Boy got bullied for wearing pink at school and his dad found the most inventive way to support his son

Society often pressures people of different genders to conform to specific expectations, and these norms can influence whether someone is accepted by their peers. As an adult, this can be overwhelming, and it can be even harder for children who are still developing their sense of self. To address this issue, dad Doug Weaver, who goes by @dougeweaveart on TikTok, believes young boys need examples of grown men defying societal norms. So, when his son started getting bullied for wearing pink, Doug decided to "pinkify" his own wardrobe.

The video began with a stitch, where a woman said, "Whether we like it or not, we live in a society that places expectations on our children based on their gender. For me, being raised as a girl who then turned into a woman, I knew how to help my daughter fight against those expectations a lot more than I think I am able to help my boys." Then, the dad pointed out, "This is why I think it is important for young boys to have examples and to see grown men who defy expectations that culture puts on men." He added, "Because society will try to beat boys down until they fall in line. That's why as soon as my son started coming home from school with that message when his peers started saying that he shouldn't wear pink and that unicorns are for girls, I added so much pink to my wardrobe; I pinkified my life."

"If he is going to paint his nails, I am going to paint my nails. Because if he goes to school with his nails painted, the other kids' parents would be like, why did you let him paint his nails?" Weaver went on. "And then they look at me and my nails are painted, they'd think he is the problem, not the kid." He explained, "But they are not going to say anything to me. If they are not brave enough to confront the color pink, they are not going to confront me." The dad continued, "But the larger conversation I have with my son is that it is a fight worth having. Not only for us as men but for everyone who society tries to reject." He gave the example of a boy who might want to wear a dress to school and get bullied for wearing that dress.

"They might think, 'Well, if I don't wear a dress to school, I won't get bullied.' But that will work only in that immediate situation," he expressed. "I can almost guarantee that the personality of a boy who wants to wear a dress also doesn't conform to the personality that society says that men should have." He highlighted how the person getting bullied for what they wear now might get bullied for who they are later in life. "If changing their clothes made the bullying go away when they were younger, they might think that changing their personality will make the bullying go away when they are older," the dad pointed out. He emphasized how this creates young men who are chasing an idea of what being a man means. "But they will never be manly enough to please the society. They will only be sad because they are not being themselves," he said.

So, Weaver always tries to tell his son that people who try to take colors away from him are also trying to take away his creativity. "They want to take away everything soft in his life. His feelings and his emotions, they want to take away his ability to love people who are different than him," he explained. "We need to surround our sons with people who celebrate individuality, self-expression and authenticity," he added, as trying to defy gender norms alone can be really isolating. The dad felt that if he set an example for his son, he would become a model for his peers and turn into a person who loves and expresses himself freely. People in the comments appreciated what the dad was doing.

@janette_not_janet wrote, "As the mom of a boy, with a dad full of toxic masculinity (he's my ex), this is so helpful and gives me hope in raising my creative and sensitive son." @drunkenpanda commented, "Bro. 'If they're not brave enough to confront the color pink, they're not gonna confront me.' That is so accurate." @omgandme123 remarked, "My little boy came home from kindergarten saying kids made fun of him wearing pink. My conservative dad wore pink shirts for a while after so he could see boys can wear pink too."

You can follow Doug Weaver (@dougeweaveart) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.