Gender Perceptions

Ironically, all my ED classes have recently touched on the topic of gender in society. In Child Development, I read about the almost unnoticeable difference in development of children living with same-sex parents, as well as how they come to perceive gender roles. In my Diverse Perspectives in Education class, we discussed how teachers could include the change of gender roles in curriculum.
Most people have their own opinions when it comes to gender roles, therefore I feel uncertain how to approach these issues in the classroom.
For instance, when I was observing a preschool classroom earlier this week, I heard one boy say "Did you know that I am a boy and I like a girl color??" He was coloring with a purple marker and seemed pretty proud of his favorite color. What is the appropriate response to statements such as these? Ideally, the students should learn to broaden and question the validity of stereotypes. But could breaking stereotypes set certain students up for social failure? I also noticed that many preschool classrooms have a corner where students can play "house". Does this hinder stereotypes or could it possibly be used to break them?
Overall I found it really interesting to observe the perceptions that preschoolers hold. Did the boy think that purple was girly because someone specifically told him that, or because he observed it? As a future educator, I need to think about what I am specifically telling my students, and what I may be portraying unconsciously. Not only with gender, but with other stereotypes as well.