We are still fighting the fight for young boys to be able to express themselves without fear of judgement from the outside world.
Unfortunately, young boys are still pretty aware they may become targets based on how they choose to express themselves.
Alicia Keys' 4-year-old-son Genesis Ali—after choosing to paint his nails rainbow—had a reaction that Keys said was "very frustrating."
"After [the manicurist] painted his nails, he looked at me and he said, 'Mommy, I don't want this on my nails,' He was like, 'People are not going to like it.' Can you believe this? He's four and already understands the concept that someone is going to judge him because he chose rainbow color on his nails."
Keys reassured him that men wear nail polish semi-regularly, which made the boy feel better, "but it just got me to thinking how completely judged we are all the time."
Keys added:
"I oftentimes express the masculine energy that's inside of me."
"And, all the time, if that happens, there are the judgments, and there's the stereotypes, and there are all the energies that come towards that."
True to what Keys predicted, people have gone out of their own way to be judgmental and cruel about Keys and her son.
But thankfully the mom's energy is also being matched, and people are coming to her defense.
Nail polish is not inherently masculine or feminine, but society has decided that it must hold some weight over gender or sexuality.
Alicia Keys, and others, are working to fight that narrative. Someday, let us be less judged for our personal style choices.
Jane Rosenberg
Jane Rosenberg
@arianagrande/Instagram
@arianagrande/Instagram