That seems to be a common tendency of parents - to every so often overlook the complexity of their son's/daughter's character, and act like you're a simple character. For some reason it's hard for parents to accept that there may be a lot more to their children that they aren't cognizant of.

Usually they're in denial when they continually reassure themselves it's just a phase. They don't want to accept the harsh reality.

Oh yeah. Totally. I wrote a very long letter to my parents explaining my character as I currently understand it, but I never actually sent them it (I am pondering over doing so in the future, if their attitude gets on me again). They just seem to think I'm a simple character they know very well and can easily describe to their friends using a few terms, which is way off.

You've got it worse than I do though. I don't mind being labelled a girl/female/woman although I tend to disbelieve in gender as anything but a biological difference. I'm seen as "girly" since I like most things that are attributed to being "girly" even though I consider the lumping of characteristics into two piles of "masculine" and "feminine" to be quite stupid. "Caring" does not have to be feminine, nor does "toughness" have to be masculine. I'm definitely a lot more "boyish" than people in certain aspects. I'm one of the most stoic and blunt people you'll ever come across (though I am sometimes susceptible to giving in to the sensitive and emotional side), and I'm an extremely determined and hardcore bitch and not afraid to admit it, so yeah.