Something that stood out to me from the excerpt we had to read was on page 27 when the author wrote ” We are taught from a very young age that this is how things have always been and this is the only way to live. We are taught that masculinity belongs to men, femininity belongs to women, and that these are the only two options for self-expression. Not true”. The reason this stood out to me is that at a young age we are taught what being a girl is supposed to be and look like and what being a boy is supposed to be and look like. There are certain activities that are deemed appropriate for males to do and just the same as activities that females can do. Something else that stood out to me from the reading was on page 29 when it stated ” Before a baby is even born, well-meaning well-wishers will often ask, “Is it a boy or a girl?” The baby only becomes real to most people once they know the gender”. The reason this stood out to me was because it led me to think about how we associate different colors to both genders. If it is a girl, oftentimes we see people buying baby products in the color pink and if it is a boy, they buy products in blue tones. Now we see gender-neutral colors being used but back then it was mainly just pinks and blues. There are so many stereotypes in society that it sometimes feels very overwhelming having to ‘live up to them’ or ‘follow and live by them’ in order to feel some sort of belonging and validation. Yet at the same time, it can also be those same emotions that might drive one to work and fight towards feeling and being true to themselves. I am not one to judge someone based upon how they present themselves and identify themselves as which is a way in which I believe I fit into the binary norm. Yet when thinking about myself on a much more personal level, it is rather tricky for me. Growing up, I always said I hated the color pink simply because everyone kept saying pink was simply a color all girls were supposed to like. On the contrary, I used to say my favorite colors were red and black because of their intensity. At home, I would have family members tell me that I wouldn’t act ‘lady like’ and that there were certain things I needed to change about myself. I never truly understood why since whatever I did made me feel much more comfortable and natural. I do have a feminine side and I also have a masculine side. When it comes down to the way I express myself with my appearance, I enjoy dressing in sweat pants and oversized baggy shirts but I also enjoy glamming myself up, wearing a skirt or dress, and looking ‘pretty’.