Xander doubting himself

xander going to bed says:

I am not sleeping with ariel tonight so she will go over there. Xander always sleeps with her so i ask him why?
He responds: She is for girls so she is not a friend. Is she? He asks with a pleading look (like please tell me its ok).
I say well only you can say if she is a friend... Do you like her? He nods. Ok so i can sleep with her?

My heart hurts that xander feels already that he has to hide or change who he is or what he likes because his peers and his teachers (who also validate what his peers tell him) tell him he is not supposed to like something. How can this be???! We would never tell an adult; well you can't like that! That would be silly, we like what we like period! So why do it to small impressionable children who don't know how not to listen to adults and children who they value. I know why because its easy they will take it and an adult will not! Well I am an adult and i am not taking it!!!

Sorry for the rant but my heart really hurts tonight because as any mother i don't want to see my child hurt or feel less than the perfect little person he is.

(xander asked me to read what i wrote on his site and after i finished he stood up on the bed and clapped )