Yesterday I got one of those advertising brochures with lots of cute things for kids. A bit out of boredom - a bit out of "maybe I find something useful for my daughter" I flipped through it. There was nothing special in it. Clothes, suitcases, stuff for the car. But when looking at the shirts I was taken aback and looked a bit closer. They had beautiful shirts in vibrant colors - obviously two for boys and two for girls. Because: there was a green one with a printed wolve, a blue one with an eagle. And violet one with a butterfly and and pink one with a horse. Slightly annoyed I asked my husband if it's impossible to offer a pink one with a wolve or a blue one with a horse. His answer made me think: "Well - when doing job advertisement we now have to write female/male/diverse. But it's just kids so it's okay to discriminate against them."
Wow! He's absolutely right! Actually we should sue all those companies because of discrimination. Just because they are kids it's okay to put them in boxes? And as soon as they turn 18 they are supposed to "be as they are"? Okay - kids aren't "allowed" to wear blue or green shirts with butterlies and horses. Or violet and pink ones with wolves and eagles. They are just girls and boys. And girls are supposed to be pink, horse, Barbie and glitter. And boys are supposed to be blue, dinasaurs, cars and swords. (I admit it's not that extreme any more, but still very present. And it really is difficult to find something with glitter which is not pink or violet.)
We are still light-years away from equal rights and equal chances. Because it starts with our kids. As long as we put them in pink and blue boxes and don't see that first and foremost they are little human beings. Human beings with different and unique intrests and talents. In our Kindergarten there are boys who love pink and nail polish. And there are girls, wrestling more fiercely and climbing faster than the boys.
Why can companies discriminate against kids without being punished although our constitution strictly prohibits it?