Leslie | Unbound by Constraints - tomboyx
Often when I show this photo to friends, they joke and say “Leslie, I didn’t know you had a brother!” Such was the life of growing up a “tomboy” in the 1980s. We’re talking classic tomboy: short hair, tube socks, sneaks, where everyday was a field day. At school, I skipped lunch to play basketball with the boys. During PE, I wanted to play baseball rather than softball. My life oriented around being athletic and letting myself flow free, never once thinking I should or shouldn’t do something because of my gender.
I’m thankful that my parents encouraged me to keep playing to my full potential, and that Title IX eventually caught up to enable equal opportunity for women’s collegiate sports. Those early days on the field-ground helped shape me into a Division 1 athlete and instilled a steadfast sense of being true-to-myself. To really lean into my passions, strengths and not worry about showing up any different way than myself.
Today I still play basketball with the boys, often playing pick-up at the Y. And I’m grateful for a place where I belong: lesbian, athlete, introvert, leader, at tomboyx with an amazing team and queer co-founders. - Leslie, CEO tomboyx
Read more
When the team first said the phrase Unbound by Constraints, I knew they had captured the essence of tomboyx. Succinct, descriptive and empowering. From the beginning, Naomi and I knew that what wa...
When people talk about their college years, my story is a little different. I was a bucky punk kid in high school and suffered through a lot of hazing, so the idea of going to even MORE school ter...
