Chopped Off My Locks

Written by Sophie, Portland

The daily suffering of being born a woman is immeasurable. 

I’ve been called gross from complaining about my intrauterine pain, and called crazy about my hormone imbalances. I’ve been excluded from joining games and consequently missed out on valid bonding experiences because of being female. I’ve been dismissed as uninteresting because my father could not relate to my female experience. 

Now in my mid-twenties, I’ve had enough. I’ve embraced shopping in the men’s clothing section, embraced the lower tones in my voice, and have taken scissors to chop my long silky hair. The shackles of imposed beauty standards, of being discounted because of my cleavage, skirts, and platform shoes can kindly take a backseat as I prove myself as an equally powerful masculine figure. I embrace my womanhood in private ways during intimate moments with my partner, when I suffer from the woes of my monthly cycle, and when my intuitive sense of compassionate care is being summoned. 

The patriarchy does not deserve my gift of expressed womanhood as it has abused it and countless others’ for centuries too long. Toxic masculinity is as present in society as Santa Claus is on Christmas, and finally: abuse of power within the patriarchy is being exposed and women-embraced qualities are in the limelight. Although I am proud to have my body and subsequent experiences, I embrace gender neutrality as a philosophy to manipulate patriarchal insinuations and preconditioned expectations.

My short-haired, knee-length shorts, sneaker-wearing persona will advocate for a balanced embrace of feminine and masculine energy until we rightfully free ourselves from locked cages of suppression. I work toward a world where tampons are free and birth control is taught in early education; where men embrace feminine expressions like wearing eyeliner and talking about their feelings; and where fathers can understand their daughters’ experiences. See you there!