[3 min. read]

Shakespeare asked, “What’s in a name?” Here I’m asking “What’s in a colour?”

Yes, I’ve indirectly compared myself to Shakespeare in the first sentence of this post.

Anyway, human communication is hinged on symbolism. The most straightforward type of symbolism we use is language because we’ve agreed on what every word means (or have we?) But several other types of symbols exist like non-verbal gestures and colour.

We can’t help what associations we make with colour. I mean, society does that for us and we just accept it.

In this case the pink-for-girl and blue-for-boy associations weren’t always clear. Apparently, there was a time the associations were the opposite. But there’s a great quote in the video I’ve linked to the words ‘pink-for-girl and blue-for-boy’ (which you didn’t click, but you really should). 

At the end of the video, the narrator says “This isn’t just about the colour pink, it’s about how it’s used to define a person’s personality and what we think they’re capable of.” That’s exactly what I wanna talk about.

I used to be a tomboy. That term seems to have gone out of use but I think we all know what that meant. No dresses or skirts or frills or lace. And most importantly no pink.

I was between 10 and 15 when this was in full force. Ah those amazing teenage years, amirite?

But actually, I know this didn’t have to do with teenage rebellion. It was because I was trying to be as opposite from my sister as I could be and she was a ‘girly girl’.  My need to distance myself from my sister was of teenage rebellion, but I won’t get into that today.

In rejecting pink, I was rejecting this image that is associated with it - the delicate girl or woman who is probably a bimbo. I was emulating the “I’m not like other girls” trope without knowing it.

Male friends started using my existence to delegitimize girls around them, some of whom were also my friends.

I didn’t realize the nuance in all this back then but thankfully at some point as I studied for my Bachelor’s degree I saw the light. I can’t pinpoint when but it happened. That’s what matters. My website is pink now. It’s the circle of life.

I still would count myself as mostly a tomboy today. And that’s fine. My sister is still a girly girl. And that’s fine. What society has told us over several years about other groups of people has led to literal wars so why should we still be so hung up on general associations that are probably biased? We need to find out our own meanings in things, I guess, and reject some symbols. My sister, a girly girl, is a doctor - isn’t that one of the professions we put on a pedestal? So that whole association doesn’t even make sense. It was right in front of me the whole time.

To me, feminism is about equal respect for all - for the tomboy and the girly girl. I might never want to be a girly girl because I just don’t like that aesthetic, but I should not be used to delegitimize those who do - to paint them as bimbos or whatever else. Also, their existence should not be used to associate my black closet as unrefined or course or manly or whatever. 

For better or worse, these associations make a difference.

What you think matters.

So who cares who wears pink anyway? I certainly don’t. Not anymore.