This Mom Makes A True Statement Regarding Gender Norms With Her American Boy Doll

by N/A, 9 years ago | 2 min read

Photographer and writer Gina DeMillo Wagner fulfilled her son's birthday wish of getting an American Boy doll. American Boy dolls don't exist, so Wagner had to create one herself out of an American Girl doll. The results are some heartwarming parenting, an interesting DIY project, and an important statement on gender neutrality. Check out Gina DeMillo Wagner's website for more information on her photography, writing, and blogging.

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Gina DeMillo Wagner is a photographer and writer. Her 6-year-old son Miles asked for an "American Boy" doll for his birthday.

But not just any doll; Miles wanted a doll that looks just like him. Wagner has indicated that her children–one boy and one girl–frequently play with each other, switching off between "girl" games selected by her daughter and "boy" games selected by her son.

Needless to say, "American Boy" dolls don't exist. So Wagner bought an American Girl doll resembling her son and fixed it up a bit.

Time for a makeover.

Wagner cut the doll's hair and used nail polish remover to get rid of the doll's makeup and lipstick.

Almost there!

While the doll is a cool DIY project and a sweet birthday gift for Wagner's son, it's also an important statement on gender neutrality–dolls aren't "just for girls," and toys really shouldn't be gendered.

That's a pretty amazing transformation, and it gets to some very interesting questions. Why are we taught to play the roles of our specific genders? It's wild to think that we're gendered from such a young age, and that gendering occurs on so many varying levels. We're told "boys look this way, girls look that way," and "this is a toy for girls, that's a toy for boys," but very rarely do we ask, "why?"

Wagner bought several different outfits for the doll on Etsy.

Lookin' good!

The final product. The doll is the spitting image of Miles!

Miles, 6, loves the doll and its cool spiderman outfit.

In all, Wagner invested about $50 in the project.

A great statement, and a great way to give her children more ways to relate and play with each other.