Parents in Hong Kong are ‘worried’ about their sons liking Disney princesses
Parents in Hong Kong are reportedly “worried” about their male children liking Disney princesses.
The discovery comes after Cantopop diva Miriam Yeung revealed that she prevented her son from liking “stereotypical” female toys including Disney princess Elsa.
The video in which Yeung explained her reasons for stopping her son enjoying certain toys surfaced online this week after it was initially published in 2015.
“Whenever he expresses his liking of Elsa, I scold him,” she said in the video.
“He is a boy, why play with an Elsa toy? I pasted his face on Elsa’s image and my boy immediately said, “No, mommy, no.”
“He likes playing with kitchen toys, I find that strange. Won’t such play turn him into a sissy?
“I am worried that he will start liking the color pink, so I told him “No, mommy doesn’t like it. Don’t watch that,” she added.
The video and Yeung’s parenting techniques have received wide spread criticism.
“2020 is approaching, it is difficult to imagine that only girls can like the color pink. Such stereotypes are so outdated,” Hong Kong based news outlet King Jer wrote.
“More difficult to imagine is that Miriam Yeung has so many LGBT friends and fans […] Yet she still carries such an idea…”
LGBT activist group Action Q HK said: “If a liking of Elsa means a tendency to become a girl, then Miriam Yeung is insulting thousands who like Elsa.”
The criticism Yeung received pushed her to writing an apology on Facebook and explaining that she had since changed her approach in an attempt to “understand his world”.
“Eventually I allowed him to choose and tried to understand his world. We don’t have to worry too much. They eventually have their own ways.
“Sorry that this old interview has upset many. Being a parent is not easy, it is a life-long endeavour and I am still learning. It is a happy experience and I am thankful. Let’s support each other and work this out together,” she wrote.
However, many have stuck by her original views and expressed that children conforming to gender norms is of the upmost importance.
One commenter wrote: “We should not blame the parents. If your kids becomes gay, they would be discriminated against and your friends and family would stay away from you. You won’t be happy. Life becomes difficult.”
“All parents have stereotypes. But Yeung lets you see what she did. I don’t believe others will encourage kids to explore new things,” another added.
The revelation come after charities in the city have claimed that authorities in Hong Kong are still recommending so-called ‘gay cure’ therapy to vulnerable youths.
The Hong Kong government refused to ban the practice in 2010, despite campaigners presenting extensive evidence to the Legislative Council that the practice can do serious harm to individuals.
