A loving father named John Marcotte observed something interesting when he was shopping for his little girls’ Halloween costumes. As he made his way through the store, he noticed a distinct difference between the costumes offered to boys and the costumes that were being marketed to girls. “Boys are given a full range of costumes that tell them they can be anything they want – heroic, brilliant, or scary,” Marcotte told BuzzFeed. “Meanwhile, the girls’ costume aisles are usually fairies and princesses, and [this] tells them that the only thing society values about them is their appearance.” That’s exactly why the dad founded Heroic Girls and started the #MoreThanCute campaign, which encourages girls and parents to think creatively when picking out a Halloween costume.
“It’s fine to look cute,” Marcotte says. “But Halloween is a time to let your imagination run wild and to dream about what you want to be.” To support this meaningful project, parents have dressed their daughters as superheroes, ninjas, sports stars, firefighters–basically, anything their daughters really wanted. They’ve proceeded to share these empowering images on various social media platforms with the initiative’s hashtag. As for the overall response, Marcotte revealed that it has been both informative and positive. Many moms and dads share exactly the same concerns, since they’ve realized that most costumes involve short skirts and that, overall, there are limited choices for their daughters.
Marcotte admits, “I am the father of two little girls, and nothing makes you a more active feminist than wanting them to have the type of limitless opportunities they deserve.”
Above illustration: Melissa Pagluica
Supergirl – Photo credit: Jeremy Hooper
Ruth Bader Ginsburg – Photo credit: Heroic Girls
Darth Vader – Photo credit: NorthStoryCA
Avatar: The Last Airbender’s Katara – Photo credit: libug22
Dr. Horrible – Photo credit: Patti Marcotte
Ronda Rousey – Photo credit: H.C. Himself
McKayla Maroney – Photo Credit: Heroic Girls
Zombie Elsa – Photo credit: Jacob McAlister
Willy Wonka – Photo credit: Kirsten McKnight
MathGirl and WordGirl – Photo credit: Karen L. McCarthy
Snowy Owl and Baby Harp Seal – Photo credit: Kerry Irish
Engineer – Photo credit: greymaiden
Sloppy from the Goosebumps books – Photo credit: Angela Dant
The Incredibles – Photo credit: Amy Awesome
Labyrinth’s Goblin King – Photo Credit: dooodles
Robin – Photo credit: Erin Miskell
Rocky Raccoon – Photo credit: Katrina Q