海角大神

Canadian Siera Bearchell has a gender qualities message that鈥檚 gone viral.聽

In a TikTok video uploaded last week, Ms. Bearchell says people talk to her daughter, Lily, 鈥渃ompletely differently鈥� when they identify her as a girl. 鈥�, her dress, how she鈥檚 so beautiful,鈥� says Ms. Bearchell.

But if her short-haired toddler is not in a dress or not wearing pink, and people assume she鈥檚 a boy, 鈥淭hey will say things like, 鈥榃ow, you鈥檙e so fast!鈥� or 鈥榊ou鈥檙e so strong, look at you go!鈥欌�� Ms. Bearchell says.聽

Her #morethanpretty video has been viewed more than 11 million times.聽

It won鈥檛 solve this chronic problem, but here鈥檚 a start to countering such stereotyping. Consider the girls of the Tokyo Olympics, who are portraits of speed, strength, agility, and grit.聽There鈥檚 鈥嬧�媡he Syrian table tennis prodigy, 12-year old Hend Zaza. The 15-year-old American Katie Grimes, who swam in the 800-meter finals.

But clearly women鈥檚 skateboarding is where youth excels. A 鈥� Momiji Nishiya of Japan and Rayssa Leal of Brazil 鈥� won gold and silver in women鈥檚 street skateboarding. On Wednesday, 12-year-old Kokona Hiraki of Japan took silver, and the fearless 13-year-old Sky Brown of Britain in the women鈥檚 park competition.聽

And Sky has her own answer to the gender tropes. Last year, she released which includes this chorus:聽

I can be pretty, glitter in my hair.聽

But I鈥檓 not defined by what I wear.聽

I can be gritty, and shake up the world.聽

I can do anything, I鈥檓 a girl.