By Jordan Liu | Copy Editor
On Sept. 25, a couple came under fire for dyeing the Queima-Pé waterfall in Brazil blue during their gender reveal party, endangering a nearby town’s water supply. This incident is not the first time where a gender reveal party has caused unnecessary and irreparable damage. These elaborate celebrations often come at the expense of people’s safety while also encouraging toxic gender norms.
As social media has given gender reveal parties more visibility, parents have created increasingly dramatic and sometimes deadly events. What started as a simple way to celebrate a child’s birth has devolved into something dangerous to both people’s livelihoods and their perception of gender.
According to the Washington Post, the Queima-Pé waterfall incident is not the first instance where a party has harmed nature. In 2020, a California couple’s use of a colored smoke bomb sparked the El Dorado wildfire. BBC reported that the fire lasted two months, caused damages worth over $8 million, and killed one firefighter during the process of putting it out.
The fire only added to the gender reveal party death toll. The New York Times reported that in 2019, a guest at a party in Knoxville, Iowa died when struck by a piece of shrapnel from an explosion. The hosts had attempted to create a smoke device but instead ended up making a pipe bomb, endangering everyone at the party.
Putting people’s lives on the line just to try to have an extravagant party is unacceptable, especially considering that these disasters were completely preventable. Celebrating new life should never result in death.
Gender reveal parties do more than just threaten people’s lives and the environment- they stuff people into boxes based on what society considers feminine and masculine, reinforcing outdated stereotypes. They set standards for what the child will like to do, how they will want to dress, and what they will identify as before they have even been born. In a world where gender identity is more fluid than ever, there is no space for the rigid and antiquated gender norms that the parties encourage.
Even Jenna Karvunidis, who is credited with starting the gender reveal party trend in 2008, has expressed regret over contributing to the viral phenomenon. She wrote in an article for the Guardian that she feels guilt over the deaths that parties have caused and hates how they perpetuate gender stereotypes.
“There’s such an obsession with gender that it becomes limiting in many ways and exploitative in others,” wrote Karvunidis. “I want my kids to grow up in a world where gender doesn’t matter.”
There are so many better ways to celebrate that do not cause damage. Keep it simple- pop a balloon with confetti in it or just cut a cake. Prevent the spread of toxic gender stereotypes by throwing a name-reveal party or organizing an event where the decorations do not revolve around outdated gender norms.
While a new life is certainly worth celebrating, the execution of that celebration in the form of a gender reveal party only creates unsafe situations and spreads damaging stereotypes. Recognize the different dangers that a gender reveal party can create and look for alternatives that will result in a celebration that everyone can safely enjoy and remember fondly.
