I got a frame from my godparents
Stating my name, birth date and weight.
It was surrounded by pink ribbons and flowers,
Because I was a girl, and that’s what I should like
2 years later, I got a baby brother: Dan
He, too, got a similar frame
But his was blue and had a train running round the edge
And when it hung next to mine
I informed Grandma that I wanted a blue one
But she couldn’t understand why
At our first Christmas together
I asked for an action man, which I opened gleefully from mum and dad
But Uncle Jack didn’t understand
He thought it was meant for my brother
And he gave Dan a look of despair
When he saw him playing with his new doll’s cottage
At primary school I wore regulation boys trousers.
The school didn’t understand
I was young, they said, I would grow out of it
But the other children didn’t notice,
They only required me to share my sweets
And play tag on the field
So on my first day at high school, when I arrived
In regulation boys trousers
And my head of year scolded me, told me to come in a skirt tomorrow
I went home crying angry tears
Because I didn’t understand, why parts of the school uniform
Were forbidden because of my sex
By the time my brother started
He was brilliant at netball; mum had taught him
But when he tried out for the school team
Mrs Winters, the coach, didn’t understand; she asked if he was joking
And the rugby lads beat him up outside
Earning themselves a lunchtime detention
That summer, our head teacher retired
And in his leaving speech said
He was proud to have worked at such a fine school
With caring people and zero tolerance for discrimination
While the teachers nodded
If we had a zero tolerance for discrimination,
Why was there a separate uniform for boys and girls?
Why were different sports allocated to each sex?
Why did the rulebook only ban make-up on girls?
And not let boys wear their hair long?
Beyond the confinements of school regulation
Why were the girl’s bikes sold with baskets attached?
And why were the football shirts displayed in the boys section?
Why did the Scouts learn hunting and fire safety?
While the Girl Guides practiced cooking and sewing?
And I couldn’t help wondering;
Maybe it all boiled down to that very first moment
When the doctor checks you over
Announcing your sex like it’s the most important detail
So you can be quickly classified