A friend of mine sent me this one day:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4Rjy5yW1gQ.
It got me really thinking about what’s considered “okay” for girls to like, and not like, especially young girls, and equally especially when it comes to the nerdier among us. As a young girl, my parents never told me that I couldn’t enjoy things like toy cars, or Pokémon. When I was in Kindergarten or 1st grade, however, I was talking to a few of my male classmates about Pokémon, and one boy came up and told me that I wasn’t allowed to like that thing, because I was a girl. That was back in 2000-2001. This still holds true today. From the moment girls are born, we’re told that we have to love pink, and princesses, and fairies, and only those things. I also enjoyed princesses and fairies, and pink is still my favourite colour to this day, but I do know that had I not been told by my parents that it was okay to enjoy toys we associate more with boys, that I would have felt stupid for liking it. Having an older brother, it was a little bit expected that I would like it, but I still felt different from the other girls in my class.
On that day when I was told that I shouldn’t like Pokémon, I felt like a part of me had been shut down. In the video linked above, the girls are talking about how geeky girls or nerdy girls are not any less nerdy. In that day, I felt like I was told that I was less of a nerd or a geek, because I was a girl. I’m writing this today to tell you that there is no fake geek. Girls are not “less” geeky because they are girls. If you identify as a geek or a nerd, then you are one. Anyone who has never gone to a convention, is not less of a geek. I’m actually going to my first convention next summer. That doesn’t make me any less geeky. Sexy cosplay outfits are a choice, not something we do to get attention at conventions.
Dear Guys Who Have Called Girls “Lesser” Nerds/Geeks, we are equally as nerdy and geeky as you. We do not dress in sexy cosplay outfits for you. We will continue to own our own comic book stores, and go to conventions, and enjoy the same shows as you without hoping for some sort of love relationship. I am a geek, and I’m proud of it. Don’t call me “lesser” just because I’m a girl.