Gender and Colors

Gender? Colors? What could they possibly have in common?

Around certain colors, there are strong gendered connotations (examples: blue being associated with boys and pink with girls). 

The two colors I'm talking about more specifically are pink and blue. They have been gendered for some time now. How long?

Well interesting question indeed. 

First of all, the meaning behind the two colors is very important to their gendered origin. We have to go all the way back to the 19th century to understand it, when pink was seen as meaning strong and blue was seen as dainty. Thus, pink was assigned to boys and blue was given to girls. Eventually as the meaning behind the colors shifted, pink was close to red, which was perceived as the romantic color. Women were seen as emotional/romantic and were thus assigned the color pink at birth. Therefore, blue became the boys color. 

Eventually, when parents began to pr- plan rooms and clothing and toys and what not, having requested the gender of their child’s sex before they are even out of the womb, companies and large corporations seized their chance. With the mass production of gendered and color coded toys and clothing, the colors were further reinforced. 

Well, what about today? Not everyone color codes depending on sex anymore, right?

Well, not everyone, but we also have to consider the fact that in the early 2000s gender reveal parties became a thing and they have only picked up popularity from there. Gender announcements have assigned colors: pink for girls; blue for boys. 

With the influence of gender reveal parties on top of the mass production of color coded gender items by companies, gender-specific colors are reinforced and affirmed with each purchase on the customers' part. 

What about the different genders and the LGBTQ+ community?

Funnily enough, there is reinforcement going on there, but not in the form of gender reveal parties and the forcing of certain genders into different boxes, but with the flags. Obviously, there isn't a necessity about certain colors for certain genders, but take the trans flag for example, the pink represents women, and the blue men, the white stands for transitioning.

Color and gender have become inseparable as the idea that each identity needs to be represented by a color is perpetuated.