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Kitten Heels and Combat Boots

I still sometimes feel like my general personhood would make more sense if I had been born a boy: my attraction to women, my face that matches my dad’s, the way I walk and talk and behave, and my longtime reluctance to wear girls’ clothes. But I’ve realized that those personality traits that are seen as masculine don’t have to be exclusive to men, with a few strong women proving themselves as the “exception” to a womanhood that is seen as more delicate and less valuable.  Now, I see that the perception of myself as a strong person solely because of my rejection of traditional femininity is just as supportive of the status quo, and just as harmful to women and young girls, because it makes us believe that we have to choose between femininity and personal strength.

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