Thread by @MARIADAHVANA

A crew of construction workers just stopped me on the street to ask the sex of my in-utero passenger. The head guy asked me to show him my hands. When I did, he said “girl!” Because I’d shown him an open hand. And according to him, girls say “gimme, gimme.” So...

I showed him my left fist and swung it in his direction, and said, “if this baby is a girl, the gesture you’re looking for is this one.” The baby is XY genetically, but the kid is any gender they want to be. Also, WHY DO PEOPLE SAY THINGS LIKE THIS.

Literally people have been chasing me down the street to ask the sex of someone who is still inside my womb, and then to tell me all the things I need to know about how boys and girls are JUST FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT AND BOYS ARE AGGRESSIVE AND GIRLS ARE SWEET. Fuck that noise.

This dude thought he was being super clever and funny, and he said “it’s an Italian thing.” He made a “gimme gimme” gesture about girls several times. He almost got a full explanation of patriarchal violence from the dawn of time, but I’m fucking 7 months pregnant and I’m busy.

Also, the number of people who’ve had an urge to tell me about how my not yet born baby is going to pick up anything & make it into a gun, because he’s a boy, is making me 🔥. Maybe it’s because we live in a culture that encultures boys to violence from BEFORE BIRTH.

Also the number of people who’ve had an urge to tell me that if the baby is a girl she will be a princess?! Fuck that noise. My princess closet is open to all genders. As is my DIY building of things closet. I do all the things. Any kid of mine gets to do all the things.

All of this makes me glad I was raised around sleddogs and ferocious cats, all of whom did all the things. The kids in my childhood were kids we did all the things. We had a costume closet full of fancy gowns. We also had hammers and dog sleds.

Also, as far as guns are concerned, I learned how to fire a gun when I was very small. Target, tin can, rifle. I also learned how to use a bow and arrow, and how to do first aid. It had nothing to do with gender.

Anyway. I expect to give birth to a baby human. I have no opinion as to what gender they will be, and what that means about personality (nothing), because the baby will be themself. And as far as raising of said baby is concerned? Raised to fight for equality.

Also said baby gets to have all the sparkles and all the ballgowns they may or may not want. This house encourages joy.