Pick a side?

While sitting on the couch you see your daughter and son playing. Not with a Barbie or race car, but both with the same kind of toy. By example, Thomas the locomotive, but not in a specific gender. Your children are more open for noun-gender games and toys, which makes them accept certain things as transsexuality or androgyny at a later age.

Neutrality is how important?

While standing on Central Station at Tilburg the broadcaster does her announcement: “Dear ladies and gentleman, the train from 14:04 won’t leave because of a signal interference.” This is something which you won’t hear any more in The Netherlands. The ‘ladies and gentleman’ part is getting replaced with ‘Dear travelers’. (Bolle, J. (2017).

The fight against gender neutrality isn’t something new. Between 1850 and 1940 was the first feminine wave. Which means woman got the same rights as men, like voting.

Change is coming: The fact that how the woman in that time fought for their rights, the same thing is going on for the group of gender neutral experiencing people (LGBT or Trans genders). (Jinek, E. (2017). In the base, it’s all about the fact that these different groups want their right to be who they are.

A mega trend which can be identified with this movement is Individualization. This just means that everyone is getting more focused on their selves and doesn’t care that much about the peer-pressure. A macro- trend, which could get a bigger meaning in the future is affective computing. This means that a computer device can give an empathic reaction. Because of the digitalization, it’s going to get normal to have an emotional bonding with a computer device. Adolescents do find it hard to communicate with their parents about sexual references and sexuality in particular. Affective computing could be a solution to make adolescents feel more relaxed about their feelings and thoughts around sexuality. (TrendOne. (n.d).

Why gender neutral toys?

The fact that we are seeing more and more gender-neutral toys does have a reason. By example acceptance. If you let children play with gender neutral toys, they won’t be that conscious about gender. The fact if someone is a men/woman won’t be something they stand still at. Acceptance will be easier and they won’t be affected by media or social standards. Also, not pressuring a child to ‘choose a side’ could be a reason for gender neutral toys. Every human being should have the right to be who or whatever they want to be. (Health, N. (2018).

This is just the start:

Anno 21st century we came to the point that were slowly adapting changes for gender neutrality. By example the gender-neutral toilets. Also, the Dutch department store HEMA who sells from September 2017 gender neutral child clothing. (Witteman, J. (2017). Also, the fact that a androgyne model was used for one of the campaigns of HEMA too.

How about later?

For the future, it would be important to have gender neutral toys instead of toys with a specific gender. Acceptance needs to start as early as possi

ble. Introducing gender neutrality in a natural and positive way could help our future community have more respect for people with not a certain gender. (Health, N. (2018). In 20 years, the gender neutrality movement would be accepted, and people experiencing a different gender then the two we ‘know and acknowledge’ will be accepted. Toys will be also a good way to explain the subject gender to children. In a playful and relaxed setting there can be taken time to go clearly through this subject. For adults it could also be a way to tell their children easier about gender and sexuality. The taboo about gender neutrality needs to break open.

#leisure #gender #neutral #toys #pick #a #side