Letters: Men who do ‘feminine’ work

Re “Gender double standard,” Dec. 27

The Times reports that whereas the number of women performing “typically masculine” jobs is steadily increasing, the number of men willing to perform a “typically feminine” job is vanishingly small.

The article quotes sociologist Barbara Risman’s aphorism: “If men don’t feel free to go into women’s jobs, women are not really free.”

One of the archetypes of Western society is the myth of the Amazons, warrior women who removed one of their breasts to be able to fully pull the bowstring. One of the possible exegetical interpretations of the myth is that to perform a “typically masculine” job, women have to give up part of their femininity.

Perhaps, following the teaching of this archetype, men are not yet ready to perform a “typically feminine” job because they hesitate to give up part of their masculinity.

One might wonder whether women’s freedom does really need that.

Paolo Giacomoni

Rancho Palos Verdes

There have been some touching stories about the extraordinary parents who deal kindly and deftly with children whose tastes don’t conform to what society says is proper for their gender. As for boys who prefer dolls or dresses, they may not be gay, but they might just like pretty stuff.

My great-granddaughter lives in tutus. She showed up at Christmas in one. It’s pretty sad to read of a family whose boy does like this kind of attire losing “friends.” The child is aware he is different from his peers, but he doesn’t need to think he is bad or wrong for enjoying clothes that appeal to him more than what others design for boys. He’ll figure things out and decide what works for him in life.

Kathleen O’Connor Wang

Diamond Bar

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