Notes on raising a Brony

           The theme song is noxious, the colors are vibrant, and the voices sweet enough to give one cavities. Not my first choice in toons, My little Pony: Friendship is magic has taken over my house.  Contrary to popular belief it isn't even my daughter putting on this super cute cartoon, it's my 9 year old son!  At first I was simply glad the two of them were getting along and enjoying the same show, and then I heard John De Lancie.  In case you're not in the know Mr. De Lancie famously played "Q", a Star Trek villain of, well, god like supremacy.  In true form, the character of "Discord" would make  Q proud, stirring up , well, discord.  While this did little to alter my desire to watch the show it certainly elevated it in my geekpinion. 

          As homeschoolers,   issues of " girly" v . "boyish" things rarely come up even though my kids definitely display a lot of distinct traits true to the pre conceived notions of what one gender or another happens to find of interest. In our house my husband cooks and I love power tools, so we are pretty loosey goosy with the gender roles.  This is why I was surprised to find my son completely terrified that his friend might discover his love of the ponies.  Being not only a total fan girl, but also bisexual, supporting my kids in whatever they love is a deep passion for me, especially when it calls into question who they are "supposed" to be. So, what does a mom do when her son loves ponies but hides them under his pillow? Well, to the Interwebs went I!

        To say that I was surprised at what I found is an understatement.  Not only was my son not alone in his boyish love of the very girly ponies, there was even a name for his forbidden love; Brony.

Finding this legion of mostly grown men ( guys around 19-25), literally brought tears to my eyes. Not only did my son have zero reason to be embarrassed  ( a fact I knew, of course), but it would be possible for him, in some near future, to find other guys to share his love with.  There are so many of them they have their own convention, and their group is growing so much they sell Brony tees at the  ever trendy Hot Topics.

        Maybe he won't always love Rainbow Dash, but I am so glad to know that he is growing up in a world where Bronies exist!

        So often we worry about how little girls see the world, how their roles will be shaped by the notions of the media and the masses and we forget our little boys.  How are they affected by the pink aisles in the toy store, and by the deliberate separation of girl and boy toys?  My mission, as a mom and a lover of freedom and joy, is to make sure that my son is comfortable in his skin, that he can embrace all parts of himself without feelings of doubt or fear.  The fact that there are literally thousands of other guys out there leading the way warms my little heart cockles.  It is my greatest hope that things will keep on shifting and evolving until one day there is only one toy aisle, and its filled with rainbows and Legos.