Dressing up as a princess or a superhero for Halloween has a common factor: enforcing gender roles.

Halloween is a time for trick or treating for children, but a noticeable difference between an Elsa costume and a Batman costume is that one is “meant” for a girl and one for a boy.

I work at a Hy-Vee in Ames, and we had a day for trick-or-treating. During that time, I saw many girl princesses and boy superheroes, and there were a few children who were wearing costumes not meant for their gender.

Children are taught gender roles from an early age.

Girls wear glittery, fragile costumes, and boys wear strong, bold costumes. But it should not be frowned upon if a girl wants to be the Hulk or if a boy wants to be Cinderella.

In addition to gender-specific costumes, there are also costumes making fun of people dealing with gender roles on a day-to-day basis. They use the idea of Halloween to dress as whomever or whatever they want to be in a mocking way.

For example, Caitlyn Jenner has been made into a costume with a negative connotation, making fun of her gender transition from male to female. To the transgender community, Jenner is seen as a human being, but, to people who are not transgender or advocates, they see the Jenner costume as a funny practical joke. 

Halloween costumes should not be a time to make fun of another human being who decided to be themselves.

In Huffington Post, Mary Moss reported she let her daughter dress up as Darth Vader because her daughter refused to dress up as a princess.

Moss figured out Halloween was a time for her daughter to dress as someone she may want to be some day or someone who aligned with her views of herself.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth are not always sure of their identities, and Moss’s daughter realized she was not comfortable in her skin and used Halloween as a way to express that. In seventh grade, Moss’ daughter transitioned, becoming her son. 

It took courage to make that decision during the judgmental teenage years, but the judgment has continued with Halloween costumes. Like Moss’ son, Jenner faced the bullies, the media.

Halloween costumes are often portrayed as being designed specifically for a girl or boy. Girls will be wearing something frilly that is supposed to make them look girly, and boys will wear something that is supposed to make them look manly.

According to Huffington Post, Jennifer Muhm, one of the creators of buddingSTEM, a line of science-themed clothing for girls, was looking through costume catalogs for an astronaut costume for her daughter but was unable to find one. Her daughter saw only boys wearing astronaut costumes, so she then decided not to be one.

Muhm and Malorie Catchpole, another mother who had a related story with her daughters, started their own clothing company that appeals to girls using “typical” boys’ clothing. For example, trucks, dinosaurs and planets are on clothes for girls that would normally be considered “boy” clothes.

According to Huffington Post, when they put their idea on Kickstarter, it raised more than $60,000. BuddingSTEM is not the only clothing line trying to end gender roles.

Handsome in Pink is for everyone — children, women and men. The company believes colors do not belong to one gender, so its clothes are different colors not specified for a certain gender. Breaking gender roles, such as pink belonging to women, is something it is trying to change.

Halloween costumes are not just for trick-or-treating. They are a way for children to express themselves or explore a life they do not normally live.

If a girl wants to feel powerful, as she always should be able to, and wear a Hulk costume, she should. If a boy wants to feel beautiful, as he always should be able to, and dress up as Cinderella, he should.