Turtles and Rangers and Gay Women
This was a year ago...
So I went on a date last night (yes, it was great. no, I’m not going to write about it so don’t get your panties in a bunch) and a weird question came up. I was talking about my childhood and how my parents should’ve known I was gay all along because I always played the male role when we played house and I was more than obsessed with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the Power Rangers. In fact, the only dress my parents could ever make me wear was this red plaid dress with a turtle in the middle. I was also the flower girl at my uncle’s wedding and used the large bow on my back as my shell as I spun around the dance floor (like a pimp I might add).
I had a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle birthday party. The only dolls I wanted were Power Ranger action figures. I played with K’nex and Legos. When my mom took me to a Matel market research group, I demanded to be let in with the boy’s group. I vividly remember the last day my mom told me I could run around in the yard with my shirt off. I dressed as Aladdin for Halloween one year. I was a “tomboy” to a T.
The most effective time I was ever punished is when my mom made me sit in the living room in front of the TV throughout the entire time the new episode of Power Rangers was on… with the TV off. Missing the new episode geared me up into the perfect child. I was never grounded. I did as I was told. I got straight As. Never drank all through high school. Damn that episode of Power Rangers that I still, to this day, have never seen.
So, it came up on my date: Should my parents have known that I was gay because of my love of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the Power Rangers? Was it more common for straight girls to like the Power Rangers? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Neither? Both?
What say you straight women of the world born in the mid-80’s??
Hmm good question. I think that there are social norms and those that are followed to a “T”. I do think that being gay is an act of being born of that nature and it is in your genes. There have been many studies of this. But then, there are those that have become gay because of their own choices and/or because someone has done something wrong with them. Just because you played and liked the boy toys and things, doesnt mean that your parents should have known that you were gay…
Amber… the main question was did YOU watch either show?
Totally watched both! And no, I didn’t want to be April or the Pink Ranger. I wanted to be Donatello and the Blue Ranger so I think that pretty much means I was gunning for GIANT NERD status.
April was such a wimp but at least the pink ranger wound up on Felicity
In my defense you also LOVED the Backstreet Boys, Leonardo DiCaprio and Pacey from Dawson’s Creek.
Straight tom boy here. 🙂 I loved collecting bugs, TMNT (had TMNT skies!), (secretly) liked Power Rangers, loved playing with lincoln logs and have been friends with guys my whole life. I did love my breyer horses though. And I did have a mad crush on a guy every year since pre pre-school. But whose to say that every gay person has to relate more to the opposite of their born gender? Or has to have the desire to “act” more like the opposite gender? I’m not arguing…just interesting thinking about certain stereotypes that work around all sexualities.