Recently, columnist and mom Carrie Goldman wrote an essay in Chicago Now about bullying in schools and why parents should start teaching their children as soon as 1st grade how to deal with being bullied. She spoke from the heart, not just because it’s an issue all parents must grapple with, but because her own young daughter Katie was being bullied FOR LIKING STAR WARS!?!
Here’s the excerpt from her article Anti-Bullying Starts in First Grade:
She wailed, “The first grade boys are teasing me at lunch because I have a Star Wars water bottle. They say it’s only for boys. Every day they make fun of me for drinking out of it. I want them to stop, so I’ll just bring a pink water bottle.”
I hugged her hard and felt my heart sink. Such a tender young age, and already she is embarrassed about the water bottle that brought her so much excitement and joy a few months ago.
Is this how it starts? Do kids find someone who does something differently and start to beat it out of her, first with words and sneers? Must my daughter conform to be accepted?
As any Star Wars fan worth his or her weight in midichlorians can tell you, there is no one single “type” of Star Wars fan. Star Wars fans are both genders, all ages, all races and all nationalities.
And not only are there millions of women who love Star Wars, there famous, talented women who love Star Wars like pop star Lady Gaga, country/pop singer Taylor Swift, actress Megan Fox, actress/producer Drew Barrymore, actress/producer/writer Tina Fey, actress Michelle Ryan, comedian/actress Margaret Cho, award-winning actress Helen Mirren, MTV’s own Liz Lee, 90210 actress AnnaLynne McCord, supermodel & reality TV star Adrianne Curry, actress & gamer goddess Felicia Day, Jane Wiedlin from The Go-Go’s, singer Tanya Donelly, Jenny Conlee from The Decemberists, MSNBC news host Rachel Maddow, not to mention all the cool gamer gals in Team Unicorn! And that’s just to name only a few!
Let’s not forget our awesome female actresses in our films & The Clone Wars animated TV series who also love the franchise such as Ahsoka Tano actress Ashley Eckstein (who loved Star Wars so much she started her own sci-fi themed fashion line Her Universe), Aurra Sing actress Jaime King, Padmé Amidala actress Catherine Taber, Barriss Offee actress Meredith Salenger, Asajj Ventress actress Nika Futterman, Shaak Ti actress Tasia Valenza, Duchess Satine actress Anna Graves… just to name a few.
My point is, ladies love Star Wars too, and we should all support their right to geek out just like the guys. Little girls need to know they have every right to pick up a lightsaber as the rest of us.
Star Wars itself is full of strong, independent female characters who wouldn’t have taken any guff from 1st grade boys who clearly don’t know their Star Wars characters.
It’s these female characters like Ahsoka Tano, Princess Leia, Senator Amidala, Aurra Sing, Asajj Ventress, Mon Mothma, Aayla Secura, Barriss Offee, Luminara Unduli, Mara Jade, Darth Talon, Sy Snootles, Zam Wesell, Jocasta Nu, Ackmena, Jaina Solo — and many MANY more — who little girls (and us big girls) can learn a lot from when it comes to being ourselves and fighting for what we believe in.
Kids can be cruel. They’re just trying to figure who they are and the friends they want to hang with. They want to be themselves, but they don’t want to be made fun of for being different. Sometimes standing up for what you love isn’t as easy as it looks when you have a gang of little girls snickering at you or a bunch of boys calling you names for liking something they think is just for them.
I should know. Not only was I bullied all through school for loving Star Wars, Doctor Who and anything else with an awesome robot in it; I decided to write a book about it for other girls who have to deal with bullying called Girls Against Girls: Why We Are Mean to Each Other and How We Can Change.
But here’s how WE as Star Wars fans can help RIGHT NOW:
- Support your kids/nieces/nephews when they say they love Star Wars and The Clone Wars — even if it’s a character you don’t happen to like — *cough*Jar Jar*cough*
- Pay attention to younglings when they look depressed. They might be suffering from bullying at school and could use a Yoda-like ear to talk to.
- Make sure your younglings understand that Star Wars is for guys AND gals.
- Finally, show your support of young Katie who was bullied for having a Star Wars water bottle at school by leaving comments here on the article that started it all and here on this blog entry calling for more geek girl support. Katie’s mom is reading all these supportive comments to her, and I bet she’d love to hear your Jedi-like words of wisdom.
- If you’re on Twitter, show your support of Katie liking Star Wars with the hashtag #MayTheForceBeWithKatie
UPDATE: So many people are leaving supportive comments so they made a second page to leave comments here.
May the Force be with guys AND girls…. always.
Tags: Bullying, Celebrities, Fangirls, Her Universe
hi katie i am a proud star wars geek and i think thos boys are jerks to bollie u i reed star wars books all the time (im reeding the first heir to the empier book) and i have a realy cool star wars puzel and a HUGE tub of star wars legos. im suporting u katie.
P.S. i have sister who name is katie
Hi! I LOVE star wars. I was sad to hear that kids where bulling girls just cause they like star wars. don’t listen to them. In fact, they probably think it’s cool that you like star wars but they just don’t know how to express it.
Only for boys? Come on. Star Wars has a lot of intriguing female characters, contrary to many people’s belief. And it’s a shame they aren’t as recognized as they should be. I made a website (www.ladiesofstarwars.webs.com) to make a list of all the women featured in Star Wars a few days ago, in hopes that this kind of thing doesn’t happen. (Of course, the list is nowhere near complete, but it’s getting there.) I love Star Wars with a passion, and it’s not at all exclusive to one particular gender, girls or boys.
ok i feel bad for the girl but if i were here i would tell the boys to back off and if star wars is only for boys and i am a boy then why do they have ladys in it and that means that my sister a world famous kung fu fighter is not allowed to watch star wars with me so the boys i bet you are now feeling like stupid right now and never call star wars geeky agin and you must always say may the force be with you you are not allowed to change it i would know i am the biggest fan of star wars no onebody higher
MY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU.
Weird. My daughter of 10 is an avid Star Wars fan and has been for years. SW clothes, SW bed linen, SW DVD’s – and a ton of Lego Star Wars toys, of course. But I can’t remember her being subject of bullying on that account.
I have once, back when she was 7 or so, heard a classmate (girl) as her as we were arriving at school in the morning “Why are you wearing a boy’s shirt?”. My daughter looked at the girl and said “It’s not a boy’s shirt. It’s my shirt”. And that was pretty much the end of that.
Hi, Katie! Don’t let anyone make you feel bad because you like Star Wars. Just be yourself, and don’t let anybody push you around because you’re a girl. I was made fun of too, because I played Star Wars with boys. But now, I’m proud to be a Star Wars geek, and I don’t care what anybody says!!!
Smile,
Jesus <3 you
I was bullied for my Star Wars Lunch Box way back in 5th grade. I still remember that. I even made a YouTube video about it.
I’m sorry, these kids are being mean and rude. Just remember that it doesn’t matter how old you are, or your gender to like star wars. Anyway, your the one having fun right? All they care about is being cool, so technically they must be more upset than you. Enjoy sci-fi and starwars as fun as it is!!!!, the force is on your side, let yoda take care of them:)
Hey Katie,
i think its super mean when you see these little boys who think there all that, and they think things are just for them, don’t listen to them, and play a joke, start wearing star wars shirts hats shoes etc. have everything star wars and they’ll just think oh this isn’t fun any more…
[...] I witnessed may not be universal, the evidence is still striking. Will we see a new round of “Star Wars Katies,” girls who are made to feel ashamed and bullied because they dare go against the norm and [...]
Hi Katie, from another Katie!!, I think it’s super mean that boys are like this, I never was really into Star Wars at your age in fact I fell in love with it much more recently a couple of years ago, and I’m now 24.
If you ask me those boys need a good dose of Force Lightning.
Well I think that star wars are not only for boy I think that it is for girls to.
And I am not adopted but I am in foster cer.
Hey Katie, I’m a die-hard Star Wars fan, and as you can probably tell by my name, I’m a girl. I’ve been a Star Wars for a looooong time now, and I’ve never been bullied- nor have I been bullied for obsessing over video games. Anything that initially had a male audience is now getting a HUGE female fanbase, Star Wars included. Plus, in 2nd grade I obsessed over Star Wars…..and not once did I get bullied.Mainly because most my Star Wars shirts were designed for girls.
From ThePinkJediKittyCat
P.S. Starwars.com is my home page.
Hi Katie I am so sorry that happened to you.
I am a huge Star Wars fan and I always ask anyone “Is Star Wars to boyish?” and they always say “No”. But I always think they are telling people that I am not a girl. But I always say to myself “No they’re to nice” but how do I know? Well I then would just say ” I like what I like”.
The point is you don’t have to like girly stuff to be a girl. I’m a girl and I hate Hello Kitty. I hope you never get bullied for that again.
You are #1
May The Force Be With You!
My five-year-old grand-daughter *loves* Star Wars as well! I am searching for lunch boxes, water bottles, etc., etc. with Princess Leia, and there are none to be seen! Of course girls love Star Wars! Be true to yourself, and you will always be happy!
hey Katie your an amazing girl i am a little bit older than you and i know that people were mean to me for being a star wars nerd and just a regular nerd but now i am richer than all of them and on my way to a scholarship at MIT. just know your not alone. when i first heard your story i was upset and i realized that i wouldn’t be were i am without it. tell those boys your better than all of them and that heads of companies are commenting about you. cause you rock, and may the force be with you!
Hey Katie! I just wanted you to know that you’re not alone, either in liking Star Wars or being made fun of for it. I’ve been a Star Wars fan since I was a little girl and I now have four little girls of my own who all love Star Wars just as much as you and me and we’ve all taken a little flack for it, now and then. I know it’s hard to stand up to kids at school but you have the love and support of millions of Star Wars fans who all think it’s great you’ve found something you really like (and probably more than a few are wondering where you got your water bottle). Just know that it’s okay to like things, even if no one else does. It’s your individuality that makes you so special so never let anyone take that away from you. Stay strong, be encouraged and MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!
Hi Katie! I was bullied when I was your age and I’m a grown up now. It’s hard to deal with at your age but trust me- things will get better. I know it would be easier for you to give in and just get a girly lunch box, but I really hope you won’t. Stand up for who you are and never be ashamed of your interests. The kids who pick on you are probably insecure and just want to make someone else the target so it won’t be them. You sound like a really cool kid to me! Maybe they’re jealous that you are cool enough to be yourself. Hold on to what you love. Real friends will eventually find you.
Hi my name is Katie too. And I liked Star Wars ever since 2nd grade.(I didn’t like it before then because I didn’t learn it existed until then.)
If the boys don’t like you because you like Star Wars, just wait until you’re 16 and they love you because you like Star Wars. Trust me, it will happen.
Hey Katie, I’m so proud that at your age you like Star Wars. Never Never Never let anyone make you lose your enthusiasm for Star Wars, you don’t need to prove anything, you’re already a cool girl. All the coolest and strongest characters in Star Wars are mainly females. I know it seems hard to keep up when everyone else is against you, but eventually that will make you stronger and unique . You will find good friends that are like you and will love you for who you are. Keep your chin up always, you are a true Jedi.
Hi Katie! I’m so sorry you were bullied! I’m a little bit older than you and a fellow awesome star wars enthusiast. I can’t believe that they would do that to you,but here is a little piece of advice: they only bully you because they are jealous of your awesomeness! Don’t worry, in a couple of years they will think you are so cool for liking star wars!
And may the force be with you, young Jedi.