What's so wonderful about being a boy? As someone who is somewhat introverted and nerdy, for lack of a better term, all the boy stuff seemed insufferable to me, even as a child. Wrestling, fighting, being aggressive, being tough, being overly competitive, etc is not something I wanted or related to and that attitude most likely kept me from forming the typical male bonding boys and teens develop. I fell deeper into books, computers, games, etc while they were out doing 'boy' stuff. I remember envying girls because they weren't pressured to constantly play sports and being bookish and a voracious reader was perfectly acceptable for them but 'weird' for a boy.

As a parent I see my son's female peers and very few of them are remotely interested in boy stuff, even when offered. Even in toddler stages there's a marked difference in personalities with girls being calmer and more passive and boys wanting to do rough and tumble theatrics. Its obviously innate, at least to me.

>but girls were discouraged and put in dresses, etc.

Well, in the article that's exactly what happened but the males mistaken for girls complained. There's no evidence all girls complained.