Strange Assumptions about Goth Parents

I had a weird encounter yesterday. I was standing in line at a store in town when I saw someone I went to highschool with and started a conversation with her. Her mother was with her and started asking the usual questions: where do I get my clothes, purse, all the "Goth stuff," etc. Ok, fine.

Then she asks if I dress my son in "gothic" too. I explained to her, in a polite and approchable way, that Zach picks out all his own clothes and that while, yes, he does tend to choose things of a spooky nature, he wears other things too.

Then came the weird part.

She says "I bet he goes to school and tells everyone, 'my mama's a witch!'".

Yeah.....cause that's funny.

Two assumptions are being made here: first that I would make my child dress like me, and second that he would see my choice of outfits as "weird" like everyone else does.

1. I am actually different than a lot of parents in letting Zach choose all of his clothes. I've see many that I know choose things for their child because they felt it was cute or what the child might want. This decision made with a heavy dose of what the parent thinks, not the child themselves. Children are little people, they have their own wants and likes and to stifle that because "you" don't like it or don't think it's cut enough is simply scary.

2. My child does not see me as weird, my child does not see me as a witch; this is because I have taught my child to be appreciative of difference and tolerate the views and options of other people. So he knows that not every one who dresses in black is a witch, nor is any one who is different from him somehow bad or scary.

Sorry about the rant, but I had to get this one out there: do any other alternative parents run into these situations? What has been the worst assumption made about you?