A Chicago photographer has caused quite the conversation on social media after photos from her 'Boys Can Be Princesses, Too' project started circling around the internet.
The photographer, Kitty Wolf, former owner of Princesscapades Princess Parties, says she decided to start the Boys Can Be Princesses, Too project after she noticed what she considered to be harmful masculine messaging.
"The photos show the happiness and joy the boys feel when wearing a dress and serve as a reminder that our own hang-ups, assumptions and judgments should never get in the way of a child's innocent enjoyment and imaginative fun".
"This project is designed to show support for kids and parents of kids that choose to play as princesses, no matter their gender. And perhaps show the world it's ok to play as whoever you want, even if it's a boy in a ballgown.”
She recalls how discouraging it was to see "boys being told that princesses are 'just for girls' or that liking princesses and especially dressing as one somehow makes them weak, inferior or not boys."
"They're told it's not manly, or macho, or normal," Wolf continues. "This leads boys to feel ashamed of their interests, confused, sad, and lonely."
"I simply feel that a child's imagination should not be limited by their gender," Wolf says. "Therefore, our goal here is to show these boys and world that it is perfectly acceptable for boys to admire and even dress like princesses. I want to show them it's ok for boys to dress up as their heroes, even if that means they're twirling around in a ball gown.”
Wolf is also allowing individuals to become collaborators for the project. This allows them to host their own photo shoots in their respective hometowns and have the photos displayed on the Boys Can Be Princesses Too website with official branding. They would also have their professional information listed on the website as an official collaborator and get best practice tips for "everything from taking the photos to dealing with haters."
Wolf says her goal is simple: to spread the message far and wide. Although there are many people who are here for the campaign, there are others who don’t agree with it at all and have expressed their thoughts on social media. However, Wolf isn’t letting the negativity deter her from the vision.
"The more photos of boys playing princess we put out there, the more people will see them and the more normal it will become!"
Check out more photos by visiting the campaign's Facebook here.
#Gayes, how do you feel about this? Is it true that "Boys Can Be Princesses Too”?
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