The past two weekends I have been working at a Renaissance Faire near Big Bear California. Both weekends I got up between 6am - 7:30am, in order tobe fully prepared to greet patrons when they started arriving at 10:00am.
I crawled out of my sleeping bag and tent, then proceeded to the nearest Port-a-Potty to answer natures call. Upon returning to my tent I began to get ready. Touch-up shave to the upper chest, full facial shave nice clean and smooth courtesy of a bottle of water, bowl and hand mirror. Then I got dressed. Tucked with the appropriate foundation wear, pantyhose and leggings, bra, forms, underbust corset, pirate top dress, bustier, calf high boots. I grab my mirror, makeup, and wig, then sit at a picnic table doing my makeup. Don the wig, clean up my makeup and tuck everything back in my tent in time for the opening of the gates.
Late on the morning of the 22nd, I was applying polish to my nails when a young patron girl, dressed as a pink princess, asked me why I was dressed as a girl. *Response documented in another post/thead*
This most recent weekend, on Saturday night, after the faire was over, "running" around site in a t-shirt, pleather leggings and heeled boots, a young faire child asked me why I was wearing "girl" shoes.
I asked her incredulously "[Was] I wearing girl shoes?"
Her:*nods*
Me: Are these girl shoes? *extending leg and showing off heels*
Her: *nods*
Me: What makes them 'Girl' shoes?
Her: Because they have these. *points to heels*
Me: But I'm not a girl. *only 1/2 presenting at that time*
Her: They were made for girls.
Me: But they fit me, and they're comfortable. I don't have a small girl's foot. I'm a guy. So what makes them 'Girl' shoes?"
She offered a few more reasons. Each one based on the premis only girls 'could' wear shoes like that. Each time I countered with I hadn't been born a girl, they fit, and I liked them, so how could they be girl shoes if a guy was wearing them. The adults around me, smiling, even offered some evidence supporting me.
Its not the first time I have been asked by people of various ages. It most certainly won't be the last.
But I'm curious. When people ask you why...
- Why are you dressed "like that"?
- Why are you wearing 'girl' clothes?
- What makes you want to dress "like that"?
How do you reply?
Is it educational, personal, combative, amusing?
What do you say? Especially to younger children just developing their view of the way things work?
If I have placed this incorrectly, I do most assuredly apologize, and request forgiveness.