0:00:20 > 0:00:22I'm Shelby.
0:00:23 > 0:00:28I'm a girl, but some people think that I want to be a boy because of the way that I look.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32I'm really happy being a girl and my life is pretty normal.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38I'm confident now with being myself and being the way I am, but I wasn't always.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42I know some people find it hard to stand out.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47In this film, I'm trying to find out what it means to be a girl.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51What I really want to know is...
0:00:51 > 0:00:53..what's a girl?
0:00:56 > 0:00:59'In this film, I'll be meeting different kinds of girls -
0:00:59 > 0:01:03'Anna, who'd rather be a pirate than a princess...'
0:01:03 > 0:01:06I always play with boys and I'm really, like, rough,
0:01:06 > 0:01:09and I'm actually stronger than most boys.
0:01:09 > 0:01:14'..Laila, who loves playing football and sparring with boys...
0:01:14 > 0:01:18If you like sports that are classed as boy's sports, it doesn't matter. It's what you want to do.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23'..and Meg, who is very different from me.'
0:01:23 > 0:01:28I really like glittery stuff. I'm really into colour coordinating.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30I'm quite a girly-girl.
0:01:32 > 0:01:37I'm Shelby and I'm a very sporty, academic type of girl.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40I don't like wearing skirts and dresses
0:01:40 > 0:01:42and makeup and things like that
0:01:42 > 0:01:44because I don't feel comfortable wearing them.
0:01:44 > 0:01:50I like to wear jeans, trainers t-shirts, polo shirts, hoodies,
0:01:50 > 0:01:54and smart-formal shoes to school.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58I like being who I am. I wouldn't change it for anything.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01'But I wonder how I got to be the girl I am.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04'I guess my first influence is my parents.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10'Me and my dad go running together.
0:02:10 > 0:02:15'He used to be a fire-fighter. He even won the Silver Axe for bravery.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17'My mum loves dresses.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21'She sells wedding dresses. Sometimes I model them for her...
0:02:22 > 0:02:25'..but only if I get to wear my own shoes!'
0:02:25 > 0:02:28There we go. That looks lovely. Brilliant.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32'I think Mum and Dad expected me to be a bit more of a girly-girl.'
0:02:32 > 0:02:35She did go through a stage of having a really girly bedroom,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38with a pink canopy and...
0:02:38 > 0:02:41And when you were younger, you were a girly-girly
0:02:41 > 0:02:43because we made you a girly-girl,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45but you would always rebel against that.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49When we'd buy you a beautiful dress, you'd go out and come back covered in mud
0:02:49 > 0:02:52because you'd gone running in a stream or something.
0:02:52 > 0:02:53- 'Sorry!' - SHE LAUGHS
0:02:53 > 0:02:58Probably when you started hitting late 11, 12, into your early teens,
0:02:58 > 0:03:03we realised that, actually, we don't have a girly-girl here.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06# MUSIC: "Chelsea Dagger" By The Fratellis
0:03:06 > 0:03:07Aww!
0:03:07 > 0:03:09'Looking at myself as a little girl
0:03:09 > 0:03:13'makes me wonder when those ideas about boys and girls start.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18'I hope I didn't look as weird as these babies!
0:03:18 > 0:03:22'But I can't remember when I first knew I was a girl.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25'I'm off to a nursery.'
0:03:25 > 0:03:28We're going to meet some three and four year olds
0:03:28 > 0:03:30and see what they think about gender,
0:03:30 > 0:03:36because when I was that age, I can't remember thinking about what was a boy and what was a girl.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38You were just whatever you wanted to be.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42Do you think girls are different from boys?
0:03:42 > 0:03:46Boys have only short hair, girls have long hair.
0:03:46 > 0:03:51- How do you know you're a girl? - It's because I have long hair.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54I'm a boy because I've got short hair.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58Put your hand up if you think you're a girl.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00You're not a girl!
0:04:00 > 0:04:02How do you know he's not a girl?
0:04:02 > 0:04:05Because he's called William.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08- What do you think I am?- A girl.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10Yay!
0:04:10 > 0:04:13What sort of things do you think girls like playing with?
0:04:13 > 0:04:16- Fairies.- Fairies.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18I love playing with my princess.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21- What do boys like to play with? - Dinosaurs!
0:04:21 > 0:04:25'Fairies and dinosaurs? No surprise there!
0:04:25 > 0:04:28'Hm... I have short hair. Charlie's got long hair.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31'That doesn't fit with what they said earlier.'
0:04:31 > 0:04:34What trousers have you got on? They're like mine, aren't they?
0:04:34 > 0:04:36- But they're not the same.- No.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40Do you think girls can wear jeans like yours?
0:04:40 > 0:04:42No, don't be silly.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49When I asked him if girls can wear trousers like his,
0:04:49 > 0:04:54I wouldn't expect a three year old to actually come out and say,
0:04:54 > 0:04:56"No, don't be silly!"
0:04:56 > 0:04:59CHILDREN CHATTER
0:04:59 > 0:05:01'Now, I want to do an experiment.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04'When it comes to dressing up,
0:05:04 > 0:05:07'is there a difference between what girls and boys will choose?'
0:05:07 > 0:05:09I've got some dressing-up clothes here.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12You're all allowed to come and dress up as whatever you like.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16Ready? One, two, three.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19"Dylan's first to the box. What's he going to choose?
0:05:19 > 0:05:21"It's a race for the tiger skin.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24"Sky pulls out the purple satin and Dylan's going for a Spider-Man.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28"No! At the last minute, he's a policeman!"
0:05:28 > 0:05:31- Why do you want to be a police officer?- Because I like them.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35- Do you think a girl could wear that? - No.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38- Why's that? - Because they're only boys.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41- Do you think boys could wear a skirt?- ALL: No!
0:05:41 > 0:05:43Boys don't wear skirts
0:05:43 > 0:05:46because they look silly in them.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48'I guess I asked for that!'
0:05:48 > 0:05:53- Why did you pick this one out? - Because it's for girls.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57- Do you think a boy could wear this? - ALL: No.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01'Dylan and his friends have very clear ideas about what they want to wear
0:06:01 > 0:06:03'but they're not sure about what suits me.'
0:06:03 > 0:06:06I am going to be...
0:06:06 > 0:06:09- ..a spider policeman. - THEY LAUGH
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Do I still look like a girl, or do I look like a boy?
0:06:13 > 0:06:16VARIOUS: A girl! A boy!
0:06:16 > 0:06:18'I've really confused them now.'
0:06:18 > 0:06:23There was a clear difference between the boys and the girls.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27It surprised me a lot because I thought you might get,
0:06:27 > 0:06:31like, them not caring what they dressed up as,
0:06:31 > 0:06:34like, it's just dressing up, you can be whoever you want to be.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37I think someone like me, like, the way I dress,
0:06:37 > 0:06:41I just didn't fit into what they thought a girl or a boy...
0:06:41 > 0:06:44..would normally dress up as.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47I think it just puzzled them a bit
0:06:47 > 0:06:51in what they should dress me up as.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54How would you describe what a girl is?
0:06:54 > 0:06:57Most people think that a girl should have long hair,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00is pretty and hangs out a lot.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03Obviously, the opposite of a boy.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08A less rough boy and... a bit mature.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12What type of girl would you class yourself as?
0:07:12 > 0:07:14- A tomboy.- Yes!
0:07:14 > 0:07:17I'm a tomboy and I like football.
0:07:17 > 0:07:24I skate. I don't wear dresses or skirts.
0:07:24 > 0:07:29- What's a tomboy to you? - A girl that wants to be a boy
0:07:29 > 0:07:31and is not too girlish.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35A tomboy is a girl who wants to be a boy.
0:07:36 > 0:07:41'That wasn't how I felt. I always wanted to be a girl.
0:07:41 > 0:07:46'What is it with the word "tomboy" anyway? Why not "tomgirl"?'
0:07:50 > 0:07:53When I was seven, I loved going out skateboarding, getting mucky
0:07:53 > 0:07:56and helping my granddad fix old motorbikes.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59I didn't care what anyone else thought.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04We're off to see a girl called Anna today.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07She's a real tomboy, from what I've heard.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09I'm curious to find out from her
0:08:09 > 0:08:13if she thinks she's just a really tomboyish girl,
0:08:13 > 0:08:17or if she does actually think that she's a bit more of a boy than a girl.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21Today's going to help me bring back memories from when I was her age.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23Hello! I'm a pirate!
0:08:23 > 0:08:28'Nice beard! Anna is definitely turning herself into a male pirate.'
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Have you got any pirate in particular you're going to be?
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Jack Sparrow!
0:08:34 > 0:08:36'Maybe she hasn't heard of female pirates.'
0:08:36 > 0:08:40- Finished!- Yay!
0:08:41 > 0:08:46'Like me when I was younger, Anna loves playing outside.'
0:08:47 > 0:08:49- # Let's go! - # Hey!
0:08:52 > 0:08:54# Take it to the top now
0:09:00 > 0:09:01# That's right #
0:09:03 > 0:09:07She's a really nice girl, really full of energy.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12I can remember being really full of energy when I was her age.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15What sort of girl would you class yourself as?
0:09:15 > 0:09:18A tomboy. Mostly like a boy
0:09:18 > 0:09:20because I never really play with girls.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24I always play with boys and I'm really, like, rough,
0:09:24 > 0:09:26and I'm actually stronger than most boys.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29I don't really like playing with girls
0:09:29 > 0:09:34- because they mostly like playing Dads and Mums and stuff.- Yes.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42I'm similar to her. Like, people called me a tomboy quite a lot.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46I wasn't as similar, like, I really thought I was a boy and I'd rather be a boy.
0:09:46 > 0:09:51How do you think you are different from your sister?
0:09:51 > 0:09:55She's got, like, these handbags. She's not really into football.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59Girls are not really into football. That's, like, we're different.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02She's got these girl clothes, as well.
0:10:02 > 0:10:09I like wearing boy's clothes. I got out of wearing girl's clothes when I was, like, three years old.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15When you look at me,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18what type of girl would you think I am?
0:10:18 > 0:10:22A tomboy because you're not wearing, like, pink stuff.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26- Yes. - You're in jeans and a good hoodie
0:10:26 > 0:10:29- and this really cool top.- Thank you.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33How do you think you will be when you're older?
0:10:33 > 0:10:37Erm, like, really like you.
0:10:37 > 0:10:44'Meeting Anna made me think about what I was like when I was her age and how different I am now.'
0:10:44 > 0:10:47It shocked me, thinking there's people that want to be like me
0:10:47 > 0:10:52and said that they want to be the same sort of girl, like I am.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55I think it was really... I really liked it,
0:10:55 > 0:11:01because it's nice to know that someone likes the way I dress, sort of thing.
0:11:01 > 0:11:06I'd rather be a boy because, erm, I kind of like them more
0:11:06 > 0:11:12- because girls are a bit, like, annoying and stuff.- Mm.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14I think Anna wants to be a boy
0:11:14 > 0:11:17because she thinks boys are cooler and get to do better things.
0:11:17 > 0:11:22But when she's older, she will realise that you can be a girl and still do cool things.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25There's lots of ideas around about what girls should be like,
0:11:25 > 0:11:27especially how they should look.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31What is it with pink and girls?
0:11:31 > 0:11:34No, no... Definitely not me.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36It's a stereotypical colour for girls
0:11:36 > 0:11:40and that's why people wear it, to show that they are a girl.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42Definitely not.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44No way.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47I wouldn't wear that. Not me.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50Princesses... What is it about princesses?
0:11:50 > 0:11:53Maybe they tested it out. Maybe a girl said,
0:11:53 > 0:11:57"I like that. You should use it on everything that's girly"
0:11:57 > 0:11:59and then they did.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02No wonder I feel different when all these magazines tell me
0:12:02 > 0:12:07I'm "supposed" to look a certain way and like certain things.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10Not interested.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13Would never wear that.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16Seriously?
0:12:17 > 0:12:22I think a girly-girl is someone that likes pink and purple, likes shopping.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26Who likes to wear dresses and to put on lots of makeup.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28Loves shoes.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31Likes fairies.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33Really likes fashion and pink.
0:12:33 > 0:12:39And goes crazy when they hear the word "shoes".
0:12:41 > 0:12:43I'm off to meet a girl called Meg.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47I'm really curious to see what her style is like
0:12:47 > 0:12:50and how different it is from mine.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56I'm really interested in seeing, like, what her perceptions are of me
0:12:56 > 0:13:00and what she thinks of my style compared to her style.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04I'm Meg. My favourite colour's pink and purple.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07I love wearing dresses and flowers and that kind of thing.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11I think my worst outfit to ever wear
0:13:11 > 0:13:14would be something with a hat and baggy jeans.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16This is my bedroom.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20I'm quite a girly-girl so I've got jewellery and stuff.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23That's all my makeup and that's my scarves and stuff.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25What do you like doing?
0:13:25 > 0:13:27Football and a lot of sport and a lot of drama,
0:13:27 > 0:13:31so my bedroom's full of, like, sport stuff.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33I'm quite sporty
0:13:33 > 0:13:36but not in a football kind of a way!
0:13:37 > 0:13:38I really like glittery stuff.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42- I'm really into colour coordinating. - Yes.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44I'm quite a girly-girl.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47We're two completely different people.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51I found it quite hard because it was all about makeup
0:13:51 > 0:13:55and really girly things and, like jewellery.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57If you're going out every day,
0:13:57 > 0:14:01what sort of things would you wear more of?
0:14:01 > 0:14:07I suppose this is my normal style, like shorts or skirts and tights and stuff.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09'I hope Meg's up for a challenge.'
0:14:09 > 0:14:12I have brought some stuff along for you to try on,
0:14:12 > 0:14:16which is what sort of things I would wear
0:14:16 > 0:14:21- and, like, things that you probably wouldn't wear.- OK.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24'Meg's bringing out stuff for me to try on.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29- 'I should've seen this coming.' - Would you rather wear a skirt and top or a dress with leggings?
0:14:29 > 0:14:34I don't know. I'd probably just wear a top, really, because I wouldn't...
0:14:34 > 0:14:38So a skirt and a top, or a skirt and leggings or something?
0:14:38 > 0:14:42Hm... I don't know. It depends.
0:14:42 > 0:14:47Would you wear some leggings and a top like that?
0:14:50 > 0:14:54- Not normally, I wouldn't.- Would you be willing to wear it today?
0:14:54 > 0:14:58My reaction to having to swap clothes
0:14:58 > 0:15:00was quite a strong reaction,
0:15:00 > 0:15:05and I felt really unhappy and really...
0:15:05 > 0:15:07..I didn't feel that confident
0:15:07 > 0:15:09and I felt really uncomfortable wearing it
0:15:09 > 0:15:14because I physically didn't want to wear it.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18'But if Meg's up for it, I suppose I'll have to give it a go.'
0:15:32 > 0:15:37I'm not enjoying these dresses. And Meg's not having a great time, either.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39It's a horrible feeling,
0:15:39 > 0:15:43just, like, being so uncomfortable in clothes.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47We were planning to go into town in each other's outfits
0:15:47 > 0:15:50but, to be honest, I really cannot do it,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53so back on with my chinos and a girly top.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59We head for the shops, with Meg in the baggy jeans and hoodie.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04Wearing those clothes,
0:16:04 > 0:16:08baggy jeans and things, it was really uncomfortable
0:16:08 > 0:16:11and I felt really anxious wearing it,
0:16:11 > 0:16:15and also I felt self-conscious, like people were looking at me
0:16:15 > 0:16:16and that kind of thing,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19and so I didn't really like wearing them
0:16:19 > 0:16:23and so I didn't think I'd wear them again.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27I don't think I was me. I felt like somebody different.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31'I guess what you wear is a sign that tells people who you are,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34'which is why I just couldn't go out in that dress.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36'You're braver than me, Meg.'
0:16:36 > 0:16:42- They're amazing! I really want to wear them! - I really don't like them. No.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45I really like this. It's so nice.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49'We don't have the same taste, but even I surprise myself sometimes.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52'Maybe we have something in common after all.'
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Actually, I would wear those if they were shorter.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58You can wear them with jeans, as well.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01- Probably not the jeans I've got on, though.- They're nice!
0:17:01 > 0:17:04Meeting Shelby made me think,
0:17:04 > 0:17:07even though people dress differently even though they're the same gender,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10people can dress how they want
0:17:10 > 0:17:12and you don't have to hold that against them.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16I like these!
0:17:16 > 0:17:18MEG LAUGHS
0:17:18 > 0:17:21Even though they do stand out,
0:17:21 > 0:17:23good for them for, like,
0:17:23 > 0:17:27liking something different and not just following the crowd.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29It's perfectly fine to be different.
0:17:29 > 0:17:34Meg was really nice. I got on well with her.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37She's different to me in a lot of different ways.
0:17:37 > 0:17:42I find it quite hard to sit down and have a conversation about, like,
0:17:42 > 0:17:45being a girl and what it means to be a girl
0:17:45 > 0:17:47because I couldn't get my head around
0:17:47 > 0:17:50her thoughts and feelings about being a girl.
0:17:50 > 0:17:56It just made me realise, I think, that actually
0:17:56 > 0:18:02it does matter where you are and what you wear,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05because, like, walking down the street in a dress,
0:18:05 > 0:18:07for me, isn't right
0:18:07 > 0:18:10and I don't feel comfortable wearing that.
0:18:10 > 0:18:15Whereas walking down the street wearing a pair of jeans and maybe a hoodie
0:18:15 > 0:18:19would feel comfortable for me and I would feel right in the place where I am.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22It's not just how girls look
0:18:22 > 0:18:26but what we do that can make us stand out.
0:18:26 > 0:18:32I'm really sporty but I'm often the only girl up for rugby, football or hockey.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Some people even think, because I'm a girl,
0:18:35 > 0:18:38I'm not supposed to like playing football.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40Rugby is a big no-no.
0:18:40 > 0:18:45I can't do kung fu because I might hurt myself.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49And I'm far too fragile for boxing.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52I'm not the only girl who likes to play rough.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56Laila's 11 and she's well into martial arts.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02FAST-PACED MUSIC
0:19:04 > 0:19:07All the girls here are doing really cool stuff.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11It's great to see Laila giving it some.
0:19:11 > 0:19:16But I'm not the kind of girl to sit on the sidelines and watch.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18I want to get in there.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25SHE GRUNTS
0:19:25 > 0:19:29What made you decide to do martial arts in the first place?
0:19:29 > 0:19:34I'm moving to secondary school, so Mum wanted me to learn self-defence so I could take care of myself.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38Who do you prefer fighting with the most? Is it the boys or the girls?
0:19:38 > 0:19:43Sometimes the boys because if I beat them afterwards, it proves I've done something.
0:19:43 > 0:19:44But the girls are fun.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51I'm going up against Laila. I'm excited and a bit nervous.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54I think she might be tougher than she looks.
0:19:55 > 0:20:00Ready to go? OK, guys, face each other. Feet together.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02Hands at your side. And bow.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04OK. Ready positions. Hands up.
0:20:04 > 0:20:09You can go for it, all right? She's pretty tough.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11MUSIC: "Do It Like A Brother" by Jessie J
0:20:11 > 0:20:13Hi-ya!
0:20:13 > 0:20:15No!
0:20:16 > 0:20:19GIRLS GRUNT
0:20:23 > 0:20:25OK, I'm not match for Laila at sparring,
0:20:25 > 0:20:31but lucky for me, she also likes football...
0:20:32 > 0:20:37..and plays on a boys' team with her friend Molly.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Because of all the sports you do, does anybody ever say anything
0:20:40 > 0:20:44- and call you tomboys and things? - A few people call my a tomboy.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46But it's just the way you want to be,
0:20:46 > 0:20:49- and if you like martial arts or football...- Yes.
0:20:49 > 0:20:55..or sports that are classed as boy's sports, it doesn't matter, it's what you want to do.
0:20:59 > 0:21:04I'm in the school play. We do a summer production at the end of the year.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07Last year I went for a talking part
0:21:07 > 0:21:11and some people laughed, as if to say, "You're a tomboy.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14"Why are you doing singing and dancing?"
0:21:14 > 0:21:16and acting as if I can only be one thing.
0:21:16 > 0:21:21- But it's just, people judge you before they actually know you.- Yes.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25When you're acting, you can do anything because you're someone else.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28Laila's moving up to secondary school next year.
0:21:31 > 0:21:36Out of everyone I've met, I found that Laila was most like me
0:21:36 > 0:21:39because I found it easy to talk to her and have a good laugh with her.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Oh! Look at that skill!
0:21:42 > 0:21:46I think, as well, because I've done secondary school
0:21:46 > 0:21:49and she's just moving up to secondary school,
0:21:49 > 0:21:53I found it easy to talk to her about how it is to fit in there.
0:21:53 > 0:21:58Are you excited for when you go up to secondary school or are you a bit nervous?
0:21:58 > 0:22:01I'm actually more excited to go to secondary school
0:22:01 > 0:22:05than I was to come to school right at the beginning,
0:22:05 > 0:22:10because you can start again and be who you really are.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13When I first moved to secondary school,
0:22:13 > 0:22:17I started hanging round with all the girls who were classed as...
0:22:17 > 0:22:21- Girly-girls.- Girly-girls. - People who weren't your type.- Yes.
0:22:21 > 0:22:26And then I started realising, "I don't feel comfortable. This isn't what I feel like."
0:22:26 > 0:22:32Then started being myself, and I made more friends being myself than I was changing myself.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35It was really nice meeting Shelby
0:22:35 > 0:22:39because I was finding somebody who was really similar to me.
0:22:39 > 0:22:44She helped me out with telling me how I could go through secondary school being me, a tomboy,
0:22:44 > 0:22:46and it was really fun meeting her.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48I really hope Laila does well at secondary school.
0:22:48 > 0:22:53I know it can be tough but if she sticks to being herself, she'll be all right.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Sometimes, trying to fit in with others
0:22:57 > 0:23:01can be more difficult than just being yourself.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04One of the hardest times, for me, was when I moved schools.
0:23:04 > 0:23:09I think moving from my old secondary school to this secondary school,
0:23:09 > 0:23:14I changed the way I dressed because I thought that was the only way to fit in.
0:23:14 > 0:23:19I started hanging around with all, like, the really girly-girls of the year.
0:23:19 > 0:23:24They all had their own image of what a girl should look like,
0:23:24 > 0:23:25wearing the skirts,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28and because they all followed it,
0:23:28 > 0:23:32I think I had my own image of it in my head what I wanted to be like,
0:23:32 > 0:23:36and I think they just couldn't understand where I was coming from
0:23:36 > 0:23:38with, like, the way I wanted to be.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41So then I just started wearing trousers
0:23:41 > 0:23:45and things like that because I felt more comfortable.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48I started noticing that people were saying things
0:23:48 > 0:23:52and people did have an opinion of me,
0:23:52 > 0:23:55and it used to be just like, "You look like a boy,
0:23:55 > 0:23:57"you're a tomboy" and things like that.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00I used to get upset and take it to heart
0:24:00 > 0:24:03if it was my friends saying it.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06I find it a lot easier being myself
0:24:06 > 0:24:11than I was when I was trying to fit in with everyone else.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13I actually made more friends
0:24:13 > 0:24:16than I was when I was trying to fit in.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22When I first met her, I wasn't too sure what to think because she definitely stood out.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24I didn't know what to think of her
0:24:24 > 0:24:30because she was so different to all the other girls I hung around with.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35Everyone's kind of unique, but Shelby's more unique than everyone else.
0:24:35 > 0:24:40She's very brave for it, and I think other people should follow what she's done
0:24:40 > 0:24:43and just not think about what other people think
0:24:43 > 0:24:44and be their own person.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48'Now I'm confident about being myself.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52'It really helps me at school, especially with drama.'
0:24:52 > 0:24:54It won't go down!
0:24:54 > 0:24:58It's staying up! There you go.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03- You're going to get...- Eww! THEY LAUGH
0:25:06 > 0:25:08'I've got a leading role, playing a man
0:25:08 > 0:25:12'in our school production of Measure For Measure.'
0:25:12 > 0:25:15'It's a big deal. I'm really happy and excited
0:25:15 > 0:25:17'because Angelo is my favourite character.'
0:25:17 > 0:25:21Always obedient to Your Grace's will, I come to know your pleasure.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24'Now I've got the courage to get up on stage
0:25:24 > 0:25:28'in front of all my classmates and teachers.'
0:25:29 > 0:25:32'I'm not afraid of being in the spotlight.'
0:25:32 > 0:25:35This is that face, thou cruel Angelo,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38which once thou sworest was worth the looking on!
0:25:38 > 0:25:41This is the hand...
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Going on stage and performing it
0:25:43 > 0:25:46and then having all the teachers coming up to me and going,
0:25:46 > 0:25:50"You kicked it, Shelby. It was really good..."
0:25:50 > 0:25:53..let me have way...
0:25:53 > 0:25:55"..you were excellent, I didn't know you could act like that",
0:25:55 > 0:26:00and knowing that from your teachers and from other students,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03like, having Year 8s come up to me and say,
0:26:03 > 0:26:07"I want to be like you when I grow up, I want to have your confidence,
0:26:07 > 0:26:12"I want to be able to get up on stage in front of your peer group"
0:26:12 > 0:26:15having the people say that to you
0:26:15 > 0:26:18changes how you think about yourself.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24It's nearly the end of my mission to find out "What's A Girl?"
0:26:27 > 0:26:29Anna, Meg and Laila
0:26:29 > 0:26:33have come to my hometown for a bit of fun.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42During this journey, I've had a laugh,
0:26:42 > 0:26:45felt awkward and upset, there's been surprises,
0:26:45 > 0:26:49I've been kicked, dressed up and applauded.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54What did I learn about what a girl is?
0:26:54 > 0:26:58I've learnt that some girls think that they need to be a boy to do cool stuff,
0:26:58 > 0:27:00but they don't.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03A girl is someone confident in her own style
0:27:03 > 0:27:06and doesn't need to change it for anyone.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10A girl is someone who can stand out or fit in,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13but has the courage to be herself.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17So, what is a girl?
0:27:17 > 0:27:18I am.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21I am.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25I am.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29I am.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd