Comment posted on Indian Boys Dressed Up As Girls by D. Jain
I think there’s this weird thing in American society where it’s really frowned upon for men to do anything “feminine” or wear anything “feminine.” It’s like many men think they have to look as dull and colorless as possible, and if they are too put together or wearing the wrong thing, it must mean they are gay. When my husband first came here, he actually had labmates pull him aside and warn him not to wear pink or flowery shirts (which he does sometimes, he’s a snazzy dresser) because he would look “gay.” He’s secure enough in his manhood that he can wear things that American men wouldn’t touch with a 10-foot pole–in our wedding, his sherwani was baby pink!
I think it’s kind of sad that many people here are so worried about gender stereotypes (or someone seeming “gay”) in the US that we force little baby boys to wear nothing but BLUE! FOOTBALL! TRUCKS! and little girls have to wear PINK! RUFFLES! PRINCESS!
So I think that if people in India are a little more fluid about this sort of thing, and don’t think it’s offensive, then that’s good. Maybe the kid on the TV show is an extreme example though, heh. 
Recent comments by D. Jain
- On the Other Side of the Fence
That’s disgusting. It’s amazing that in the 21st century, people still talk like that.Another woman I met who has an intercultural marriage blog told me that she found out that her blog had been mentioned or featured as a cautionary tale on a white supremacy website, and she started to get traffic to her site from racists because of it. Maybe that’s what happened to you, Sharell.
- The Indian Inferiority Complex
Ah, ok…thanks for the clarification.The Indian century…I believe it! I’m adding the book to my amazon wishlist.
- Lunch Delivered in a Tiffin
Sharell, I can’t wait to read your book!Reading the comments, now I see why you wrote your last post. Just ignore that kind of bakwas!
The tiffin meal looks scrumptious. I wish we had that here…
- The Indian Inferiority Complex
Huh, that’s interesting, Sharell. In the US, I don’t see that kind of attitude from Indians at all. If anything, many of the Indians I’ve met are very proud that Indians here are better educated, have a higher average household income than other ethnic groups in the US, have higher standards for their kids’ education and behavior, etc. Maybe it’s part of living outside of your own country—you become more proud of your own countrymen…? I don’t know.I’ve heard of that book, and I’m interested to read it. Thanks for the reminder!
- A Tale of an Indian’s Adaptation Abroad
Thanks for sharing the story! Poor guy…but you’ve got to give him credit for how hard he’s working and how many sacrifices he’s making. It’s too bad his girlfriend’s parents won’t accept him. Where are they from?Enjoy your time in Australia!
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Thanks Abdullah for the info!
Yes Sharell, you are right. Many Indian parents dress up their little boys as girls. I find it strange too. I have a boy and two girls. I never dressed up my boy as a girl but I did definitely dress up my girls as boys. Girls can look like boys but not the reverse.
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