Unfortunately, society uses simple things like children’s toys, clothes, book and television shows to mold a child’s identity. I found myself more drawn to ‘boy’ toys while I was growing up and I never understood why that was a problem. Some would argue that because I am a queer identified person, I can now reflect on my childhood and better understand why I was drawn to certain toys over others. I never wanted the baby dolls, Barbies, or princess gowns and children should not be conditioned to play with certain toys based on their gender. The gender binary, which society is very fixed on, forces those who do not fall neatly within the binary to feel like they are an outsider. Toys absolutely impacted my identity growing up, probably in more ways than I am completely aware of and it really is unfortunate because they are just toys. Something so simple holds so much power.

-Ari Schill

As a kid, toys mean so much more to you than the plastic and paint that hold them together. They are the fuel that drives our imaginations, and for a second they give us the ability to be, or do anything.

A memory that has always stuck with me was from a Christmas morning when I was around eight years old. When my sister and I rushed to the tree there were two toys waiting to greet us. The first was a soldier, and the second was a doll. My initial reaction was to go straight for the doll and begin to wave it around in excitement. Without a moment of hesitation, the doll was taken from my hands, and the soldier took its place. I remember sitting there feeling confused as my parents chuckled telling me that the doll wasn’t meant for me.

The most confusing part was that there really wasn’t a real reason for why I couldn’t play with the doll. To me the doll didn’t have some kind of gender requirement. It was just a toy that I wanted to play with. It was as simple as that.

Without even realizing it my parents weren’t just taking a toy away from me. They were taking a piece of my own self-expression.

These toys are meant to give children the inspiration they need to become exactly who they want to be. To divide toys between who can and can’t play with them is in a way limiting their very potential.

-Dylan Smith

toy

toi/

noun

1. an object for a child to play with, typically a model or miniature replica of something.

rep·li·ca

repləkə/

noun

1. an exact copy or model of something, especially one on a smaller scale.

cop·y

käpē/

verb

1. to make a similar or identical version of; reproduce.

re·pro·duce

rēprəˈd(y)o͞os/

verb

1. produce a copy or representation of.

rep·re·sen·ta·tion

reprəˌzenˈtāSH(ə)n/

noun

1. the action of speaking or acting on behalf of someone or the state of being so represented.
2. the description or portrayal of someone or something in a particular way or as being of a certain nature.

na·ture

nāCHər/

noun

1. the basic or inherent features of something, especially when seen as characteristic of it.

in·her·ent

inˈhirənt,inˈherənt/

adjective

1. existing in something as a permanent, essential, or characteristic attribute.

 

A toy made for a child is existing as something with a permanent, essential, or characteristic attribute that portrays a representation of an exact copy of something on a larger scale.

-Kaylee Weyrauch

Barbies, kitchen sets, and vanities were my go-to toys as a kid. My mother wanted to make sure I was constantly aware of how I looked and that I kept things organized and clean around the house as she did growing up. She surrounded me with musical toys which I think taught me patience and calm problem-solving skills. But she didn’t like it when I tried to play video games, Legos, or Pokémon with my older brothers.

Luckily, during my teenage years when my mother was working more hours, my dad would teach me things that are socially deemed as manly: how to throw a football or how to use power tools without hurting myself. But those are our secrets, and they are skills I am thankful to have now.

-Nurilys Cintron

 

Statement:

Children’s toys are made in bulk, sold to millions, and are fairly consistent in color typing towards a certain gender. They are commercialized for a target audience coming from a higher class of wealth. These toys are produced with a heteronormative binary that impacts the environment and societal roles that a child will understand to be preferential for them.

Built Identity deals with the manifestation of the influence of children’s toys in four specific individuals. Myself, as well as three other people, have been “built” with children’s toys of our own choosing. I hand-picked these four people to collaborate with due to their personal and institutional understanding of gender and identity outside the heteronormative binary. I asked that they choose the toys they identified with as children and/or what they feel represents them now. I also asked that they write something to join their built figure that examines an understanding of children’s toys and their identity.

The differences, similarities and juxtapositions of the toys throughout the figures show that though the diversity of one’s gender, ascribed race, culture, heritage, class and geographical location may differ, there can still be commonalities found in each other. Most, if not all, of these figures include toys that more than one of the people chose. This collaboration was contrived to show the fluidity of people I think highly of as well as to show that people are not binary.