did you want to bring up the specific environments in question or are we doing the whole ignore each other's questions in favor of addressing our perceived points thing?

Sure, I can be more specific: I'm saying that boys that are brought up with strong gender expectations, around other boys with strong opinions about things being "for girls" and therefore not for boys, are more likely to categorically refuse to read books with female protagonists, or with themes that they consider to be overly girly.

I was raised in a household without a particularly strong emphasis on gender, but in a society and in a community with a moderate emphasis on it, so I was happy enough to read books with female protagonists, as long as the subjects weren't overly "girly." It's incomprehensible to me to be unwilling to read books with female protagonists, but I understand how it can happen.

Please also note that while you're likely able to gather my position from context, I'm not actually making a claim about whether gender associations are good or bad, just about where they come from.

Is that clearer? I'm genuinely trying to address your complaint, so I'm happy to elaborate or clarify further.

most would appreciate the roundabout discussion format, so i respect that youve put effort into decorum, and i should do well to behave similarly. if its ok with you im more interested in cutting to the point based on inferring your position (please forgive if ive done so incorrectly). my issue with desegregating gender roles is that theoretically this choice is moral, in practice humans are happy to optimize into doing whats most comfortable, resulting in doubling of competition for easy jobs previously associated to any particular gender, and a halving of competition for corresponding hard jobs. regardless, we can push a particular moral set all we like, its still men in the mines and women taking care of kids. there are probably a few issues im not seeing which youre welcome to elucidate.