Many people often call out others for sexism regarding females but we must not forget that boys can be subject to sexism as well. The definition of double standards is: “a rule or principle which is unfairly applied in different ways to different people or groups”, and there are countless examples of this for boys in sexism. This concept can be hard to fully understand, therefore throughout this article I hope to present some examples that help highlight the issue further and clearly.
Double standards of sexism can be seen in many schools. Recently in my school one boy decided to make a bold fashion choice, and although it did cause some surprise when other pupils observed his change in appearance, it was no different to a girl deciding to wear her hair differently just to try something new. This is why it was completely unjustifiable when numerous teachers approached him to inform him that the fashion choice was inappropriate and he should dispose of it immediately. This is ridiculous. If a girl decides to experiment or express herself through her appearance she is not penalized but rather congratulated on her bravery. Why is this not the same for boys? Telling a girl you don’t like her fashion choice is generally considered personal and offensive, so why would you do it to boys?
Another example is the reaction of individuals, especially on the media, to boys and girls cheating. If a girl is playing more than one guy, she is praised for being powerful and comments like “you go girl” are not uncommon. On the other hand if a boy were to do the same thing, he would get labelled a f***boy and be publicly humiliated. My point is cheating is wrong so why would we treat cheaters differently based on their gender. Double standards can further be seen at weddings, “It’s all about the bride” and “it’s her big day”. Common phrases that are deemed perfectly fine for use. Sorry but last time I checked there were 2 people involved in a marriage not just one. In heterosexual couples isn’t the groom just as important as the bride? After all he’s getting married to his other half too and just because he isn’t the one wearing a dress or walking down the isle doesn’t mean it’s not his day as much as it is hers.
In conclusion sexism can work both ways- boys can be unequal to girls in todays society in less obvious ways. Equality means both everyone being treated equally: so stop treating boys any differently to girls- its sexism.
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