Spot Conlon and the rest of Brooklyn all being girls actually means so much to me and not in a "See women can be strong too!!!" kinda way because like. It just makes so much sense???
Like, okay so if you stop thinking about it as "the strongest and most fearsome group of newsies is also all girls" and instead think of it as "the group of newsies that are all girls is also the strongest and most fearsome" it all starts clicking into place.
Because if you were Spot Conlon, if you had a group of young girls who all live and work on the streets to take care of, of course you would want to have this big, intimidating reputation of being the best fighter and strongest leader. If every other borough, most of which are made up of dozens of teenage boys, believes you can and will soak them for so much a stepping foot in Brooklyn, they won't dare think about so much as touching one of your girls.
Of course you would make sure all of your girls know how to beat an opponent much bigger and stronger than them. If someone does mess with them, they have to be able to fight back. Not just to protect themselves, but to make sure that whichever idiot thought it was a good idea to mess with Brooklyn never dares try it again. They have to be able to win that fight and all future fights.
Of course you would be super territorial and make sure you don't give a single inch of leniency towards the other boroughs. You can't show any kind of vulnerability, no matter how capable you are. Being "just as strong" as the other boroughs isn't enough because they will never see you as an equal. So you choose to be seen as a threat.
Brooklyn has to be strong. They have to be scary. They're not any more violent or mean than the other boroughs, but they need the others to think they are because the alternative is being seen as an easy target. That can't happen.
I also feel like Brooklyn wouldn't have this reputation unless they were forced to. Like, if it were up to them they would be kind and welcoming and friendly. But whenever they gave an inch the other neighborhoods took a mile. Whenever they showed even an ounce of kindness there was always someone who took that as a sign of weakness.
It's not fun being isolated. It's not fun being feared. But it keeps them safe and that's the most important thing. I think Brooklyn only has a reputation of being strong fighters because they keep being forced to fight.
I have no idea if this is even remotely comprehensible but do you see my vision? I just. The idea of Brooklyn being the strongest borough out of necessity instead of desire. Spot Conlon being a girl has so many implications about this character's backstory and motivations that we've never had before and it's so much more than just "Hey did you guys know women can be competent leaders too? I know, WILD"
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