Pink is for boys, Blue is for girls?

I have a conservative cousin (by marriage) who I used to argue with about concerning "gender roles". He was the kind of guy, that after having twins, and having a wife that worked full time, would brag about NEVER having changed a diaper.

One of the many debates we got into was sports. He would get upset when I came over, because I would include his daughter in games of catch, touch football, basketball, etc.

He felt I was "corrupting" his daughter, I thought I was improving her motor skills. I used to enjoy p*ssing him off by reminding him that if his daughter married a guy like him, these skills would come in handy when she was working 24 hours a day.

One of his main "points" during these debates was how much his son liked the color blue (the "natural color" for boys) and that his daughter loved pink (a girly girl color). Of course I would note that they had given each child their own room from the very start, his in blue, hers in pink, and that these associations had been learned there, as well as in school.

Then a few years later, some friends of mine who had been raising their children to not respect these kinds of arbitrary associations suddenly found their 6 year old daughter refusing to wear any color BUT pink. They couldn't understand it. It turned out, she had a new friend in school, who told everyone if a boy wears pink he has cooties, and a girl that doesn't wear pink wasn't a girl, and she introduced the daughter to a new word, Dyke. Then, one day, they had both the mother and the father over for a BBQ, and it all became clear. My friend was a financial counselor, and on the day of BBQ was wearing a pink polo shirt. The parent of the little girl who was setting the new style guidelines was a devout former Marine, who upon meeting my friend, asked "You aren't a f*ucking fag, are you?" (really)

So, what about it? Are these color preferences learned, or inborn?

Well, "There has been a great diversity of opinion on the subject, but the generally accepted rule is pink for the boy and blue for the girl. The reason is that pink being a more decided and stronger color is more suitable for the boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is pertier for the girl." [Ladies Home Journal, June, 1918]

and: "If you like the color note on the little one's garments, use pink for the boy and blue for the girl, if you are a follower of convention." [The Sunday Sentinal, March 29, 1914.]

So remember, if you are truly conservative, and wish to retain the ways of the past, you will immediately dress your little boys in pink, and your little girls in blue. If you don't, I take it that you are one of those fellow traveler, commie, anti-american, anti-tradition freaks.

Well, no, not really. But still to this day, we make those kinds of statements. I've been especially interested in this as we have republicans attempting to again limit women in the military, regardless of the evidence.

Me, I find that women raised in families where physical coordination and success are valued are capable of great feats, woman raised by men like my cousin, are uncoordinated and at a huge disadvantage.

There are indeed differences between the sexes, but these are mostly complimentary differences (to me at least).

So remember, Pink was for boys, and blue was for girls. And never let your brain get too big for new facts.

Quotes from Boys Historical Clothing. Hat tip to Waiting for Dorothy.