Warning signs

Phew that's the weekend  gone not that after a day or or of so-so weather the sun hasn't gone as while I'm typing this it is actually shining as I sip my tea.

One thing that comes into play is the extent to which any group of people feel a gathering of others needs any sense of "While you're here most of the time you should look like xxx" especially when it comes people who have influence over things like a gathering of littles.

The essence of what was said amounted to three things, firstly not withstanding some issues with "males" who may present as little girls needing to travel down to and out in more male attire to avoid undue attention or create issues with people you may rent a venue from they feel too much time is spent having arrived like that that and not being "girlie" at a Little Girls meeting

That they suggest during certain core times people be expected to dress "girlie" or risk being spoken to  or possibly barred from attending.

That they should cater for a more older age range who is looking more for dressing "girlie" opportunities.

The first thing I would say is this event has two words in it Little and Girl.

Taking the first, the thing here is more that a person is more of a mind set of some one who is younger than their age - and you attend to be and let that side out.

People may be "role playing" or they may be age regressed but this is all about a state of mind you are in and yes I can see you wouldn't want to be getting into adult work or interest talk and that takes away from people who have come to let that younger Little Girl side out.

A person may be in that mindset without necessary dressing in an overtly young more child-like way but in any event, to make things happen like put on activities, organize food  preparation does of necessarily take you out of that at certain points.

That second word is Girl.

Now, a person attending might be born and recorded as a girl and some are, you may be born male but role playing a little girl, you may be non binary or gender fluid as some of us are.

Would you seriously suggest a girl, a girl in the strictest biological sense be barred from wearing for instance jeans or dungarees because they are not "girlie" when actual girls who are children don't necessarily dress in frilly satin short dresses with lace and bows?

I see many about wearing jeans and shorts.

Are we to demand that she must wear skirts and dresses during the day to be with everyone else?

Could you only make such a restriction apply to males presenting as little girls when some may be more school girls in uniforms that aren't necessary "girlie" either even if they did have skirts?

Do you or are you even trying to bar those of us who are non binary or gender fluid from even being able to attend by prescribing our gender presentation?

What would you do if I wore a pair of shorts under a skirt as some school girls do or if I prefer to wear skorts and not skirts especially for sports? Inspect and police a 'no pants' policy?

Check for female only branded products?

You might of thought that the idea that rigid dress codes based on gender had long gone in mainstream society when women do wear trouser suits and girls may wear trousers to school but it seems to alive and in good health within us.

These ideas were the thoughts of some who do attend and who are thinking about changing the rules to make Little Girls camp more "girlie".

To want little girls camp to be little is understandable but trying to make it in effect Little Girlie camp all about being girlie and having to dress girlie as a requirement  just seems...off.

I am not so sure frankly if this was to go ahead, I would honestly want to be a part of it.

Be the change

It's a summer's day after the weekend that saw me playing with one gender variant child and having a blast for just going more with who you really are are than any set roles and that while everyone looked on and just accepted the scene.

No one seriously expects rounds of applause for being you however you are and everybody has an opinion however well informed on everything and that includes us but all you need to do is allow the space for everyone to be themselves.

And that's what we had from people brought up in the boys and girls do "this" and wear "that" era with all it's policing in the playground and in some families to extreme lengths that weekend.

I just felt privileged to spend time with them.

I'm just cleaning a replacement record by paw and it hasn't half removed a load of dust and other debris from deep in the groove after some 40 years!
 

Sweet or Sour?

It's early in the week as we get to work on this weeks post as the money request for next years littles get together has come in.

What might on any other day be called what it means to be socially a girl has been argued over for well over forty years as I can think of.

One approach as been to argue it's kind of like this poster on the face of it more passive, reflective and sweet.

But is that poster even right when Miss Piggy is sassy and not opposed to doing karate moves on Kermit, that pink for girls is just about 100 years old and originally it was blue for girls and would being more aggressive really be that much better?

What if instead of Barbie or Bratz, we had a female action figure together with things like vehicles and weapons reflecting that being female doesn't mean you can and may well be in the war and that perhaps something science or sports based was in that mix too?

Rather than arguing over what is "truly" our gender roles are we just left things more as they are as you find work best for you and supported individuals right to be whatever and whoever they are?

Isn't sweet better than sour too?