigned people I know who dress or live as men have a much easier time than the male-assigned people I know who dress or live as women. The former is more socially acceptable, and that disappoints me.

LOOK: Little Girls Are Better At Designing Superheroes Than You

The Huffington Post | Jessica Samakow | Posted 05.04.2013 | Parents

There is much to love about a Tumblr that collects photos of little girls dressed as superheroes. From a traditional Wonder Woman to badass Bat Man an...

Challenging Poly Stereotypes In Media (and at Home)

Sierra Black | Posted 04.10.2013 | Women
Sierra Black

It turns out my mom likes my girlfriend and my kids are fine and the neighbors don't care what I do as long as I trim my forsythia and shovel the snow. And it's great to be given a platform to bust some of these harmful myths about polyamory and show off the good thing I have going.

How to be a Grown-up Girl

Christina Pesoli | Posted 04.23.2013 | Women
Christina Pesoli

When a girl is little it's OK for her to have her own dreams -- and it's fine for her to dream big. She can pretend to be a princess and reign over an entire land, or announce that she wants to be an Academy Award-winning actress or declare that she is going to be the next President.

The Problem With Princess Culture For Boys

Dresden Shumaker | Posted 04.23.2013 | Parents
Dresden Shumaker

A funny thing happened when I met my son -- I started to realize how destructive girl power can be to boys.

Is Gaydar Experiencing Signal Failure?

Allison Hope | Posted 03.31.2013 | Gay Voices
Allison Hope

My gaydar should be stronger than ever, but a strange phenomenon is now occurring. As celesbians like Ellen get more glam-dyked out and less butch, and as pink becomes the new black for metrosexual men with their murses, my gaydar is getting blocked by static.

Equality And Gender Roles Don't Coexist When A Woman Loves A Woman

Robyn Harper | Posted 03.30.2013 | Gay Voices
Robyn Harper

A question often asked of same-gender couples is, "Who is the man and who is the woman in the relationship?" It is perhaps the most illustrative example of gender-role conformity at its worst. We are not just genders with roles to fill. We are individuals.

The Rise Of The Gay Feminist

Tyler Curry | Posted 03.26.2013 | Gay Voices
Tyler Curry

The gay community is not immune to the idea that femininity is second-class. We still trot out our brawniest and brusquest as our spokesmen. It astounds me that gay culture continues to perpetuate the values that have kept women and gay men oppressed.

Beyond Dolls vs. Trucks: How Children of Same-Sex Parents May Be Less Constrained By Gender Stereotypes, and Why It Matters

Abbie E. Goldberg | Posted 02.02.2013 | Science
Abbie E. Goldberg

In today's society, parents and educators are increasingly realizing the benefits of playing with all kinds of toys. That is, a preschool-aged boy who happily investigates a toy kitchen is less likely to be chastised by his teacher or parents than in decades past.

Caregiving: Not Just for Women Anymore

Nancy Wurtzel | Posted 12.17.2012 | Fifty
Nancy Wurtzel

When I conjure an image of a caregiver, I picture a woman. I know I'm being sexist but I always think of a female. Why?

Cara Santa Maria

GOP Women Have More Feminine Faces?

HuffingtonPost.com | Cara Santa Maria | Posted 10.03.2012 | Science

When you think of women in positions of power and authority, is the first thing that comes to mind what they look like? And if you compared voting rec...

GOP Women Are More 'Feminine,' Study Suggests

The Hufffington Post | Meredith Bennett-Smith | Posted 10.01.2012 | Science

Republican congresswomen appear more "feminine" than their Democrat counterparts, according to a new study by UCLA psychology researchers. "Female ...

Turning Marriage Right Side Up: Lilith on Top

Robert B. Barr | Posted 11.20.2012 | Women
Robert B. Barr

It is time for marriage to be turned right side up. It is time for Eve Marriages to go away and Lilith Marriages to arise. For when women are on top -- everyone will ultimately benefit.

Everybody's Trans: Gender Oppression Hurts All Of Us

Laverne Cox | Posted 08.19.2012 | Gay Voices
Laverne Cox

Many of us are constantly putting ourselves and others in gender boxes that we just don't fit into, whether or not we identify as trans. This is not to negate the specific discrimination that trans-identified people experience daily and systemically, but gender oppression affects everyone.

If We Rooted Out Misogyny In Our Society, Could We Finally End Bullying?

John Bartlett | Posted 08.18.2012 | Gay Voices
John Bartlett

While our culture promises to protect diversity, it feels that the last arena to find legitimate and cultural protection is the arena of being gay. To me, the bullying of a seemingly gay boy, in particular, has to do with the fact that being feminine is unacceptable in our macho culture.

Bad Idea: Spas for Tween Girls

Patricia Leavy, PhD | Posted 06.26.2012 | Parents
Patricia Leavy, PhD

Offering a bikini wax to a young girl serves only to sexualize her and push her towards an adult ideal of the body-beautiful.

Photographer Addresses Gender In 'The Pink And Blue Project'

Posted 04.17.2012 | Arts

South Korean artist JeongMee Yoon first embarked on "The Pink and Blue Project" when her five-year-old daughter couldn't get enough candy-colored poss...

Swap The Audio Between Boys And Girls Toy Ads, And You Will Be Disturbed

The Huffington Post | Mallika Rao | Posted 03.30.2012 | Home

Everyone knows little kids are indoctrinated early. Either they choose pink and Barbies or blue and GI Joes, or they end up getting written about in t...

When The Gender Boxes Don't Fit

Ericka Sokolower-Shain | Posted 05.22.2012 | Gay Voices
Ericka Sokolower-Shain

What gender-variant youth need are teachers who don't make assumptions, who ask lots of questions and then listen to the answers. Everyone is different. When a kid tells you what's important to them, that's what they want you to do.

That Poor Embattled Y Chromosome

Sherman Yellen | Posted 05.11.2012 | Media
Sherman Yellen

In thinking about gender, I had hoped that the New York Times would deal with the recent Chris Christie attack on a law student. Christie is considered a "real man" -- a "regular guy" among his supporters, a future presidential contender.

When Will HRC And GLAAD Go After Miller Lite's Offensive Ads?

David Groshoff | Posted 03.03.2012 | Gay Voices
David Groshoff

On Christmas I took the day off from researching corporate law and watched whatever programming our cable TV provided. And that programming contained a seemingly disturbing amount of "manliness," whatever that means.

PHOTO: What's Wrong With This Forever 21 Tee?

The Huffington Post | Ellie Krupnick | Posted 11.12.2011 | Style

The media world was up in arms over a J.C. Penney girls' tee-shirt that read, "I'm too pretty to do homework so my brother has to do it for me." T...

Truck-Loving Girls And Ballet-Dancing Boys: Why Raising Ungendered Kids Isn’t So Simple

Sarah Buttenwieser | Posted 11.17.2011 | Healthy Living
Sarah Buttenwieser

Peggy Orenstein, you totally got to me. After reading your book, I feel all the more resolved not to let the cult of Disney Princesses into her life (or mine).

Overcoming Clergy Gender Norms

Joshua Stanton | Posted 05.25.2011 | Religion
Joshua Stanton

Archetypes for men and women -- and especially clergy -- press us to conform to the norms dictated by our genders. People want religious leaders to look, sound and seem familiar.

Prop 8: Let's Get Rid of Marriage Instead!

Sally Kohn | Posted 05.25.2011 | Politics
Sally Kohn

For millions of Americans like me -- gay, straight and in the vast hinterlands in between -- the little box of traditional marriage is too constricting for our evolving notions of love and partnership.