So, What Happened Was...

I was at a youth group dance when someone asked me, "Are you a boy? I mean, you do wear tzizit and all". This guy, lets call him parabola,made me really think and asses what my priorities are as a person and as a feminist.
On one hand: I really don't mind his curiosity. We should all be curious. Yes, the question seemed kind of offensive on the outside but i really understood where he came from (more on it later). I did not want to seem offended because I wasn't, and i was not sure if I should take it as a compliment. I don't think looking like a specific gender should be a compliment or an insult. I have been taught at a young age to embrace my gender and to dress like my gender. I recognize that I am a woman in today's world full of gender and sex fueled stereotypes and expectations. I am totally okay with being a woman and I am to an extent okay with my femininity. I am also, very much comfortable with my gender identity that i actually don't mind coming across at times as ambiguous. I understand that my short hair,skinny jeans with long sleeves and super hero converse are not the typical female wardrobe. I am comfortable with myself enough to recognize these things and to understand that is how people will see me. I don't find it an insult whatsoever. But...
On the other hand: My tzizit. I know, that dramatic pause. you can hear the orchestra now going DUH DUH DUHHHH. But my tzizit, the most contreversial part of my daily wardrobe is being questioned as being a "masculine" article of clothing. What is interesting is that i actually found this part more upsetting than the actual wondering if i am a guy part.I don't really enjoy when people give physical objects a specific gender (i.e. easy bake ovens vs. queasy bake ovens, girl and boy specific books, barbie dolls vs. GI Joe's ect.) I was in a conversation with another person, lets call him horse raddish, about what would we do when we grow up and have families of our own. I said, completely seriously, that I would love to paint my boy's room pink not only as an experiment, but pink is not that bad of a color! Horse raddish replied "so you are planning to turn your son gay and let him play with princess dolls? Pink is a girls color!". I never really liked the idea of assigning color a gender, thus wanting to try and paint a boy's room pink. Horse raddish,besides being  homophobic, does not realize that objects and things cannot change who you are attracted to as a person.We should have objects define us as a person and as a human being, not by our gender or a gender stereotype. Tzizit should define people as Jews and those who want to follow Hashem's commandments, not by who is more masculine or who should not wear them.
I still dont have a concrete reaction to this and I don't think I will ever have one. I don't know...at least it makes a really interesting conversation starter.
<3 Jennie