Poll: Father in rural Germany finds his young son likes to wear dresses; does the same to show solidarity.

[CMDDarkblade]

Also, pants are still considered somewhat taboo amongst the more conservative 70% of my country.

I find it hard to believe that 70% of Americans think that women shouldn't wear pants when they wear things like skinny jeans all the time. Where exactly are you getting these statistics from? If you said something like 70% percent of conservatives from the state of Alabama believe women shouldn't wear pants then that might be more believable because Republicans from the Deep South are kinda batshit insane.

 

[Zoe Castillo]

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[Dangit2019]

I like the message, but it's a bit overdone in execution. Society may be shallow, but it also controls everything about someone's future, so you kind of have to bend down and kiss society's ass sometime if you want to get along without having to go through buttloads of bullshit.

For example, this is going to be amazing unless the kid grows up this way and decides he wants to get a job. No employer will hire him simply because that's not how things work. It's horribly depressing, but it's kind of true.

How about, instead of embracing the dress thing, help him to realize that gender roles are shallow, but exist in the minds of too many people to flaunt. Us escapists may think that this is cute and progressive, but we're a bit of the minority to the waves of idiots ready to rain hellfire if a kid isn't in jeans and a Tonka truck shirt by age 3.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

I'm not sure where all this "we have to be careful to educate the kid not to step on society's expectations" crap is coming from. "Society" has a pretty spotty track record of telling us to do and think some pretty appalling things, and eventually someone gets fed up with it and tells society to go fuck itself, and presto chango, social change ensues. Not always comfortably, but nothing worth having ever came comfortably.

I don't really see a compelling argument why our antiquated, retrogressive social/gender roles shouldn't be subject to that process.

 

[Dangit2019]

But are the father and son drowning? I can't comment further until I know.

The answer to that question is always yes. Everyone is drowning. Always.

I would save you, Biscuit Trouser, but my pet comes before random strangers. :/

 

[The Unworthy Gentleman]

The dad is incredibly irresponsible for this. The kid should clearly be wearing strapless, what a disaster.

Seriously though, I usually oppose cross-dressing, I just used to find it weird, but seeing it from this angle too, from the kid's innocence and the dad's desire to make him feel comfortable changes that quite drastically.

I'm cool with dudes who want to wear women's clothes now, I like to think I'd be willing to do the same for my kid.

 

[JeffBergGold]

No way in hell would I let my son do that. Let it be known that I respect this man and what he is doing for his son. I just wouldn't do it personally. My son doesn't even have access to a dress. At least I would hope he doesn't.

Why wouldn't you want that? If you don't mind me asking.

Because I'm for men being men and women being women. There are enough effeminate males already, there needs to be a balance.

 

[SlamDunc]

Well it is good to see the father is not punishing his son for wanting to dress like a woman I do believe he should discourage the behavior solely because it is going to create a negative view of his child and the child wont understand until it is far to late to correct said view. If when the child is old enough to understand that this will make people treat him badly and still wants to do it then it is fine, but if he is just a kid doing it 'cause he wants to' then I do not see it as something that will help him become a balanced human being and will do more damage to him than not letting him do it.

I can not see how "No, you cant wear that." "Why?" "It is not socially acceptable, you will understand when you are older." is more damaging than the kid likely being beaten, insulted and made to feel worthless every day by other children in his school and looked at with disgust from adults. Maybe Germany is different but that is what would happen in most of North America and I do not believe a child should be subjected to that torture just because you don't want to hurt his feelings on something he most likely wont remember or look back on with embarrassment in the future.

 

[Imthatguy]

I might introduce him to more 'masculine' forms of skirts and such.

 

[LetalisK]

I would introduce my son to the utter majesty that is the kilt!

Everyone should wear kilts.

 

[flaviok79]

Well, I wouldn't chastise him in a harsh way, but I would let him know that few people would understand his choice.

 

[JeffBergGold]

And why would you hope he didn't, praytell?

It would be deeply saddening if his mother was raising him to become the type of man who wears dresses. Although, this is outside the realm of possibility since she despises effeminacy in males as much as I do.

 

[miketehmage]

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To clear things up, I couldn't give less of a shit about what that little boy wears, but the reality is we don't live in a perfect world and most people aren't as accepting as the people on this website.

So for their own sake "Boys shouldn't wear dresses" - To quote my earlier post.

Why?

Because it leads to shit.

And to the person saying that all kids will tease each other, yes I agree but what kind of parent gives them ammunition?

EDIT: Also am I the only one that thinks it's nice that there is some gender specific clothing? A woman in a nice dress is just a nice thing to see. As is a man in a suave suit.

EDIT 2: Also, A kilt IS NOT a dress. And I would be far more approving of a kilt. The skirt of men.

 

[Fwee]

I was just telling a couple female friends how jealous I am of their dresses. I wish I was allowed to wear something so comfortable-looking during such a hot summer.

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

While i find this kilt talk very manly id love to point out: Kids dont give a fuck. Hes like 5? The kids at school would see a kilt the same as a skirt. They dont have the culture making a HUGE difference between the two until the are much older. They will see a skirt. And treat them the exact same.

 

[Rascarin]

It would be deeply saddening if his mother was raising him to become the type of man who wears dresses. Although, this is outside the realm of possibility since she despises effeminacy in males as much as I do.

Effeminate males? You mean gay men? You realise that thats just how they are born, and it has exactly nothing to do with what clothes you put them in.

And as for your earlier comment about "men being men and women being women", I'm going to guess you've never spoken to a trans person in your life. People are people. Men can be women. Women can be men. We are not binary.

 

[Troublesome Lagomorph]

"Son. Be glad you're pretty enough to wear them, unlike your unlucky caveman of a father."
Edit: Also, Kits are awesome. I'd probably encourage him to wear a kilt instead so that he'd be all badass and shit. And then slowly but surely make him dress like a kilted punk by the time he's a teen. What.

 

[Paradoxrifts]

The kilt has a long storied cultural history of being worn by rough living, sheep stealing, claymore wielding bearded Scotsmen. The menswear of Imperial Rome and Hellenic Greece are associated with the high points of European antiquity.

What exactly are the wider cultural implications of an ankle length red dress with spaghetti straps? And why publish a picture of the boy wearing that particular garment over pretty much anything that could have been chosen over all the possible types, styles, cuts, patterns and colours that would've been equally valid choices had the child been given real choice in what to wear?

At this stage the parents are being no more abusive than any other parents who try to live vicariously through their children. But it's about thirty year too early to tell whether or not Germany should crown him their father of the year.

 

[JeffBergGold]

It would be deeply saddening if his mother was raising him to become the type of man who wears dresses. Although, this is outside the realm of possibility since she despises effeminacy in males as much as I do.

Effeminate males? You mean gay men? You realise that thats just how they are born, and it has exactly nothing to do with what clothes you put them in.

And as for your earlier comment about "men being men and women being women", I'm going to guess you've never spoken to a trans person in your life. People are people. Men can be women. Women can be men. We are not binary.

No, I don't mean gay men. A male can be gay without being effeminate.

 

[CMDDarkblade]

It would be deeply saddening if his mother was raising him to become the type of man who wears dresses. Although, this is outside the realm of possibility since she despises effeminacy in males as much as I do.

Effeminate males? You mean gay men? You realise that thats just how they are born, and it has exactly nothing to do with what clothes you put them in.

And as for your earlier comment about "men being men and women being women", I'm going to guess you've never spoken to a trans person in your life. People are people. Men can be women. Women can be men. We are not binary.

If he is referring to gay men then I suppose I am obligated to be at least slightly offended, but I'll deal with that later. Anyways, while it is indeed possible that there are more than two genders and gender roles and those are social constructions. Biological sex is indeed binary if at the very least in terms of human chromosomal sex: we have an "X" chromosome for female but if a "Y" chromosome is introduced then it is male, but as far as I know a "Z" chromosome that denotes a third sex does not exist.