Chapter 7Getting Beyond Pink
“Remember when you were 9 or 10 and you were this independent little girl climbing trees and saying, ‘I know what I want, I know what I think’? she says. That was before gender descended for most of us.”1
—Gloria Steinem
In the musical adaptation of J. M. Barrie's children's classic Peter Pan, the lost boy of Neverland sings soulfully, “If growing up means it would be beneath my dignity to climb a tree, I'll never grow up, never grow up, not me.” Peter, a brilliantly rendered and comforting character, is widely accepted by all kids and adults. But adult consciousness of gender has descended upon young girls—especially tweens. For them, engaging in the cultural framing and conversations about gender has become part of growing up. Eight-year-old Annie Rose was outraged when she opened her Star Wars version of the famous board game, Monopoly, only to discover that Rey of Star Wars, Episode VII: The Force Awakens was not in the game. Rey is the most fierce and independent female lead in the almost 40-year history of George Lucas's epic movie franchise.
Annie became an instant heroine in the battle against sexism in product design and marketing when her mother, Carrie Goldman, tweeted this letter:
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