Scan a listing of local births in any newspaper, and you will find only two categories: girl or boy. But that label only describes the physical aspects of our bodies, for as children grow, it soon becomes clear that each one is unique, sometimes showing characteristics that society attributes to the opposite sex.

In America, such diverse traits in girls have long been accepted. Daughters (myself included) who climbed trees, played with toy guns, and preferred jeans over dresses were fondly called “tomboys”. The famous actress, Katherine Hepburn, exhibited many such “mannish” characteristics and was admired as an “androgynous woman”, but boys who showed interest in traditionally feminine pursuits have sometimes been called “pansies” or worse. Why? Roosevelt (Rosey) Grier, a pro football player from the Rams, openly pursued hobbies such as needlepoint and macramé, long-associated with women. Yet he had no trouble on the field, and in later years wrestled Robert Kennedy’s armed assassin to the ground.

Why has it been acceptable for girls to diverge from society’s norm, but not boys?

There have been many a little girl who secretly (and not so secretly) wished she were a boy. I cannot help but wonder how many boys, even for a short span of time, wished they were a girl. And if asked why, how would they answer? Do they have a skewed idea of what it means to be male, or are they drawn to the gentle, more typically feminine characteristics that men naturally admire in women?

I suggest that many problems of “gender identity” arise from ingrained attitudes. We tend to view ourselves, and each other, through the narrow lens of traditional roles. Am I any less a woman if I dislike fingernail polish and like to repair cars? Is he any less a man if he shops for the latest fashions and likes to decorate cakes?

As I write this in 2018, there is controversy over the Boy Scout organization dropping the word “Boy” so that girls can also join the scouting program. Since I was a girl who longed to be a Boy Scout, I am in full sympathy. There are some who say that girls have their own organization and should join it, but Girl Scouts are totally different from Boy Scouts – all about feminism, crafts, and community awareness. Here are two current examples of their activities: “rethinking global definitions of beauty” and performing community “safety audits”. Give me camping, hiking, and interesting merit badge projects, instead.

I love the old Disney movie, Follow Me, Boys! How nice if it had been Follow Me, Scouts! , so I could have worn the scout uniform and engaged in fun, challenging outdoor activities under the fatherly guidance of Fred McMurray.  

When my two daughters were young, I got them into the Campfire program, but despite the misleading name, it was no better than Girl Scouts and they never once saw a campfire. Their meetings involved nothing but craft projects, and the only “campout” was a sleepover inside a local building.

What about boys who would rather stay out of the woods, make art projects, and focus on community involvement? Will Girl Scouts drop the “girl” from their name and admit boys, as well? Will they adjust their program so that boys will feel welcome and valued as male?

In any event, the scope of our interests should not make us question our sexual identities. Each one of us is a conglomerate of diverse interests and God-given talents, and we should feel free to express ourselves in an atmosphere of mutual respect. The fact that a boy likes to babysit children should not detract from his basic masculinity. He is merely a boy who likes to babysit…or arrange flowers…or read poetry. The same is true of girls, but as previously stated, their divergence from a false “norm” has been more widely accepted. We should appreciate ourselves and those around us as unique examples of men and women—as individuals.

Accepting the idea of multiple, imaginative “gender identities” ignores the scientific truth lodged in our DNA. Assuming a fantasy-gender cannot change biological reality. Aside from rare genetic disorders, we come into this world either as a girl or as a boy. But the souls within each of us hold a wealth of possibilities.