'I liked wearing that skirt'

[csbdr]

Would someone get upset if another called the jeans they were wearing "pants"?

I understand that there's a bit of a social construct condemning "skirt" as a solely feminine article, and through ignornance or insult it's thrown at us kilt-wearers to shake our confidence... but y'know, it is a skirt. A specialized skirt, it may be, but still a skirt.

One kiltie can approach another with a grin on his face and say "Hey, nice skirt!" and the recipient of the erstwhile "insult" would know the light heartedness involved. Connotation and intent are paramount when taking offense at something said. If he was earnest when saying he enjoyed wearing it, then one would hardly assume he was being derogatory to the kilted masses.

He did have the opportunity to educate the public and make a stand for kilted men everywhere. Am I upset he didn't? Nah. If anything, he showed that he's comfortable enough wearing it that he can be tongue-in-cheek. For all those people out there who would rib him for wearing a skirt, he proved that he can look at them, smile and say "Why thank you, it is!" He took the power from their attack before they could even open their mouths.

If someone is trying to offend, ignore them. Being offended by their sophomoric jests will only embolden them. If they are just ignorant, educate them, but again take no offense. Otherwise, with a remark insulting their intelligence, you may offend someone who meant no harm. Now instead of respecting the kilt, they just see a jerk in a skirt.

Wearing the kilt is something we do for ourselves, despite the cultural oddity it creates about us. We walk out of our homes without regard to what someone else might think. If we cared that much about conforming, we wouldn't cross the threshold. Why start letting what other people think bother us after we're out the door?

Well put!!