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Yuck

I got a comment on a Facebook post last night that is quite gross.

So, I posted this picture of the Margot Robbie Barbie doll in the pink gingham dress from the movie. I'll admit, I am obsessed with this movie for a lot of reasons including, not going to lie, partly recapturing a youth that I never had. Nevertheless, the movie truly looks like a ton of fun and I am quite looking forward to it.

Anyways, amongst the comments, I responded to one with, "I also want this dress!" Why not? The dress is really quite beautiful and I know that style would work really well on me.

One of the replies was, "get your mom or sister to make it for you." That seems innocent enough, except there is some implications here that are actually quite gross.

The first is the idea that my sister, who has never posted anything about this kind of activity before, would somehow know how to make a dress because, you know, girl. That's inherently misogynistic right there.

The second is the idea that me, who has posted about these kinds of things constantly, would somehow not be able to learn to do this myself because, you know, trans. That's got an underlying transphobia at it's heart.

I don't think there was anything inherently malicious intended here, but the really deep biases are clearly popping out. The assumption of what constitutes "women's skill" and that a trans women is insufficiently "women" to have said skill is rooted in this and it's gross. I highlight it because, at the heart of it all, is that this is the really bad type of gender assumptions people make and what we need to undo if we hope to advance.

Work still to be done.

Speaking of Barbie, and on a lighter note, I am really obsessed with this movie and these sneakers should arrive Tuesday!

Yes, I am excited for them! Not surprisingly, they sold fast on the Aldo website and I am glad I got in and got them as fast as I did.

Comments

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